Coyote X

The Ghost of a McLaren: How a Lost Supercar Became a TV Icon

The Coyote X, an iconic crimson sports car from 1980s television, is celebrated not for fictional gadgets but for its automotive mystique and complex history. Its legend is a unique confluence of motorsport ambition, the American kit-car movement, and Hollywood showmanship. The car's story begins with the McLaren M6GT, a road-going supercar envisioned by racing legend Bruce McLaren but abandoned after his death. This rare design was then democratized by Manta Cars, a California company that produced a fiberglass replica kit called the Manta Montage, making the exotic look accessible to home builders. Finally, Hollywood producers adapted this kit car to create the television icon known as the Coyote X.

On-screen, the Coyote was portrayed as a priceless, one-of-a-kind prototype, the final creation of a murdered automotive genius. It was defined as an "excellent pursuit vehicle," consistently outperforming other sports cars in dramatic chase sequences. Its signature stunts, particularly spectacular jumps, cemented its persona as an indestructible machine with a fictional top speed of 180 mph. Unlike its contemporaries, the Coyote’s special abilities were presented as inherent to its advanced design rather than added-on technology.

This singular identity was a carefully crafted illusion using a fleet of specialized vehicles. The primary "hero" car, used for close-ups in the first season, was a Manta Montage kit car body built upon a humble Volkswagen Beetle chassis. To give it an aggressive sound, it was powered by an air-cooled Porsche 914 engine. For later seasons, a new hero car was built on a DeLorean DMC-12 platform to provide a more spacious cockpit for the actors, though this altered the car's sleek proportions. The breathtaking jumps were performed by an entirely different class of vehicle: purpose-built stunt cars. These featured custom tubular space frames, heavily reinforced suspension with up to six rear shocks, and powerful VW-based engines. They were designed to be tail-heavy for safe landings and had modular body panels for quick repairs between takes.

The performance gap between the fictional supercar and the real-world props was bridged by production magic. The distinctive sound of the Porsche 914 engine provided a crucial audio cue of high performance. Chase sequences were often filmed at a lower frame rate ("undercranking") to create a sense of speed, combined with dynamic editing and low camera angles. The use of specialized stunt cars for action, seamlessly edited with footage of the pristine hero car, convinced audiences they were watching a single, incredibly capable machine.

The Coyote's legacy endures decades after the show ended. Several of the screen-used cars have been preserved and are now prized artifacts in museums and private collections. The original VW-based hero car is privately owned, while the DeLorean-based version resides in Jay Ohrberg's Hollywood Cars Museum. At least two stunt cars also survive, with one having been restored after being converted into a different show car. The Coyote fostered a dedicated fan community that continues today, with original Ertl die-cast models becoming valuable collectibles and enthusiasts still building their own Manta Montage replicas, keeping the spirit of this television legend alive.