McLaren has evolved its brand identity, bringing together the marque’s past, present and future in one connected expression across McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing.
The new brand identity is rooted in the vision and ambition of founder Bruce McLaren, while reflecting the broader world McLaren is building for its clients, colleagues, fans and global community.
“There is something uniquely special about McLaren. Throughout our history, we’ve never been content to follow established paths. We’ve always looked ahead, driven by a restless desire to innovate, create and push beyond expectations,” said David Woodhouse, chief creative officer, McLaren Automotive.
“This evolution of our visual identity captures that spirit. It’s a reflection of the journey we are on as a company. It marks the beginning of a new chapter for McLaren, giving a physical expression to the ambition, creativity and forward momentum that is shaping our future.”
“McLaren has evolved enormously over the years, but looking back through our shared history across Racing and Automotive, it’s poignant how much of Bruce’s original vision and spirit still runs through the business today,” added Lou McEwen, chief marketing officer, McLaren Racing.
“This evolved identity perfectly bridges that proud heritage with our future ambition. It celebrates the symbols and stories our fans, partners and team mates already know and love, while giving us a more connected expression of where we’re heading next. It feels unmistakably McLaren.”
The evolved identity is designed to support a wider expression of McLaren ownership and fandom, one that extends beyond products and success on track to include deeper personalisation, richer experiences and a stronger sense of community.
McLaren Racing and Automotive teams started by drawing on their shared archives to explore the symbols, stories and design details that have defined McLaren from Bruce’s earliest years in New Zealand to the global brand of today.
At the heart of the identity is a new McLaren wordmark, inspired by the sign above the family Service Station in Remuera, Auckland. Owned by Bruce’s parents, Les and Ruth McLaren, it was where Bruce built the car that would take him to his first racing victory. Recrafting that identity for today, it reconnects McLaren with its origins while giving the brand a confident visual language for the future.
The Speedmark, one of McLaren’s most recognisable symbols, remains at the heart of the brand. Its continued presence reflects the value of continuity and its enduring significance to fans around the world. Papaya also remains a defining element, now joined by an expanded colour palette inspired by pivotal moments in McLaren’s history. The identity also retains the Speedy Kiwi, honouring Bruce McLaren’s New Zealand roots and its longstanding place in McLaren’s history.
The reveal follows a series of storytelling moments throughout 2026 that have amplified McLaren’s origins and the ideas that continue to shape its future. These include a renewed focus on Bruce McLaren’s story, from the celebration of the M6GT as the earliest expression of his road car vision, to the reveal of McL 6GT as a contemporary signal of McLaren’s design and performance ambition.
Across McLaren Racing, that same narrative has continued as part of McLaren’s papaya era, with the team celebrating two defining milestones; racing in its 1000th GP in F1 and announcing its Hypercar challenger in WEC putting the team in the hunt for the Triple Crown.
McLaren Automotive recently confirmed plans to expand its UK manufacturing and engineering footprint through a £500 million (AUD $938 million) investment programme, supporting the next phase of its long-term growth including expanding beyond two-seater sports cars with an upcoming SUV.
