Talk to anyone who loves motorsport and they will instantly recognize the McLaren name. The British cult team has been part of Formula 1 since the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix and was founded by the late Bruce McLaren. Since then, the team has won eight constructors ‘and 12 drivers’ titles over the years, with 182 race wins and 491 podiums as of summer 2021. But while many people know McLaren for Formula 1, this is not the only one in the racing world they have been successful in .
McLaren is very familiar with another racing formula as well. You won Le Mans, in IndyCar, and thanks to your partnership with the former Schmidt Peterson team, you are now back in the latter. Plus, they’ll be getting into Xtreme E soon and possibly even return to Le Mans. McLaren also has a successful road vehicle business, and in fact, that road vehicle business can likely trace its roots back to the 1969 McLaren M6GT. This is a car that doesn’t seem to be getting much attention, but it’s an important part of McLaren’s past.
The origins
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The McLaren M6GT can trace its roots back to the glory days of the Can-Am series, when McLaren was virtually unbeatable with cars like the M1B, M6A and the instantly recognizable M8A and its sub-variants. Adorned with the famous McLaren Papaya Orange, McLaren swept to Can-Am fame in these incredible machines, winning legendary tracks like Road America with the likes of Denny Hulme at the wheel. At the height of their Can-Am success, Bruce McLaren thought McLaren should face another challenge. Endurance racing.
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Specifically, McLaren wanted to enter the sports car world championship with his team, which also included the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This championship was ruled by the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and Ford at the time. Ferrari had the 512, Porsche the 917 and Ford the GT40. All cars were considered the best in the sports car world. Well, according to the rules of the time, you had to build 25 of these cars for the road to take part in the competition. While it’s still quite a small company compared to Porsche, the McLaren organization felt it could easily produce 25 of these cars with the long-term goal of achieving Le Mans glory.
The M6GT itself
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What ended up becoming the M6GT was a mix of different McLarens and one of the most extraordinary cars the company has ever created. But a problem arose immediately when the FIA decided that 50 cars had to be built for the road, not 25. This left McLaren a bit in a fix, knowing they couldn’t build that many cars to run for that After the season, McLaren discontinued its M6GT Le Mans project. But all was not lost.
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Mr. McLaren went ahead and created a roadworthy version of the car anyway. With an M6GT racing body, it was molded into an M6B chassis and then a small-block Chevrolet V8 engine was added. This was the Bartz-tuned 5.7-liter Chevy LT1 engine that made 370 horsepower. That might not sound like much now, but it was in the late 1960s and it was in a car that was incredibly light. The car weighed only 800 kg all-in, which is just a touch heavier than the original Austin Mini. The car had a top speed of 165 mph and a 0-100 time of just eight seconds. Bruce McLaren had built a missile ship.
Personal transportation
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The M6GT then became Bruce McLaren’s personal car, used for all types of commutes and daily trips. Every McLaren road car we see now can thank the M6GT for its existence as it gave McLaren a fresh impetus to really stamp its name on everything they build. But tragedy would hit the project. Bruce McLaren tragically died in June 1970 while testing the fearsome M8D on the Goodwood circuit. With Bruce also died the dream of a 250-piece production of the M6GT, and only four of these cars were ever built.
McLaren’s Genesis street car
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Notably, the same M6GT that Bruce McLaren drove, the OBH 500H, still exists today as evidence of the great man’s vision as well as the car he created. The M6GT could have revolutionized the super sports car scene in the 1970s and raised it to an unprecedented level. Often referred to as the ultimate McLaren road car, it practically picks up a Can-Am machine that can then be driven on everyday roads. McLaren’s vision of road vehicles would ultimately come true thanks to Gordon Murray’s spectacular McLaren F1. And this car can thank the M6GT for its existence, like all McLaren road cars since. While that leaves us with an amazing monument to Bruce McLaren’s achievement, it is tragic that the world has never gotten more of the man and machine that he created so beautifully.
Sources: Top Gear, My Life At Speed, GT Planet, Supercars, Drive Tribe, Carscoops
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About the author
Henry Kelsall
(1486 published articles)
From JDM cars to WWII machines. Has worked at HotCars since autumn 2018.
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