Realising McLaren’s dreams
McLaren Automotive has announced details of a new supercar that features an authentic manual transmission sending drive to the rear wheels, a first for the brand since its F1 in 1992.
The McL 6GT is described as a supercar that connects the marque’s heritage to the present, “using the McLaren M6GT – Bruce McLaren’s original, but unfulfilled supercar dream, as its inspiration”.
The vehicle blends lightweight carbon-fibre construction with V8 internal-combustion power and a production version will be available in 2028.
The brand says it also lays the foundations for a newly positioned and highly exclusive type of McLaren supercar beyond the core and expanded portfolio.
Nick Collins, chief executive officer, McLaren Automotive, says: “The McLaren McL 6GT imagines what our inspirational founder had wished to complete but with six additional decades of innovation and passion woven through every element, creating a modern icon of driver connection.
“It is symbolic of the bold, provocative and hugely exciting future that we are preparing to realise.”
Every shift, throttle movement and steering input of the car is intended to feel “deliberate, physical and rewarding, connecting the driver to the machine”.
Hydraulic steering, tactile switchgear and visible engineering details also contribute to a sense of involvement for the driver.
Knurled machined aluminium controls and ergonomics reinforce the human-machine connection, including detailing inspired by the M6GT. The gearstick incorporates design inspired by McLaren’s heritage, with a three-dimensional Speedy Kiwi set within its upright.
The McL 6GT sits low and wide with a low nose, echoing the stance of the M6A Can-Am racer upon which the M6GT was based.
The “Racing Loop” motif inspired by the M6GT’s original taillights are integrated into the exterior airflow architecture, while Bruce McLaren’s original M6GT number plate is reimagined as a tone-on-tone graphic treatment.
His signature adorns the engine bay, and the Speedy Kiwi – the first iconography developed from McLaren’s original logo – is etched into the fuel filler cap.
