It’s a New Dawn, It’s a New Day, It’s a New Life for McLaren: Feeling Good about Rebranding

McLaren has a new look. And, somewhat ironically, it has spent quite a lot of time looking backwards to create it.

On September 22, McLaren unveiled its new brand identity, drawing on the company’s early history and the vision of its founder, Bruce McLaren. The new logo is inspired by the sign above the family service station in Remuera, Auckland, where Bruce built the car that took him to his first racing victory.

From that small New Zealand workshop to Formula One championships, McLaren has spent more than six decades building one of motorsport’s most recognisable names. Now, some of that history is making its way back into the brand identity itself. 

McLaren Automotive described the thinking behind the rebrand on X: “This is McLaren. Created for what comes next.” The company said the new identity was intended to combine its history with its ambitions for the future, adding that its roots “remain firmly planted in our legendary history.” To develop the new identity, McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive searched their archives for symbols, stories, and design elements that have defined the brand throughout its history – from Bruce McLaren’s early days in New Zealand to today’s global operation.

Apart from being a racer, Bruce McLaren established his own racing team in 1963 – Bruce McLaren Motor Racing – bringing it to the Formula One grid in 1966. Two years later, McLaren scored its first Formula One victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Bruce himself behind the wheel. Over the course of its history, the team has been driven by some of Formula One’s biggest names, including Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen, and Lewis Hamilton. 

The legacy continues into the present day. Last year, McLaren won the Constructors’ Championship for the second time in a row, taking its tenth team title overall. Lando Norris also won his first Drivers’ Championship with McLaren in 2025. 

So what exactly has McLaren brought back from that history? 

Along with the new logo comes the company’s own retro font, McLaren Sans. The new McLaren wordmark becomes the brand’s primary identifier, while the familiar orange graphic “tick”, Speedmark, stays as a secondary element. The colour system is also changing: the automotive subsidiary is turning to a darker and more restrained palette, while Papaya Orange remains closely associated with McLaren Racing. 

“The Speedmark, one of McLaren’s most recognisable symbols, remains at the heart of the brand,” the company explains. “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.”

The next chapter is accompanied by a series of stories the company has been telling in 2026, returning to its roots and the ideas that continue to shape its future: an updated story of Bruce McLaren’s legacy, the celebration of M6GT history – the earliest expression of his road-car vision – and the presentation of the modern McL 6GT as a symbol of future design and McLaren’s performance. The latter has become the first car to represent the new visual identity, with the “McL” abbreviation to be used in future model names and company communications.

This is not McLaren’s first attempt at reinventing its visual identity. The Kiwi was present in the first two concepts, for 1963-1970 and 1971-1980, with the latter featuring Papaya Orange. The Speedmark appeared in 1981 and has remained part of the branding ever since. In 1991, the company’s logo became a little more minimalistic, preserving the red background from the preceding iteration. The minimalist tendency continued through 1997-2006 and 2007-2017. From 2017, the logo became entirely black until 2021, when the Speedmark returned to Papaya Orange.

Visually, the new identity also marks a further departure from the Ron Dennis-era grey aesthetics, with a look that now feels closer to old-money luxury cars. Is McLaren now competing with Aston Martin for the Agent 007 vibes? The new logo may also remind some people of Pixar’s logo, with its famous lamp. Public reaction has been divided, with some appreciating the update while others have continued with the conventional “They ruined everything” and “It was better before” complaints. And that’s probably okay, as this kind of reaction is hardly unusual when familiar visuals change. 

The rebrand also comes as McLaren Automotive prepares for another period of expansion. The company has recently confirmed plans to enhance its production and engineering capabilities in Great Britain through a GBP 500 million investment programme. The investment will support the company’s long-term development, including a wider model range beyond two-seat supercars. For instance, there are plans for a high-performance SUV.

McLaren may be looking back with its new identity, but everything surrounding it suggests the company is firmly preparing for what comes next.