The hotly-anticipated new McLaren supercar could have a hybrid option – according to its job website.

McLaren Automotive's careers website is looking for a Senior Engineer – Powertrain Hybrid Technology to "Lead the technical assessment, integration and application of appropriate hybrid powertrain technology".

The job ad also says bosses will prefer experience in "Low volume (production), less than 5000 unit per annum" – and that would suit the aspirations of the forthcoming McLaren P11 which is pitched as a rival to the Ferrari F430 replacement, the F50 and Lamborghini Gallardo.

The P11 will be the first road car the Woking-based manufacturer has built since the F1, which broke the record for the world's fastest production car reaching more than 240mph.

Check out more pictures of the McLaren F1

A source at McLaren told Auto Trader: "It’s pretty much accepted that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has embraced and mastered KERS (kinetic energy recovery systems) technology more effectively than many of our competitors this year (in F1).

"So, even if KERS may not continue to be an ingredient of grand prix racing in the future, the knowhow gained by designing, building and running it won’t go away; and McLaren’s future production cars will all benefit from knowhow gained from 40-odd years spent designing, building and running race cars that have competed and will continue to compete at the highest levels of global motorsport."

A McLaren spokesman told Autocar: "It [hybrid technology] is something we want, as a forward-thinking and technology-driven company. We’ve been considering it for future projects. All the ad means is that we’re looking for a senior engineer in powertrain hybrid technology. Read into it what you will."

After the P11, which is slated for a 2011 launch, McLaren are lining up a further two models to sell around 4,000 a year by 2015.

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