THE McLAREN M8F THE BEST OF THE BEST

The M8F offered 850bhp from an eight-litre engine and enough downforce to dig up the asphalt. It is a vast racing car and, though it will soon be 50 years old, it still sets the pulse racing. UK fans have been fortunate to see and hear one in action in recent times.

The story of the McLaren M8F goes back to the formation of the Can-Am Championship in 1966. The Canadian-American race series was initially for FIAGroup 7 sportscars, with little in the way of restriction on engines or technical specifications. This was probably the most unregulated race series of them all. Cars had to have two seats, bodywork enclosing the wheels and had to meet the safety standards of the day. Beyond that, the designers could let their imagination run riot.

There was no limit on engine size or aerodynamics plus turbocharging and supercharging were allowed. Unsurprisingly, one manufacturer tended to dominate and for five seasons that was McLaren.

It was way-out and wild and soon attracted the