Gordon Coppuck designed the M23 for 1973, developing it from McLaren's M16 Indianapolis car with the rear suspension of the M19. Part of the reason was the rulebook: the M19 had reached the end of its development and could not meet the new regulations on deformable crash structures. It ran a 2,993 cc Ford Cosworth DFV V8 prepared by Nicholson-McLaren, and Denny Hulme put it on pole at its first race, the 1973 South African Grand Prix. McLaren never built a chassis 13; the numbers run 1 to 12, then 14.
Emerson Fittipaldi came over from Lotus for 1974, Marlboro became title sponsor, beginning a partnership that lasted until 1996, and the M23 won both championships. It raced until 1977, by which time it had started 83 Grands Prix and won 16 of them, with 14 poles.
Hunt only got the seat because Fittipaldi left at the end of 1975 to drive for his brother's team. Hunt had won the Dutch Grand Prix that year for Hesketh, his first win and the team's only one, but Lord Hesketh had run out of money. McLaren signed him on a $50,000 retainer, with Marlboro's John Hogan brokering the deal.
His 1976 was fought in the stewards' room as much as on the track. He won in Spain and was disqualified because his car was judged 1.8 cm too wide; the win was restored on appeal months later. Tall airboxes were banned after that race, and the M23D grew low air scoops either side of the roll bar, with its oil coolers moved ahead of the rear wheels. At Brands Hatch he won a restarted British Grand Prix, then lost it on 24 September when Ferrari's protest that he should not have been allowed to restart was upheld. At the Nürburgring on 1 August Lauda crashed his Ferrari and was seriously injured; Hunt won the restarted race. Lauda missed two Grands Prix and was back at Monza in September. Hunt won six times in all, in Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States, and took eight poles.
Lauda went to the last race, the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji on 24 October, three points ahead. It was very wet, and there was a long argument over whether to start at all. Lauda drove into the pits after two laps, judging the track too dangerous: "my life is worth more than a title". Hunt started second behind Mario Andretti and led from the start, then had tyre trouble, pitted and dropped to fifth. He passed his way back to third, which was enough. Andretti won the race; Hunt won the championship, 69 points to 68.
Agora Models' 1:8 partwork commemorates the 50th anniversary of that race and builds the M23D as Hunt drove it at Fuji: about 480 parts, pre-painted, with body and chassis in zamak metal, 610 mm long and about 2.5 kg finished. The paint is "Rocket Red", colour-matched from McLaren's own paint codes. The DFV replica runs to about 50 parts, the airbox opens to show it, the cockpit cowling lifts off, and there are engine sound, dashboard lights and a rear light worked by remote control. It comes with two sets of tyres, replica Goodyear full wets for Fuji and dry-weather tyres. Neil Oatley, a technical consultant at McLaren Racing, consulted on the model, with the support of Hunt's family. This is the Limited Edition, one of 250 numbered pieces, which adds a 1:8 resin figure of Hunt hand-made by the sculptor Paul Oz from his life-size bronze for McLaren. Agora dispatches it from January 2027 as a monthly subscription.