Widescreen gallery: McLaren M8C

By Marcel Hundscheid/Speed-O-Graphica.com

We get up close and personal with a CanAm monster – the McLaren M8C – in this widescreen gallery by Marcel Hundscheid of Speed-O-Graphica.

The McLaren M8C from 1970 was the production version of the factory-built M8A and was in fact the first customer car (C) of the M8 meant for use by privateer racing teams. Peter Agg’s Trojan Co was responsible for building them, and only 10 were made. The car you see here is chassis 70-04.

Customers could choose between the big-block Ford or the Chevrolet engine. When comparing the M8C with the earlier A and B-models, it didn’t use a stressed engine.

Earlier versions of the M8, like the M8A and M8B, were equipped with the large suspension-mounted wings. From 1970 McLaren made the M8 available with the lower chassis-mounted wing.

Chassis 70-04 was raced by Canadian John Cordts in the CanAm-championship. During his first race at Mosport he finished in fifth place behind Denny Hulme, Peter Revson, Lothar Motschenbacher and Bob Bondurant.

The M8C pictured here is nowadays owned and based in Germany. The car is equipped with a 8.8 liter V8 producing 880 bhp and 1000 Nm torque.