TIDEZINE.

30 Years After the F1, McLaren Brings Back the Manual with the McL 6GT Concept

McLaren has unveiled the McL 6GT concept, featuring a true manual transmission and an orange clutch pedal — the first hint of a manual production car since the F1. It's slated to arrive in 2028 with an estimated price of $1.5 million.

Reese Yang, Commerce Editor
30 Years After the F1, McLaren Brings Back the Manual with the McL 6GT Concept

On the McLaren's center console, next to the oversized shifter, sits a Papaya Orange clutch pedal — the most honest detail in the entire McL 6GT concept: driving this car means using your left foot.

The last time McLaren put a manual gearbox in a production car was the F1, back in 1992. More than three decades later, the British supercar maker is signaling that it's finally coming back — via a concept called the McL 6GT. And unlike Ferrari's computer-assisted 12Cilindri Manuale, this one appears to be the real deal: judging from the released interior photos, the shift knob is clearly marked with a six-speed pattern, suggesting genuine manual operation with no electronic assist doing the work behind the scenes.

睽違F1三十年 McLaren用McL 6GT概念車找回手排排檔

The McL 6GT will make its debut during Monterey Car Week, though McLaren has revealed almost nothing about the powertrain. Car and Driver reports that the show car is actually capable of running, but details beyond the engine specs and the rest of the drivetrain remain under wraps. What's confirmed is that the transmission itself has six gears — everything else is being saved for 2028, the year McLaren has announced for the production version's launch, with an estimated price around $1.5 million.

The design harks back to the very first production car Bruce McLaren himself built in 1969, the M6GT: a low-slung body with clean lines from front to back, oversized headlights up front, and a low rear spoiler out back. The fuel cap is stamped with an early version of the brand's logo, the "Speedy Kiwi" — a direct nod to the McLaren founder's era, welded right onto the body.

The cabin feels more like the interior is integrated into the car's structure rather than added on as decoration afterward. Even though the shifter is a relic of the mechanical era, a digital gauge cluster sits ahead of the driver, while the steering wheel, seats, and door panels are all wrapped in Alcantara suede.

McLaren emphasizes that this is still just a concept, and the production version will inevitably see some changes in the details. But more than the styling or the power figures, what really makes you look twice at the McL 6GT is the manual shifter itself — the last time it showed up in a McLaren production car was more than three decades ago.

Related

The Last Manual V-12: Lamborghini Murciélago SV Heading to No-Reserve Auction
Lifestyle

The Last Manual V-12: Lamborghini Murciélago SV Heading to No-Reserve Auction

This 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SV is the last of just five manual-transmission examples ever built in the entire model line, and it's heading to a no-reserve auction with RM Sotheby's, with bidding open August 24 to 26.

Range Rover Sport Electric Opens Presale in Taiwan, Puts All-Terrain Chops to the Test at Marble Quarry
Lifestyle

Range Rover Sport Electric Opens Presale in Taiwan, Puts All-Terrain Chops to the Test at Marble Quarry

The first fully electric Range Rover Sport completed extreme testing at Italy's Carrara quarry, hitting 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds. Taiwan presale starts at NT$4.68 million.

Macau's City of Dreams Unveils All-New "REM" — 149-Room Hotel Built Like a Dream World
Lifestyle

Macau's City of Dreams Unveils All-New "REM" — 149-Room Hotel Built Like a Dream World

Inspired by REM sleep, red tones, metallic finishes and light play create a surreal space—grand opening set for October

Hong Kong Online Travel Fair Launches: Halloween, Wine & Dine, and Old Town Central from NT$10,999
Lifestyle

Hong Kong Online Travel Fair Launches: Halloween, Wine & Dine, and Old Town Central from NT$10,999

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has teamed up with six travel agencies to launch a 10-day online travel fair, with 3-day 2-night packages (tax included) starting from NT$10,999. The lineup covers Halloween city-wide celebrations, the Wine & Dine Festival, and an Old Town Central stroll, with deals so steep you could even snag a stay at the world's No.1 hotel at a bargain-basement price.

Ben Simmons Returns After Missing Entire Season, Signs 1-Year, $3.5M Deal with Kings
Lifestyle

Ben Simmons Returns After Missing Entire Season, Signs 1-Year, $3.5M Deal with Kings

Three-time All-Star Ben Simmons has agreed to a 1-year, $3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings, marking his return for his 10th NBA season after sitting out the entire previous year. This short-term deal is also his chance to prove himself all over again.

A. Lange & Söhne's New Releases Go to Extremes: Restrained Blue-Dial 1815 UP/DOWN, Platinum Complication TRIPLE SPLIT
Lifestyle

A. Lange & Söhne's New Releases Go to Extremes: Restrained Blue-Dial 1815 UP/DOWN, Platinum Complication TRIPLE SPLIT

At Concours of Elegance 2026, A. Lange & Söhne unveiled both the blue-dial 1815 UP/DOWN and the platinum TRIPLE SPLIT simultaneously—one pared back to essentials, the other pushing mechanical complexity even further.