Otto Explains — Iconic Cars
10 Iconic Cars From McLaren
Short Answer
Otto’s ten iconic McLarens each stand for one specific achievement. In date order they are the M6GT (1969), the F1 GTR (1995), the F1 GTR Longtail (1997), the 675LT (2015), the Senna (2017), the Speedtail (2018), the Elva (2019), the 765LT (2020), the Solus GT (2022) and the W1 (2024). The cars that changed the company itself have their own article.
How did Otto choose these ten cars?
This is a selection, not a ranking. Each car is here for one specific thing that McLaren’s own records document, and together they run from Bruce McLaren’s M6GT of 1969 to the W1 of 2024, mixing road cars, track cars and the Le Mans winners that gave later road cars their names. The cars that changed the direction of the company, such as the F1 road car, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the 12C, the P1, the 570S, the 720S and the Artura, are covered in Otto’s separate article on the cars that defined McLaren, so they are not repeated here.
Why is the M6GT on the list?
The M6GT of 1969 was Bruce McLaren’s own road car: a road-legal version of the M6A Can-Am racer, with a Bartz-tuned Chevrolet engine, butterfly doors and an estimated top speed of 265 km/h. He drove the prototype, registered OBH 500H, himself. A plan to build 250 cars ended with his death in 1970, and only one M6GT and two Trojan customer prototypes were made. McLaren calls it the genesis of all its road cars.
Why does the F1 GTR matter?
The F1 GTR, a race version of the McLaren F1 road car, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 on its first attempt and took four of the top five places. The winning car, number 59, driven by JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya, completed 298 laps, one more than its closest rival.
What was the F1 GTR Longtail?
The F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ of 1997 was a stretched, more than 100 kg lighter version of the F1 GTR. It won five of the 11 rounds of the 1997 FIA GT Championship and finished first and second in its class at Le Mans. Its nickname later became McLaren’s LT badge.
Why is the 675LT remembered?
The 675LT brought the Longtail name back in March 2015, at the Geneva motor show, as the first road-going LT. In line with McLaren’s naming convention, its number gives its power: 675 PS. The 600LT and 765LT followed it.
What makes the McLaren Senna special?
The Senna, which debuted in late 2017, is a road-legal track car named after Ayrton Senna. It was the lightest McLaren since the F1 and has 800 PS from a twin-turbo V8 coded M840TR. Otto explains how turbocharging works in turbocharger vs supercharger.
Why is the Speedtail famous?
The Speedtail, named in 2018, was McLaren’s first Hyper-GT. Like the F1, it has a central driving seat with a passenger seat on either side, and only 106 were produced. With a top speed of 403 km/h (250 mph), it is the fastest McLaren road car and faster than the F1.
What is unusual about the Elva?
The Elva of 2019 is an open two-seater with no roof, no windscreen and no side windows, a tribute to the McLaren-Elva sports racers of the 1960s. It was the lightest road car McLaren Automotive had made, 149 were offered to customers, and a version with a windscreen followed.
What did the 765LT add?
The 765LT of 2020 took the 720S further in the Longtail tradition: 765 PS and 80 kg less weight than the 720S coupé.
What is the Solus GT?
The Solus GT of 2022 is a track-only McLaren that began as a concept in a video game. It has a single central seat under a closed canopy and a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10, and only 25 were built.
Why is the W1 on the list?
The W1, revealed in October 2024, is the third of McLaren’s ‘1’ cars after the F1 and the P1. Its hybrid V8 delivers 1,275 PS, the most of any McLaren, and its Race mode raises downforce to up to 1,000 kg. Only 399 are being built. Otto explains how hybrid systems differ in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars explained.
Common Questions
- Why is the McLaren F1 road car not on this list? Because it changed the company: it made McLaren a road-car maker and was the first road car built around a carbon fibre monocoque. It is covered in Otto’s article on the cars that defined McLaren.
- What does LT mean on a McLaren? Longtail. The name comes from the F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ race car of 1997 and returned on the 675LT in 2015.
- Which is the fastest McLaren road car? The Speedtail, with a top speed of 403 km/h (250 mph).
- Can the Solus GT be driven on the road? No. The Solus GT is a track-only car.
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