To replace the previous year's Cosworth DFV V8, team owner Günter Schmid arranged a supply of BMW M12/13 4-cylinder turbocharged engines.

[2] The D6 was trendsetting in the way that its chassis was shaped aerodynamically at the front end so that separate bodywork was no longer needed.

In the years to follow this design philosophy became the standard in Formula One; McLaren was one of the last top teams to adopt it in 1992 on the MP4/7A.

His best qualifying performance was seventh which he achieved three times, at the San Marino, Belgian and the Canadian Grand Prix respectively.

In a retrospective article, Jake Boxall-Legge of Autosport called the D6 one of the best Formula One cars to never score a point, alongside the BAR 01.