McLaren Is The Latest Car Company To Change Its Logo

• McLaren debuts a refreshed brand identity, including an updated version of its iconic Speedmark logo.
• The new badging draws inspiration from McLaren’s racing heritage and founder Bruce McLaren as the company enters a new chapter.
• The logo update comes as McLaren prepares to broaden its lineup with an SUV.

McLaren is the latest automaker to change its logo, joining a growing list of car companies that have redesigned their visual identities in recent years. The British sports car maker is giving its familiar branding a fresh look as it prepares for a new chapter, but it isn't throwing away its past in the process.

Instead, McLaren says the new identity draws inspiration from its racing heritage and the legacy of founder Bruce McLaren. The updated branding is intended to reflect the company's evolution while retaining the elements that have made the McLaren name instantly recognizable.

Before McLaren became a globally recognized marque, it was simply a family name painted above a service station in Remuera, New Zealand. Those original letterforms now inspire the new wordmark, reimagined for a new era. It's a nice touch because McLaren isn't inventing a new identity from scratch; it's going back to where the name first appeared.

The New/Old Logo

The logo has been a constantly evolving part of McLaren's history. The original crest dates to 1963, when Bruce McLaren founded his racing team in the United Kingdom. It featured a Kiwi, paying tribute to McLaren's New Zealand roots, before the design went through several transformations as the team grew into a global motorsport powerhouse.

The familiar Speedmark remains a key part of the identity. McLaren has used the symbol since 1997, when the company introduced a streamlined design inspired by the vortices generated by a car's rear wing. It has since become one of the most recognizable symbols in the supercar world.

This latest change comes as McLaren prepares to expand beyond the relatively narrow range of mid-engined sports cars that have defined its modern road-car business. And yes, the long-refuted SUV is officially happening, with its launch expected before the end of the decade. A second front-engined model with rear seats is also possible.

New McLaren wordmark

Photo by: McLaren

Both McLaren Automotive And McLaren Racing Will Use It

Meanwhile, McLaren says its new identity is part of a broader evolution of the brand rather than simply a cosmetic exercise. The company wants its visual language to work across its cars, racing activities, retail locations, digital platforms, and other parts of the business.

McLaren is far from the first automaker to update its corporate identity in recent years. BMW, Volkswagen, Honda, Jaguar, Lamborghini, and others have all simplified or modernized their badges. This new logo won't just be sitting on the nose of another low-slung supercar, since the lineup is bound to expand.

The McL 6GT with a manual gearbox leads the way as the first model to feature the updated logo.

New McLaren logo

16

Source: McLaren

Motor1's Take: There's nothing wrong with changing a logo every once in a while, but McLaren's decision is more interesting because the company isn't trying to distance itself from its past. Quite the opposite. The new identity puts greater emphasis on the brand's roots and Bruce McLaren's legacy as the company prepares for a considerably broader future.

The real test, of course, won't be the logo. McLaren can redraw the Speedmark as many times as it wants, but what matters is whether the cars will sell. As the company prepares to expand beyond traditional sports cars, keeping that identity intact could be much harder than designing a new badge.

McLaren Has A Busy Schedule:

McLaren Dealers Saw The New Models. Here's What's Coming

The McLaren 788HS Is The Final Chapter For Three Supercars