SPEED V: Super-high Power-dense Engines for Electric-hybrid Vehicles

McLaren Automotive and a consortium of UK engineering firms are building a new generation of high-performance petrol engines designed to cut CO₂ emissions from supercars and luxury hybrid vehicles. The problem is straightforward: high-performance cars produce disproportionate amounts of CO₂, yet their buyers and manufacturers are not about to abandon combustion engines entirely. Existing hybrid systems for performance vehicles tend to compromise either power density or fuel efficiency. This project aims to close that gap by developing a modular, lightweight combustion system that can deliver high specific power—meaning more horsepower per kilogram of engine—while significantly reducing tailpipe emissions. If the technology works, the immediate impact will be on the production lines of McLaren and its European partner. The consortium includes a major European original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that will transfer engine-systems expertise to McLaren; Ricardo will extend its own engineering capabilities; Grainger and Worrall will develop complex lightweight castings; Lentus Composites will grow from a small specialist supplier into a full automotive tier-1 supplier; and the University of Bath will advance fundamental research into internal combustion engine efficiency. The broader effect is on the UK’s manufacturing supply chain for low-CO₂ engine technology—a sector most people never see, but one that keeps thousands of skilled jobs and a strategic industrial capability in the country.