McLaren brings back the manual with the McL 6GT
McLaren unveiled the McL 6GT concept during Monterey Car Week, bringing a manual gearbox back to one of its road-going supercars. With a V8 engine, rear-wheel drive and carbon-fibre construction, the car draws inspiration from Bruce McLaren's M6GT of the late 1960s and previews a highly exclusive production model due in 2028.
The McL 6GT's most significant technical departure from today's McLarens is its six-speed manual gearbox. The company has not offered a manual transmission in a road car since the McLaren F1 of the 1990s.
Power comes from a V8 combustion engine driving the rear wheels only. McLaren has yet to disclose the engine's displacement, power output or torque, and has not published any performance figures.
The focus is on a more direct driving experience
With the McL 6GT, McLaren is deliberately shifting the emphasis away from headline power figures. The concept features hydraulic power steering, physical switchgear and an exposed gearshift mechanism, all intended to create a more tactile and mechanical connection between driver and car.
Lightweight construction centres on a carbon-fibre monocoque, with carbon fibre also used for the body panels. It continues McLaren's long-established approach to lightweight engineering, but deliberately pairs modern materials with a more analogue drivetrain.
Inspired by Bruce McLaren's M6GT
The McL 6GT name directly references Bruce McLaren's M6GT project. In the late 1960s, McLaren planned to create a road-going sports car derived from its M6 racing machinery, but the project never reached the intended series-production stage.
The new concept reinterprets the proportions of the original M6GT for the modern era. Alongside its low nose and broad stance, it features clean surfacing and a sharply truncated Kamm-style tail. Inside, digital instruments are combined with physical controls, exposed mechanical details and heritage-inspired trim.
The McL 6GT is not intended as a direct replacement for any existing McLaren model. Instead, it previews a new, highly exclusive line positioned beyond the brand's core range. The production version is scheduled to arrive in 2028, with mechanical feel, driver involvement and analogue character placed alongside outright performance as defining priorities.
