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McLaren has often been accused of building the same car over and over – always with a carbon fibre tub, always powered by a twin-turbo V8 (well, except the Artura) and a dual-clutch transmission and always with swoopy styling inspired by its Speed Mark logo. The end result is always spectacular, but it’s not exactly a recipe for bringing in repeat customers. The new McL 6GT changes all that. Unveiled during the Monterey Car Week in California over the weekend, it’s the first car to be designed under new Abu Dhabi-led management – and as you can see, it’s a world away from Woking’s previous models. It’s altogether less modern, more like a retro design akin to the original Ford GT – and there’s a reason for that. Just like that car, the McL 6GT was inspired by an old race car, that being the M6GT – a stillborn 1960s Le Mans prototype that was turned into McLaren’s first road car, predating even the F1. Just two were built, one of which even became Bruce McLaren’s personal transport, before his death in 1970 cut the project short. That inspiration can be seen in the bodywork, which is more angular and less like a fighter jet, with a low nose said to be inspired by the M6A Can-Am racer that preceded the M6GT. Vertical headlights flank the modest air intake and the front clamshell vents, with the two smaller lozenge-shaped inlets being another throwback. Along the side, one can spot the cab-forward profile, long tail, wraparound windscreen design and canopy-like transparent engine cover. A series of subtle intakes feed air into the engine and are a departure from the outlandish scoops of past McLarens. Moving to the rear, the Kammback design cuts off the rump abruptly, hiding honeycomb mesh vents and the arcing spoiler. Here, the lozenge shape is repeated in the slim taillights and the vertical tailpipes, the latter housed in a large diffuser. Other details tying the McL 6GT to the M6GT and the brand’s wider heritage are the red and silver paint scheme and the “Speedy Kiwi” (a nod to Bruce’s New Zealand nationality) etched into the fuel filler cap. A few photos give us a glimpse at the industrial-looking cabin, with lots of machined surfaces, exposed Allen bolts, carbon fibre trim, knurled aluminium controls and box quilted Alcantara. More importantly, the McL 6GT will be only the second production McLaren after the F1 to come with a manual gearbox, with the gorgeous linkage visible through the slim centre console. In a jab at Ferrari, McLaren also claims the McL 6GT has an “authentic” row-your-own gearbox – so, no trickery with the usual DCT, then. The company adds that the car will continue to come with V8 power and feature a carbon fibre monocoque construction, similar to the P1, 720S/750S, Senna and W1 – and very much unlike the MonoCell tub used elsewhere. While the McL 6GT is only a concept for now, McLaren has already confirmed that the car will enter production in 2028. It will form a new lineup of supercars, separate from the core (Artura, 750S) and expanded ranges.