McLaren’s latest concept looks to the past to move forward. Named the McL 6GT, it reinterprets one of Bruce McLaren’s most personal road-car ideas as a modern, highly exclusive supercar, with production already planned.

The name harks back to the M6GT, Bruce McLaren’s late-1960s attempt to turn the successful M6A Can-Am racer into a road-going supercar. That history was brought back into focus earlier this year, when McLaren Special Operations completed a one-off M6GT restoration for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Built around a period M6A chassis using original body moulds, archive drawings and period components, it revived the car that helped establish Bruce McLaren’s vision for road cars.

The McL 6GT carries that idea forward rather than simply recreating it. Its low, wide proportions, shallow nose and Kammback tail echo the original, while the red finish references Bruce McLaren’s own M6GT. Other details include rear lighting inspired by the earlier car, Bruce McLaren’s signature in the engine bay, and a Speedy Kiwi etched into the fuel-filler cap.

Underneath is a carbon-fibre monocoque with carbon-fibre bodywork, while a V8 drives the rear wheels. Rather than pursuing electrification or ever-faster gear changes, McLaren has given the concept a manual transmission, which was the first fitted to one of its road cars since the F1, paired with hydraulic steering.

The cabin follows the same philosophy, with knurled aluminium controls, exposed carbon fibre, and an unusually prominent gear lever incorporating another Speedy Kiwi.

Although currently presented as a concept, the McL 6GT is set to enter production in 2028. It will also establish a new, highly exclusive branch of McLaren’s supercar range beyond its existing core models.