Stunning McLaren McL 6GT to arrive in 2028 and launch new heritage lineup
This is the future of McLaren Automotive, yet it looks very much to the past for its inspiration
Revealed at Monterey Car Week in the US, the striking new McLaren McL 6GT is a vision of the British supercar brand’s next generation, and it comes with a six-speed manual transmission. This new model won’t just appeal with pure performance and cutting edge technology, it will also come with a heightened focus on driver engagement and a strong connection to the brand’s history. McLaren’s hoping this new type of supercar will strengthen its bottom line after a recent period of financial hardship.
The McL 6GT is technically a concept for now, but it will reach production largely unchanged in 2028, laying the foundation for a whole new era of models. Yet it won’t replace any of McLaren’s current ‘core’ range. Instead, it’ll sit in a new and more exclusive category alongside the existing cars. The key difference between the two is a clear reference to McLaren’s history, as well as the re-introduction of key elements like a manual transmission.
References from history
The specific car this new Mclaren McL 6GT references is called the M6GT prototype, built by McLaren founder Bruce McLaren in the 1960s. This was intended to be a supercar that channeled the competition successes of his McLaren racing team into a road-legal model, just as McLaren’s current supercars do today.
This reference is clear in the McL 6GT’s styling and overall shape, which has a clear link to that prototype and its 1960’s race car looks. Elements like the large, drop-down headlights, boxy haunches and canopy-style rear glass screen each reference that original in more contemporary forms.
This is a complete change from McLaren’s existing design language, which continues to build on the design themes created for the MP4-12C in 2009. In light of criticism over McLaren Automotive’s Russian-doll approach to styling across its current models, this explicit change in course will be welcomed by many.
Interior design
The same notion of referencing history continues in the car’s cabin, which has a more mechanical look and feel than current McLarens. Perhaps this car’s most compelling element is the six-speed manual transmission, which we can see here has been a core component of the interior’s design.
The exposed mechanism at the base of the shift lever and the boxy shape of the knob itself both point back to the M6GT prototype, while also incorporating thoughtful design touches such as the ‘Speedy Kiwi’ logo mounted within. This is a reference to Bruce McLaren’s New Zealand heritage, and is also seen on the McL 6GT’s unique badging.
Engine and technical details
While the interior and exterior design have been revealed in detail, less is known about the car’s technical makeup. McLaren says this model will continue to use a carbon fibre monocoque chassis and skin, and that the production car will feature a V8 engine alongside its six-speed manual transmission. However, beyond this there are precious few details.
Given the McLaren W1 hypercar features a brand new McLaren-developed V8 engine – with all the latest emissions regulations covered – we suspect this unit will feature, without all the hybrid elements that provide the W1’s towering 1,257bhp power figure. A more realistic number for power output is 800bhp, remembering that it’ll be sent through a manual transmission to only the rear wheels.
It’s impossible to predict figures like performance times or top speed at this point, but given the car’s focus on engagement and technical simplicity rather than outright performance, it’s unlikely to out-perform the wild hybrid-assisted McLaren Artura, let alone higher-priced models like the forthcoming 788HS.
There’s also little idea as to just how expensive or exclusive this new model will be, but with a need to sell fewer cars at higher profit, we suspect the McL 6GT will sit somewhere between the current ‘core’ models that cost from around £250,000 and the ultra-exclusive ‘Ultimate’ models like the W1 that are well into seven figures.
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