Kiwi Emma Gilmour will become the first-ever female driver to represent McLaren, when the new Extreme E series launches next year.
The British manufacturer - founded by legendary Kiwi F1 driver Bruce McLaren - has revealed Gilmour will take the wheel for its inaugural campaign.
The new class, which features electric SUV sports vehicles, was launched this year to tackle climate change and gender equality.
The team and their new car have been unveiled at the COP26 conference, where Gilmour was introduced to Prince Charles and gave him a rundown of their vehicle.
Gilmour is best known for her exploits in rally driving, finishing runner-up in the NZ Rally Championship three years in a row (2010-12). She's also raced rallycross at the X Games.
A reserve driver for Extreme E's Veloce Racing last season, the Dunedin product is hugely proud to represent such an "iconic brand" in NZ motorsport.
"Right now, it's like being called up to play for the All Blacks - but you're going to be the first female doing it," Gilmour says.
"The name McLaren is so well regarded in New Zealand and while I never dreamed about it, as I'm not an F1 driver, it does still feel like a dream come true and I've got goosebumps thinking about it."
Races take place in a wide variety of environments, such as Arctic, desert, island, Jurassic and ocean locations, to raise awareness about the effects of climate change in such areas.
"I think it's such an exciting format of motorsport, with what they are trying to do with trying to highlight climate change, going to remote areas of the planet that would never have a spotlight shone on them for sporting events or for other reasons," she continues.
Each Extreme E team are required to have one male and one female driver, and the 42-year-old has been named alongside American Tanner Foust - host of the US version of TV car show Top Gear - in the McLaren line-up.
Gilmour believes the initiative is the beginning of a new shift in gender equality in motorsport.
"It's groundbreaking and it's an exciting direction for motorsport to be heading in," Gilmour adds. "It's showing what can be achieved in motorsport.
"We're actually realising that we don't have that many women at the top level and we haven't got many people coming through at the feeder academy at the start. Hopefully, what's happening now is going to help the next generation get started, so we're going to have more women at the top of motorsport.
"I've been in motor racing a long time and it's the first time I've been given the equal machinery to my teammate. We both need that car to win.
"It would be amazing to see this go into circuit racing and the teams out there, because if girls can see what's possible, then more girls will pursue it."
