In any motorsport enthusiasts list of all-time ‘Great Race Cars’ one contender will (or should) always appear near the top – the mighty McLaren M8D. Built to compete in the legendary American Can-Am series for sports cars that were free to use any engine of any capacity, the M8D made history as its creator, Bruce McLaren, partnered by a fellow New Zealander, Denny Hulme, dominated the Can-Am series with their bright orange Chevrolet 7.6-litre powered cars, detuned for reliability to 670hp that equated to a power-to-weight ratio of over 1000bhp per ton.
This was an era when the term ‘health and safety’ had yet to be invented so their like will never be seen again. Denny Hulme expressed the opinion that Formula 1 cars seemed a little slow in comparison to the McLaren. The photograph shows the ex-Hulme 1970 championship-winning M8D, chassis BM8D/4, during testing at the Goodwood circuit in 1978 when it was acquired by Robert Horne. To his surprise he found it a forgiving car to drive with light steering, excellent brakes and huge grip thanks to the excellent aerodynamics and downforce afforded by the eleven square-foot rear wing.
From the book ‘Moments in Motorsport’ by Trevor Legate
