 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
1970 McLaren M8C news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
 |  |  | Spyder Chassis Num: 70-08 |
The car still has it original tub and ID tag.
Lola won the inaugural year of the Can-Am racing series. In 1967 the McLaren M6A captured the first Can-Am series championship victory for McLaren, a trend that would continue for five years. There were only four factories that scored championship victories in the original Can-Am series, and they were Lola, McLaren, Porsche and Shadow. Shadow won the last original Can-Am championship that concluded in 1974.
In 1967 a production version of the M8A factory was produced, dubbed the M8C. The racing version was introduced followed by the production version. Becuase of this the M8D could be seen on the racing circuit while the production of the M8C was being produced.
In in 1971 McLaren introduced the M8E, which shared many similarites to the M8D. The next iteration was the M8F which was similar to the M8D but had a slightly updated design and a wing extension, also known as fences. Gordon Coppuck designed the McLaren M8F for the purposes of competing in Can-Am racing. The Chassis was comprised of monocoque and a Reynolds aluminum body. The Group 7 8360 cc alloy Chevrolet V8 engine was capable of producing around 750 horsepower. A 72 gallon fuel tank was dispersed on either side of the driver. Packed in rubber cells and padded with layers of foam, it added to the distribution of weight throughout the vehicle improving braking and handling. A Hewland LG500 MKII transmission helped disperse the horsepower to the rear wheels. The aerodynamics of the body and the wing created over one and a half tons of downforce, which kept the 1850 pound vehicle firmly planted on the track at speeds. In 1971 Peter Revson drove a McLaren M8F to the Can-Am championship where he emerged as champion after winning eight of ten races. This meant he was the first American to win the title. His teammate Denny Hulme finished second. This would be the final year for the McLaren dominance in Can-AM racing.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008
In 1967 a production version of the M8A factory was produced, dubbed the M8C. The racing version was introduced followed by the production version. Becuase of this the M8D could be seen on the racing circuit while the production of the M8C was being produced.
In in 1971 McLaren introduced the M8E, which shared many similarites to the M8D. The next iteration was the M8F which was similar to the M8D but had a slightly updated design and a wing extension, also known as fences. Gordon Coppuck designed the McLaren M8F for the purposes of competing in Can-Am racing. The Chassis was comprised of monocoque and a Reynolds aluminum body. The Group 7 8360 cc alloy Chevrolet V8 engine was capable of producing around 750 horsepower. A 72 gallon fuel tank was dispersed on either side of the driver. Packed in rubber cells and padded with layers of foam, it added to the distribution of weight throughout the vehicle improving braking and handling. A Hewland LG500 MKII transmission helped disperse the horsepower to the rear wheels. The aerodynamics of the body and the wing created over one and a half tons of downforce, which kept the 1850 pound vehicle firmly planted on the track at speeds. In 1971 Peter Revson drove a McLaren M8F to the Can-Am championship where he emerged as champion after winning eight of ten races. This meant he was the first American to win the title. His teammate Denny Hulme finished second. This would be the final year for the McLaren dominance in Can-AM racing.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008
McLaren had done extremely well during the 1967 CanAm season with their M6A Works Team cars. They had secured a championship victory with their three cars. For 1968, McLaren put this design into production as a customer car and dubbed them the M6B.
Bruce McLaren was the youngest Grand Prix winner who would eventually become a car manufacturer. His resume includes racing on the Cooper Works F1 team during the era of the very competitive mid-engined Coopers. He was a works driver for a few years before purchasing his own Cooper in 1963, a car known as the Zerex Special. He campaigned the car in the American sports car series for a few years, modifying it as needed, and eventually building a new racer from the group up. The car has a spaceframe chassis and was named the M1. It was first seen in 1964 and it quickly proved it was a very capable machine earning a reputation and a contract with Elva/Trojan for the production of customer versions. This gave the Works team the financial backing and the time to focus on their racing program.
Within a few years, McLaren had diversified into other racing segments, building monoposto's that could be used in Formula 1 competition. The M1 was used in the newly formed CanAm Series with some success, but the Lola T70 ultimately proved too competitive. The M1 was replaced by the M6 that featured an aluminum monocoque and fiberglass body. This setup was similar to the T70. The McLaren Oldsmobile V8 engines that powered the M6 cars had been lightweight but lacking in power compared to other team cars. A change was made to Chevrolet engines that offered large displacement sizes. The chassis of the M6A was brought to life in just eleven weeks. The design had been made by Robin Herd. Bruce McLaren and teammate Denny Hulme fine-tuned the design through rigorous testing session. The chassis was aluminum monocoque which was both lightweight and strong. During the 1967, McLaren and Hulme dominated. McLaren earned 30 points and Hulme was close behind with 27. The McLarens and their Gulf-sponsored cars had won five of the six qualifying races and easily outclassed the competition.
Trojan handled the production of the M6B customer cars, again freeing McLaren for new development work and to concentrate on racing. The next McLaren racer was the M8A introduced in 1968. It had a big-block V8 engine that produced 620 horsepower. It had an aluminum monocoque, independent suspension, and ventilated disc brakes on all four corners. The entire package was clothed in a fiberglass body which was wider than its predecessors. The increased width helped conceal the very wide tires and also aided in vehicle aerodynamics.
Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme drove the Works M8A to the Championship, winning four of the six rounds. The other two races were won by customer driven McLarens. An added bonus for the team was that their M7 Cosworth powered racer had also won the Formula 1 Championship that year.
The M8B McLaren was the next iteration of the M8 series. It drew its inspiration from the Chaparrals, being given a large wing, a slightly increased width, and an increase in power. These small changes kept the car competitive, well, dominate! McLaren won all eleven races during the season with Bruce winning six of the races and his second CanAm title.
The suspension mounted wings were deemed too dangerous and banned for the 1970 season. The customer cars this season were the M8C while the Works drove the M8D. The M8C models, the first customer cars of the M8 model-line, featured a chassis mounted wing and a body design similar to the prior McLaren M8 cars. The Works cars again grew in width to accommodate the wider tires. The engines received an increase in power which made the wider tires even more necessary to help alleviate wheel-spin and to keep the vehicle stable during heavy cornering. The 7-liter engine was enlarged to 7.6-liters resulting in a very impressive 670 horsepower. The body was new, with a design that earned it the nickname 'Batmobile.'
The season would begin with tragedy, as Bruce was killed during a test session in the M8D at Goodwood. The season would continue for the McLaren marque, with Dan Gurney filling the void left by Bruce during the first race. Peter Gethin would take over for the remained of the season. Denny Hulme won six victories with Gethin/Gurney winning three.
For 1971, the M8F was introduced. It was an evolution of the M8D with many changes to the engine. The V8 unit was constructed from lightweight aluminum and had a displacement size over 8 liters. The result was a staggering 740 horsepower making this the first CanAm car to exceed the 1000bhp/ton mark. Trojan continued to build the customer cars which were now called the M8E. This versions were similar to M8C but fitted with a new strut mounted rear wing. Two of the M8E cars were modified to similar design of the M8D cars; these two cars are known as the M8E/D.
The factory drivers for 1971 were Hulme and Peter Revson. Hulme won three races with Revson winning four. This made Revson the first American to win the CanAm Series title.
For 1972, the factory cars were the newly introduced M20 which featured a turbocharged V8 engine and side-mounted radiators. By now, other marque's had caught up to McLaren in terms of design and development, and the McLaren winning streak would come to an end. Leading the pack were the very powerful Porsche 917s which had over 900 horsepower at their disposal. The McLarens, producing just under 800 horsepower, were unable to keep pace as they once did.
When the 1972 season came to a close, McLaren withdrew from the series. Instead, they turned their attention to monoposto racing. The CanAm series would continue for only a short time longer, as sponsorship continued to decline resulting in the season ending prematurely.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008
Bruce McLaren was the youngest Grand Prix winner who would eventually become a car manufacturer. His resume includes racing on the Cooper Works F1 team during the era of the very competitive mid-engined Coopers. He was a works driver for a few years before purchasing his own Cooper in 1963, a car known as the Zerex Special. He campaigned the car in the American sports car series for a few years, modifying it as needed, and eventually building a new racer from the group up. The car has a spaceframe chassis and was named the M1. It was first seen in 1964 and it quickly proved it was a very capable machine earning a reputation and a contract with Elva/Trojan for the production of customer versions. This gave the Works team the financial backing and the time to focus on their racing program.
Within a few years, McLaren had diversified into other racing segments, building monoposto's that could be used in Formula 1 competition. The M1 was used in the newly formed CanAm Series with some success, but the Lola T70 ultimately proved too competitive. The M1 was replaced by the M6 that featured an aluminum monocoque and fiberglass body. This setup was similar to the T70. The McLaren Oldsmobile V8 engines that powered the M6 cars had been lightweight but lacking in power compared to other team cars. A change was made to Chevrolet engines that offered large displacement sizes. The chassis of the M6A was brought to life in just eleven weeks. The design had been made by Robin Herd. Bruce McLaren and teammate Denny Hulme fine-tuned the design through rigorous testing session. The chassis was aluminum monocoque which was both lightweight and strong. During the 1967, McLaren and Hulme dominated. McLaren earned 30 points and Hulme was close behind with 27. The McLarens and their Gulf-sponsored cars had won five of the six qualifying races and easily outclassed the competition.
Trojan handled the production of the M6B customer cars, again freeing McLaren for new development work and to concentrate on racing. The next McLaren racer was the M8A introduced in 1968. It had a big-block V8 engine that produced 620 horsepower. It had an aluminum monocoque, independent suspension, and ventilated disc brakes on all four corners. The entire package was clothed in a fiberglass body which was wider than its predecessors. The increased width helped conceal the very wide tires and also aided in vehicle aerodynamics.
Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme drove the Works M8A to the Championship, winning four of the six rounds. The other two races were won by customer driven McLarens. An added bonus for the team was that their M7 Cosworth powered racer had also won the Formula 1 Championship that year.
The M8B McLaren was the next iteration of the M8 series. It drew its inspiration from the Chaparrals, being given a large wing, a slightly increased width, and an increase in power. These small changes kept the car competitive, well, dominate! McLaren won all eleven races during the season with Bruce winning six of the races and his second CanAm title.
The suspension mounted wings were deemed too dangerous and banned for the 1970 season. The customer cars this season were the M8C while the Works drove the M8D. The M8C models, the first customer cars of the M8 model-line, featured a chassis mounted wing and a body design similar to the prior McLaren M8 cars. The Works cars again grew in width to accommodate the wider tires. The engines received an increase in power which made the wider tires even more necessary to help alleviate wheel-spin and to keep the vehicle stable during heavy cornering. The 7-liter engine was enlarged to 7.6-liters resulting in a very impressive 670 horsepower. The body was new, with a design that earned it the nickname 'Batmobile.'
The season would begin with tragedy, as Bruce was killed during a test session in the M8D at Goodwood. The season would continue for the McLaren marque, with Dan Gurney filling the void left by Bruce during the first race. Peter Gethin would take over for the remained of the season. Denny Hulme won six victories with Gethin/Gurney winning three.
For 1971, the M8F was introduced. It was an evolution of the M8D with many changes to the engine. The V8 unit was constructed from lightweight aluminum and had a displacement size over 8 liters. The result was a staggering 740 horsepower making this the first CanAm car to exceed the 1000bhp/ton mark. Trojan continued to build the customer cars which were now called the M8E. This versions were similar to M8C but fitted with a new strut mounted rear wing. Two of the M8E cars were modified to similar design of the M8D cars; these two cars are known as the M8E/D.
The factory drivers for 1971 were Hulme and Peter Revson. Hulme won three races with Revson winning four. This made Revson the first American to win the CanAm Series title.
For 1972, the factory cars were the newly introduced M20 which featured a turbocharged V8 engine and side-mounted radiators. By now, other marque's had caught up to McLaren in terms of design and development, and the McLaren winning streak would come to an end. Leading the pack were the very powerful Porsche 917s which had over 900 horsepower at their disposal. The McLarens, producing just under 800 horsepower, were unable to keep pace as they once did.
When the 1972 season came to a close, McLaren withdrew from the series. Instead, they turned their attention to monoposto racing. The CanAm series would continue for only a short time longer, as sponsorship continued to decline resulting in the season ending prematurely.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008
| Lee Holman, Holman & Moody to be Honored at 2013 Pinehurst Concours d'Elegance | |
 | - Legendary North Carolina-based motorsports organization featured in special display, lifetime achievement award to Lee Holman - Just saying the name of Charlotte, NC-based Holman & Moody conjures up some of the most exciting motorsports moments in history – in NASCAR, Le Mans, Drag Racing and Rallying. To put an exclamation point on their accomplishments, the inaugural Pinehurst Concours d'Elegance will honor Lee Holman with the first-ever 'Pinehurst Concours Lifetime Achievement A...[Read more...] |
| Jaguar Land Rover Debuts Three All-New British Vehicles At 2012 Los Angeles International Automobile Show | |
 | Jaguar Land Rover introducing three new vehicles with special focus on the U.S. Market •High-performance 2014 Jaguar XFR-S makes its world debut •All-new two-seat sports car, the Jaguar F-TYPE, makes its U.S. Auto Show Debut •The world's first all-aluminum SUV, the 2013 Range Rover makes its U.S. Auto Show Debut •The U.S. will be the world's largest market for the three vehicles Jaguar Land Rover is debuting at the 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show (MAHWAH, N.J.) – November...[Read more...] |
| 1967 Can-Am Road America: The Beginning of the 'Bruce and Denny Show' | |
 | While Formula One will be forever considered the pinnacle of motorsport, from a period between 1966 and 1986 there existed a series that would likely be the closest to 'anything goes' as any motor racing series could truly get. Based upon the FIA Group 7 cars but allowed to showcase unlimited engine sizes and unfettered aerodynamics, the Can-Am cars would have to be considered the pinnacle of motorsport technology and power of their era. And for more than a couple of years there would be one tea...[Read more...] |
| Mercedes-Benz at Pebble Beach Automotive Week: An Expression of Fascinating Design and Innovation | |
 | •Historical Tribute to SL: W194 Chassis No. 2, 7 and 11 among 300SL vehicles on display •The Concept Style Coupé opens a new chapter and generation of Mercedes-Benz vehicles •AMG 45 year anniversary highlights the pinnacle of performance and style A tribute to Mercedes-Benz SL Roadsters is set for Pebble Beach Automotive Week with three 1952 W194 vehicles among a mix of vintage and new vehicles bearing the three-pointed star that express the marque's breadth and depth of fascinating desi...[Read more...] |
| Mercedes-Benz at Pebble Beach: An Expression of Fascinating Design and Innovation | |
 | • Historical Tribute to SL: W194 Chassis No. 2, 7 and 11 among 300SL vehicles on display • The Concept Style Coupé opens a new chapter and generation of Mercedes-Benz vehicles • AMG 45 year anniversary highlights the pinnacle of performance and style A tribute to Mercedes-Benz SL Roadsters is set for Pebble Beach weekend with three 1952 W194 vehicles among a mix of vintage and new vehicles bearing the three-pointed star that express the marque's breadth and depth of fascinating design and ...[Read more...] |
| View more Can-Am vehicles |
 1970
McLaren
models |
| McLaren M14 |
| McLaren M8D |
| Similar Automakers | |
| Aston Martin | Bentley |
| Bugatti | Devon |
| Ferrari | GTA |
| Koenigsegg | Lamborghini |
| Lotus | Maserati |
| Maybach | Porsche |
| Rolls-Royce | Spyker |
| Tesla | |
| McLaren: 1960-1970 |
| Similar Automakers |
| McLaren History |
| Other models by McLaren |
| Manufacturer Website |
| Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Engine | Points |
| 1 |  Denis Clive 'Denny' Hulme | 132 | |||
| 2 |  Lothar Motschenbacher | 65 | |||
| 3 |  Peter Kenneth Gethin | 56 | |||
| 4 | David Causey | 47 | |||
| 5 | Keith Jack Oliver | 45 | |||
| 6 | Tony Dean | 44 | |||
| 7 | Daniel Sexton Gurney | 42 | |||
| 8 | Doug Revson | 39 | |||
| 9 | Bobby Brown | 35 | |||
| 10 |  Roger McCaig | 34 | |||
| 11 | Christopher Arthur Amon | 28 | |||
| 12 | Gary Wilson | 27 | |||
| 13 |  Pedro Rodríguez | 26 | |||
| 14 | Chuck Parsons | 19 | |||
| 15 | Victor Henry 'Vic' Elford | 16 | |||
| 15 | Oscar Koveleski | 16 | |||
| 17 |  Joseph Siffert | 15 | |||
| 17 | Robert Bondurant | 15 | |||
| 19 | Jim Adams | 14 | |||
| 20 | Richard James David 'Dickie' Attwood | 12 | |||
| 20 | George Ross Eaton | 12 | |||
| 22 | Dick Durant | 12 | |||
| 23 | Mario Gabriele Andretti | 8 | |||
| 24 | Tony Adamowicz | 8 | |||
| 25 | Gordon Dewar | 6 | |||
| 25 |  Jonkheer Gijsbert van Lennep | 6 | |||
| 27 | Graeme Lawrence | 6 | |||
| 28 | Brian Herman Thomas Redman | 4 | |||
| 29 | Leonard Janke | 2 | |||
| 29 | Brooke Doran | 2 | |||
| 31 | Rainer Brezinka | 1 | |||
| 31 | Cliff Apel | 1 | |||
| 31 |  Gérard Larrousse | 1 | |||
| 31 | Chuck Frederick | 1 | |||
| 31 | Bob Nagel | 1 | |||
| 31 | Ron Goldleaf | 1 | |||
| 31 | George Drolsom | 1 | |||
| 31 | Peter Holden Gregg | 1 |
| F1 M14 | M19C M1B | M23 M26 | M6 M8 | MP4-12C |
