A RACING car builder from Leicestershire is moving into the former McLaren F1 ­assembly facility near ­Chertsey Road.

McLaren GT currently makes the £325,000 ­McLaren 12C GT3 at its factory in Bardon Hill, near Coalville.

In the past 12 months, it has built 25 of the cars and demand has been such that the business is relocating to premises next to the McLaren headquarters.

Andrew Kirkaldy, project director for McLaren GT, said it was the right time to move to a new base which, at 60,000sq ft, is five times the size of the current production line.

He said: “I am excited that McLaren GT will be establishing our operations so close to the home of McLaren racing.

“We have a new race car that comprises a unique package of F1-inspired technology and we are working with customers to ensure that the potential performance of the 12C GT3 is realised this season.

“This relocation underlines the commitment and support within the McLaren Group that is behind McLaren GT, and will be a benefit as we aim to offer a world-class engineering support service to our new customer teams.

“We plan to develop our manufacturing programme and are actively considering the production of multiple specifications of cars for worldwide racing in 2013.”

To accommodate McLaren GT’s expanding sales, marketing, design and manufacturing operations, the 60,000sq ft facility will provide office space, a large workshop area and preparation and test bays all under one roof, as well as a state-of-the-art engine development centre.

The site will also be home to a fleet of McLaren 12C sports cars, which are managed by McLaren GT and run as part of a customer test drive programme entitled Pure McLaren which operates at multiple locations across Europe.

McLaren GT, who currently employ 65 people, hope to move into their new facilities within the next few months.

Mr Kirkaldy added: “We expect to make the move in late September, and the new facility is being readied at the moment.

“We have to leave Coalville. The bigger we get, the harder it is to be so far away from the main McLaren business.

“We are about 65 people now and we are expanding all the time.

“There is a chance we may lose some people, unfortunately, but we are going to try to keep as many as we can.”