Hypercar Evolution – 1969 McLaren M6GT vs. 1995 McLaren F1 vs. 2014 McLaren P1



 

M6GT ANimation header1

Only one of these LT1-powered road cars was officially made by McLaren. At the time, “by McLaren” literally meant that Bruce’s racing crew had created a road car for the boss.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 67The Bruce McLaren Origin Story GIF

The saying goes that the original M6GT was his daily driver: attending events and developing the production plans of this racing prototype for the road.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 39 - Copy 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 34

His plan was for a run of 250 cars, but only three more were created by Trojan, a fellow racing shop with the ability to complete the street-legal fiberglass bodywork, doors, and all the other trimmings like wipers and blinkers.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 72 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 77

It was a learning process – as evidenced in the parking lights integrated into the nose, but the flip-lamps above having a slight finger hole in their leading edge.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 62

Yep, these were functional: to lift and lock the lamps into their open position. The Trojan cars featured a shrouded lamp setup.

The M6GT is clearly a long-body prototype, with the shape still echoed in the F1 LM’s extra length versus the standard F1.

McLaren-M6GT-Chevrolet_104

There is clear lineage in the McLaren road car family – particularly how the overlay images are so close for the M6GT versus the F1 versus the P1.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 69 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 54 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 52 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 66Hypercar Evolution – 1969 McLaren M6GT vs. 1995 McLaren F1 vs. 2014 McLaren P1

They are very, very close – despite quite different wheelbase lengths.

Aside from the strikingly-similar sihouettes and daylight-openings, the M6GT really shows progress in aerodynamics by dropping the back glass altogether in the F1 and P1.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 76

The P1 in particular seems to almost create a negative space in this shape – it looks like there should or could be glass there, but it is pure air.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 8

Additionally, the tail of the P1 is quite special versus the F1 and M6GT. The effectiveness of its scoop-shaped, push-rod actuated spoiler allows the tail to be far more rounded than possible before.

M6GT ANimation

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 39 - Copy

What all three of these McLaren’s also share is the swing-switch door that includes part of the sill frame in its lower edge for all McLaren’s so far.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 64

For the M6GT, the doors are fairly terrifying in how little space they allow a driver for access.  Of course, by this time, Bruce could have leapt in the window slit from ten paces.

Or perhaps not. The M7 follow-up to this car is an open-wheel racer with no doors at all.

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 46

Specifications Comparison – M6GT versus F1 versus P1

SPECIFICATION 1969 – McLaren M6GT 1993 – McLaren F1 2013 – McLaren P1
Type/Formula Road car Roadcar Road car
Year of production 1969 1993 – 1998 2013
Designer Bruce McLaren/Gordon Coppuck Gordon Murray/Peter Stevens Frank Stephenson/Dan Parry-Williams
Examples built 1 (+ 3 Trojan built) 64 Production limited to 375
Engine Chevrolet LT1 BMW V12 McLaren M838T + electric motor
Power output 370bhp 627bhp 916PS (903 hp)
Engine Chevrolet LT1 90º V8 BMW S70/2 GTR LM 60º V12 M383T 90º V8
Configuration Mid, longitudinally mounted Mid, longitudinally mounted Mid, longitudinally mounted
Location cast-iron block and head alloy block and head aluminium block and head
Construction 5.735 liter / 350 cu in 6.064 liter / 370 cu in 3.799 liter / 231.8 cu in
Displacement 101.6 mm (4 in) / 88.4 mm (3.5 in) 86.0 mm (3.4 in) / 87.0 mm (3.4 in) 93.0 mm (3.7 in) / 69.9 mm (2.8 in)
Bore / Stroke 11.0:1 11.0:1 8.7:1
Compression 2 valves / cylinder, OHV 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC, Dual VVT
Valvetrain 4 Weber Twin choke Carburettors Fuel Injection Fuel Injection
Fuel feed Naturally Aspirated Naturally Aspirated Twin Turbo
Aspiration 370 bhp / 276 KW @ 5800 rpm 680 bhp / 507 KW @ 7800 rpm 727 bhp / 542 KW @ 7500 rpm
Power 502 Nm / 370 ft lbs @ 4000 rpm 705 Nm / 520 ft lbs @ 4500 rpm 720 Nm / 531 ft lbs @ 4000 rpm
Torque 65 bhp / liter 112 bhp / liter 191 bhp / liter
BHP/Liter 101.6 mm (4 in) / 88.4 mm (3.5 in) 86.0 mm (3.4 in) / 87.0 mm (3.4 in) 93.0 mm (3.7 in) / 69.9 mm (2.8 in)
Bore / Stroke 11.0:1 11.0:1 8.7:1
Compression 2 valves / cylinder, OHV 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC, Dual VVT
Valvetrain 4 Weber Twin choke Carburettors Fuel Injection Fuel Injection
Fuel feed Naturally Aspirated Naturally Aspirated Twin Turbo
Aspiration 370 bhp / 276 KW @ 5800 rpm 680 bhp / 507 KW @ 7800 rpm 727 bhp / 542 KW @ 7500 rpm
Power 502 Nm / 370 ft lbs @ 4000 rpm 705 Nm / 520 ft lbs @ 4500 rpm 720 Nm / 531 ft lbs @ 4000 rpm
Torque 65 bhp / liter 112 bhp / liter 191 bhp / liter
Weight 800 kilo / 1763.7 lbs 1062 kilo / 2341.3 lbs 1395 kilo / 3075.4 lbs
Length / Width / Height 4114 mm (162 in) / 1854 mm (73 in) / 1016 mm (40 in) 4365 mm (171.9 in) / 1920 mm (75.6 in) / 1120 mm (44.1 in) 4588 mm (180.6 in) / 1946 mm (76.6 in) / 118 mm (44.6 in)
Wheelbase / Track (fr/r) 2450 mm (96.5 in) / 1350 mm (53.1 in) / 1350 mm (53.1 in) 2718 mm (107 in) / 1570 mm (61.8 in) / 1464 mm (57.6 in) 2670 mm (105.1 in) / 1658 mm (65.3 in) / 1604 mm (63.1 in)
Power to weight 0.46 bhp / kg 0.64 bhp / kg 0.65 bhp / kg
Top Speed 290 km/h (180 mph) 362 km/h (225 mph) 350 km/h (217 mph) (limited)
0-60 mph 4.2 s 2.9 s 2.8 s

Enjoy these images of the M6GT, courtesy of a variety of places:

  • UltimateCarPages.com
  • SimRaceway Renderings
  • McLaren Cars Limited
  • RM Auctions

 

1968 McLaren M6GT – McLaren Orange

 

1968 McLaren M6GT – Red

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 6 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 8 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 59 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 61 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 62 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 63 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 64 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 72 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 73 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 74 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 77

Comparison Images with F1 and P1

1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 67 McLaren-M6GT-Chevrolet_10333 McLaren-M6GT-Chevrolet_10222 McLaren-M6GT-Chevrolet_10111 McLaren-M6GT-Chevrolet_1056 McLaren-M6GT-Chevrolet_104 McLaren-M6GT-Chevrolet_10z McLaren-M6GT-Chevrolet_10t McLaren F1  CarRevsDaily vs M6GT 5 McLaren F1  CarRevsDaily vs M6GT 4 McLaren F1  CarRevsDaily vs M6GT 3 McLaren F1  CarRevsDaily vs M6GT 2 McLaren F1  CarRevsDaily vs M6GT 1 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 78 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 76 1969 McLaren M6GT - Specs vs F1 and P1 - Photo 75

M6GT ANimation