McLaren challenges Ferrari

McLaren is readying its newest road rocket for production late in 2009 and the company's grand prix boss, Ron Dennis, is stepping back from Formula One to ensure it is a success.

"We do intend to try to match the success of Ferrari and to do that we cannot just be a Grand Prix team," Dennis says.

With the F1 world championship now back at McLaren, Ron Dennis admits he is easing away from the track as his company upscales its road-car work. It first hit the headlines with the $1 million McLaren F1, which was the fastest road car in the world at the time it was introduced, before collaborating on the Mercedes-McLaren SLR.

The SLR is in runout and McLaren and Mercedes are going separate ways on their road-car programs, with Benz going for a born-again 'Gullwing' sports car and McLaren going for a range of high-cost supercars.

The first of the new McLaren road cars is expected in 2009, although Dennis admits it's not a great time for a supercar debut.

“It's very close to being publicly launched. Obviously this economic situation makes life very difficult when you are trying to raise the capital it requires, but the program is extremely advanced and this is something I have got as much passion for as the F1 car," Dennis says.

"My role will broaden in some aspects and reduce in others. I have believed passionately in the need for a grand prix team to diversify and it is not by accident that McLaren is a group of companies.

"We want to be bigger and better than just a grand prix team - it's critical to survival. We want as broad a possible base for the company.

"If you go back in history you can see clear examples of teams who have stayed unique to F1 who have just failed. You cannot sustain an F1 team indefinitely, you need to diversify."

Dennis is looking to take on the established sports car brands like Ferrari and Porsche to make McLaren a major player in the automotive market.

The new McLaren road car is known as the P11 and has recently be spied undergoing testing on public roads in the UK.

The P11 will be the first all-McLaren road car since the McLaren F1 was launched in 1992. Over a six-year period the company produced 107 cars - with one recently making more than $5 million at auction in Europe.

The P11 retains Mercedes power with a 5.5-litre turbo-charged AMG engine which is re-engineered by German tuning firm Mahle. Despite the ties between the two companies it is understood the engine will not carry any Mercedes badging.

Ex-Fiat and Mini designer Frank Stephenson has been hired to completely re-style the car ahead of its launch, but his work will be restricted to the exterior.

The mechanical platform remains fixed with the car using a carbonfibre chassis and body panels to keep weight as low as possible and undercut the Ferrari 430.

It is believed the company is targeting 1500 sales a year with the P11.

But Dennis, who started his F1 career as a mechanic for Jack Brabham's team in the 1960s, insists he will still have a role in the F1 team despite his new emphasis on the road car project.

"I have still got several ambitions I want to fulfil, but you will most definitely see me at grands prix and it is something I like too much to take out of my life. You will see me on the pitwall, I will be at races,” he says.