McLaren is preparing to pull the covers off a brand-new supercar at Monterey Car Week, and all the signs point to something aimed squarely at driving enthusiasts.
The mystery model will make its debut on 14 August, with McLaren describing the car as being “inspired by our legacy”. Recent rumours suggest it could wear the P50 name, although the British manufacturer has yet to confirm that badge.
New McLaren Supercar Looks Back To Bruce McLaren’s Original Vision
Rather than simply teasing a new addition to its modern supercar range, McLaren is leaning heavily into its early history.
A video released ahead of the reveal features archive footage of company founder Bruce McLaren discussing his ambition to eventually create a road car. That dream would ultimately become reality long after his death in 1970, most famously with the arrival of the McLaren F1 during the 1990s.
There was, however, an earlier attempt.
The 1969 McLaren M6GT was intended to form the basis of the company’s first road-going supercar. Several examples were constructed, but only one became fully road legal. That particular car has recently undergone a restoration by McLaren Special Operations.
M6GT Could Provide More Than Just Design Inspiration
The M6GT combined a 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8 with a five-speed manual transmission, and the gearbox could prove particularly significant for this new model.
McLaren’s latest teaser includes a brief shot of a driver physically changing gears. That strongly suggests some form of manual transmission will feature in the new car.
Exactly how traditional that setup will be remains unknown. McLaren could opt for a conventional mechanical manual, or potentially introduce an electronically controlled system designed to recreate the involvement of a traditional gearbox.
Either way, it would represent a major departure from the paddle-shift transmissions fitted to the company’s current road cars.
What Engine Will Power The New McLaren?
Another brief glimpse confirms what most would expect from a McLaren supercar: the engine sits behind the cabin.
What is powering it remains the bigger question.
McLaren already has several potential directions it could take. The Artura uses a twin-turbocharged V6 paired with an electric motor, but a hybrid powertrain may not fit quite as naturally with the back-to-basics character suggested by a manual gearbox.
The 750S and GTS provide another possibility. Both use McLaren’s familiar twin-turbocharged, non-hybrid V8 architecture, which could be better suited to a more analogue-focused machine.
Then there is the wild-card option. The track-only Solus GT uses a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10. Adapting that engine for road use would undoubtedly be challenging, but it would also give McLaren something exceptionally special for a heritage-inspired flagship.
For now, McLaren is keeping the important details under wraps.
Full Reveal Set For 14 August
With Monterey Car Week attracting some of the world’s most important manufacturers, collectors and new-model debuts, the timing makes sense for a car positioned as something particularly significant for McLaren.
The combination of Bruce McLaren’s original road-car ambitions, the M6GT connection and the apparent return of a manual gearbox suggests this will be more than another derivative of an existing model.
Fortunately, there isn’t long to wait. McLaren will reveal the mystery supercar on 14 August.