Geneva Motor Show - McLaren, which only began building its range of luxury sports cars for general sale in 2010, could triple volumes to up to 5000 cars a year by 2022.
It has been ramping up production in recent years and built 1654 cars in 2015, at prices ranging from about £120 000 (R2.63 million) to more than £800 000 (R17.5 million).
But CEO Mike Flewitt said an increase in numbers would come from its widened range of seven models, with the new 570 GT - unveiled at the Palexpo Centre on Tuesday - being part of its plan to broaden the brand's appeal to new buyers, including more women.
“Four thousand cars a year is a very good business model for us,” he said. “I actually think volume by 2022 will be more consistently around 4500 and I don't think it will go above 5000 cars a year,” he said.
McLaren, which shares facilities and expertise with its Formula One namesake but is a separate company, is expanding in a market segment that longer-established rivals such as Ferrari and Aston Martin have traditionally dominated.
However, some smaller companies have been held back by not being part of a wider automotive group. Aston Martin has tried to counter the problem by using a partnership with larger brand Daimler to supply some electronics and engines.
Meeting stricter and costlier emissions rules is also seen as a challenge to smaller carmakers, but McLaren global director of sales and marketing Jolyon Nash said the company didn’t need to be part of a wider group.
“Last year we invested £120 million (R2.63 billion) in research and development - that's 30 percent of our revenue,” he said. “Over the next six years, up until 2022, we will be investing £1 billion (R21.9 billion) in R&D for new products.”
NO SUV IN SIGHT
The latest available figures show that McLaren achieved turnover of almost £500 million (R10.96 billion) in 2014.
Flewitt, meanwhile, ruled out building an SUV, resisting the temptation to follow the likes of Jaguar, Maserati and Bentley in the rush to tap rising demand for 4x4s.
“When I look at a product proposition,” he said, “if it's right for the brand, if it's going to be competitive, the best car in its segment and it's going to make money for the company, then it's the right answer.
“At the moment an SUV doesn't fit those for us and I don't know whether it ever will.”