What if Bruce McLaren had finished the car he imagined more than half a century ago? The McL 6GT is McLaren’s answer.

Revealed during Monterey Car Week, the McL 6GT is a contemporary interpretation of Bruce McLaren’s original M6GT—a road car that never reached production. But this isn’t nostalgia dressed up in carbon fiber. McLaren has used the idea as a starting point for something distinctly modern, and distinctly unusual.

The proportions immediately set it apart. Low and wide, with a low nose and a fluid roofline flowing into a Kammback tail, the McL 6GT recalls the M6A Can-Am racer without becoming a retro exercise. The body reads almost as one continuous form, with the cabin embedded within the shape rather than sitting on top of it.

The details are wonderfully considered. The original M6GT’s taillights inspire the Racing Loop motif, Bruce McLaren’s signature appears in the engine bay, and the Speedy Kiwi is discreetly etched into the fuel filler cap. Inside, boxed quilting and digital instrumentation balance heritage with contemporary execution.

And then there is the part that really gets our attention: an authentic six-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels through a V8. It is McLaren’s first true manual since the legendary F1, and a rather bold declaration at a time when performance is increasingly measured by what computers can do for us.

The McL 6GT is expected to reach production in 2028. For now, it may be one of the most beautiful reminders from Monterey that the future of the supercar doesn’t necessarily have to forget how to feel.