The McLaren M8 was a series of Can-Am sports racing cars developed by Bruce McLaren’s team for the 1968 season. The M8A and its successors dominated Can-Am for four consecutive seasons, until Porsche arrived with the turbocharged 917/10.
McLaren M8 at a glance
| Type | Group 7 Can-Am sports racing car |
|---|---|
| Seasons | 1968–1971 |
| Family | M8A, M8B, M8D, M8F, plus Trojan-built customer M8C, M8E and M8FP |
| M8A engine | all-aluminium seven-litre Chevrolet big-block, semi-stressed, 590 bhp |
| M8B engine | 7,046 cc (430 cu in), 630 bhp |
| M8D engine | 7,620 cc (465 cu in), 670 bhp at 6,800 rpm |
| M8F engine | 8.1 litres (488 cu in), later 8.3 litres (509 cu in), over 700 hp |
| M8B wing | high on pylons, mounted directly to the suspension uprights |
| M8D wing | low on fins, hence the nickname Batmobile |
| Works cars | two complete cars and a spare tub for both the M8A and the M8B |
based on one source (English Wikipedia), which covers the whole M8 family.
History of the McLaren M8
M8A: 1968
The M8A was an evolution of the M6A and used an all-aluminium seven-litre Chevrolet big-block V8 as a semi-stressed chassis member. The engines were built by Gary Knutson and initially developed 590 bhp. Two complete cars and one spare tub were built.
M8B: 1969
For 1969 the most noticeable change was the rear wing, now mounted high on pylons like the Chaparral 2E. The pylons passed through the bodywork and attached directly to the suspension uprights, which let McLaren run softer springs than if the wing had been mounted on the body. The car was also widened for one-inch wider wheels, 15 x 11 at the front and 15 x 16 at the rear, and the engine became a shorter-stroke, larger-bore version built by George Bolthoff that gave 630 bhp from 7,046 cc. Two complete M8Bs and a spare tub were built from parts of the three M8As.
M8D: 1970
Can-Am joined Formula One in banning high, strut-mounted wings, so the M8B’s wing was replaced by one mounted low on fins, which earned the car the nickname Batmobile. Bolthoff enlarged the Chevrolet V8 to 7,620 cc, giving 670 bhp at 6,800 rpm and 600 lb·ft of torque. The weeks before the launch had been hard for the team: Denny Hulme had a serious crash at Indianapolis in May, and on 2 June 1970 Bruce McLaren was killed testing an M8D at Goodwood when a section of rear bodywork came adrift on the Lavant Straight before Woodcote. The M8D still won nine of the ten Can-Am races that season, with Dan Gurney winning the first two, Peter Gethin the race at Road America and Denny Hulme six on his way to the title.
M8F: 1971
The M8F of 1971 used an 8.1-litre (488 cu in) big-block Chevrolet, later enlarged to 8.3 litres (509 cu in), producing more than 700 hp and 655 lb·ft of torque. Trojan built the customer version, the M8FP, while the M8C of 1969 had already given private teams a conventional chassis that did not use the engine as a stressed member, so they could choose from Chevrolet and Ford big- and small-blocks or even a Cosworth DFV. The M8E, based on the M8B, replaced the high pylon wing with a lower fixed one to comply with the ban.
Design and features
- Seven-litre Chevrolet: a big-block V8 used as a semi-stressed chassis member in the M8A.
- High pylon wing: the M8B’s wing hung from the suspension uprights for maximum downforce.
- Batmobile fins: the M8D mounted its wing low on fins after high wings were banned.
- Customer versions: the Trojan-built M8C, M8E and M8FP let privateers choose their own engines.
- Growing power: from 590 bhp in 1968 to more than 700 hp with eight litres in 1971.
McLaren M8 versions
- M8A (1968): the original works car with a seven-litre semi-stressed Chevrolet.
- M8B (1969): high pylon wing, wider track and a 630 bhp engine.
- M8C (1969): Trojan-built customer car with a conventional chassis.
- M8D (1970): low wing on fins, 670 bhp and nine wins from ten Can-Am races.
- M8E: customer version of the M8B with a low fixed wing.
- M8F and M8FP (1971): eight-litre engines over 700 hp, the works car and the Trojan customer car.
The M8 followed the M6A and was replaced by the M20; its chassis ideas also fed the customer M12. More cars are in the McLaren collection.
Video: McLaren M8D Can-Am Sound
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- McLaren M8A, English Wikipedia: M8A to M8F development, engines, 1970 season
