McLaren just hit a significant milestone. The creator of wildly exotic super machines has just built its 10,000th car. For a low-volume manufacturer that has officially been in business for just over five years, that's a very big number and an impressive achievement. Car number 10,000 is a 570S finished in Ceramic Gray, and it's going to stick around Woking as a new member of the automaker's Heritage Collection.

ALSO SEE: Takata airbag recall now affecting your favorite exotics

When McLaren started producing the 12C, it took the company 42 months to reach car number 5,000. From there, it took just another 22 months to build the next 5,000 cars. The addition of a second work shift early this year and increased capacity saw McLaren production rise from ten cars per day up to 20. More importantly, the company has been profitable in three of its five years.

McLaren produced its 10,000th vehicle; this Ceramic Grey 570S

McLaren produced its 10,000th vehicle; this Ceramic Grey 570S

More production obviously means more sales for McLaren. In 2015, McLaren sold 1,654 cars. In 2016, the British supercar builder will ship off more than 3,000 cars. Beyond the increased capacity, it's also the launch of the Sports Series cars that has enabled a greater reach into the marketplace. McLaren doesn't just compete with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and other very high-dollar machines any more. It also now competes with Porsche, Audi, Nissan, and Aston Martin for some of that slightly less high-dollar market.

Congratulations McLaren. We look forward to the next 10,000 cars making their way to the road. 

_______________________________________

Follow Motor Authority on FacebookTwitter and YouTube.