Monday 29th April 2013

McLaren Can-Ams old and new: Time for Tea?

McLaren shows off the Can-Am and the car that inspired its name in an 'epic' video

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It might look and sound a bit Hollywood, but this is in fact the latest promotional video from McLaren. Behind a Batman-esque soundtrack and spliced with black-screen graphics that do the job of narration, McLaren shows off both the 12C Can-Am Edition and the M8D racer that inspired it.

Mmm. Yellow.

The premise for this new video is the news that the 12C Can-Am will be driven up the hill at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. In any case, it isn’t slow, endowed as it is with an unrestricted version of the 12C GT3’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8.

The Can-Am Edition will also join a host of other McLarens on static display at the Festival, celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary in style. They’ll include a selection of race- and championship-winning McLaren racers of old, including the bittersweet M8D, the championship-winning Can-Am racer in which Bruce McLaren lost his life at Goodwood. And if there’s a second reason to watch, it’s the gratuitous detail shots of the M8D, overlaid with period commentary, with which the video opens. Enjoy.  

 

 

[loudlashadjuster]

Tell you what, the editors of Top Gear have a lot to answer for.

Turn the bloody music down!

[Jayfish]

A nice reminder that McLaren's pedigree isn't all F1, and the soundtrack overlay on the finishing straight bit is pure old school racer but that chuffing wing, whilst in keeping, is blooming ridiculous.

[Speed_Demon]

Mmmm papaya orange^

[Krikkit]

Urgh. Whoever decided that video needed such hideously loud music needs a slap.

Have the old car blatting about with V8 noises, fade into the new car, have it blatting about with lots of engine noise. Job jobbed - petrolheads everywhere will sing your praises.

[digger the goat]

Lovely looking car...
My Uncle, Jo Marquart, Was the designer of the M8..so a subject close to my heart..
If anyone has any memories or stories of Jo.... Please mail me.... I will be eternally grateful..
Thanks.... David

[ukaskew]

Great cars, awful video. The de-colouring of the track stuff is absolutely terrible.

[Rich_W]

So os this a track only car? Or road legal drive-it-to-the-track day car?

Or is it just a Race car for GT3 or a one make series?

[Monty Zoomer]

What a load of crap!

It's a shame because it could've been a really good one with those two cars, but instead it was a shabby, badly filmed mess.

A lot of it was out of focus, black and white or filmed from completely the wrong place, the commentary didn't fit in with the picture and the music blocked it out anyway.

It would be nice to see a proper video of those two cars together.

[astra la vista]

i was expecting racing footage of the M8D in that video. the 12C doesn't look dangerous/thrilling enough next to the original.

ah well...there's always youtube.

Edited by astra la vista on Tuesday 30th April 09:16

[marcosgt]

I think the MP412Cand3quarters Can Am is just a track car.

Not road or race legal, as far as I know.

M.

[BevR]

Ouch

[StottyZr]

The 12c is growing on me fast. That is absolutely georgeous.

The music was slightly too loud and the de-coloured race track scene went on a little too long. Thats just me being picky though, as everybody above me seems to be too...

[mikial]

The way they were :

http://www.sportscars.tv/Newfiles/mclarendesign1.h...

[Donkey62]

marcosgt said:

I think the MP412Cand3quarters Can Am is just a track car.

Not road or race legal, as far as I know.

M.

with the fixed rear wing i guess its lost the active aero bits too? Bizzare

[will261058]

I loved it! That 12C is gorgeous in all its forms IMHO.

[bagman13]

and.... they are all sold.

Is pretty cool, but it is really just a bit of a money grab for Mclaren. Basically "coming to a Arabian prince near you!". They call it the Can-Am edition but looks nothing like it.

Edited by bagman13 on Tuesday 30th April 14:11

[Oddball RS]

How to use a past product to advertise a new one, only problem is the old one still elipses it, and why no M8 sounds to compare it too...............

[marcosgt]

Oddball RS said:

How to use a past product to advertise a new one, only problem is the old one still eclipses it, and why no M8 sounds to compare it too...............

I think you answered your own question

M.

[dave stew]

mikial said:

The way they were :

http://www.sportscars.tv/Newfiles/mclarendesign1.h...

Loved the last part:

"They were unanimous that single seater racing could 'well become boring for watchers if the cars did not look more spectacular, 'In CanAm racing said Denny, there are about six or eight people who can use the full 600 or 650 bhp coming out of a bend and it's pretty exciting sitting behind watching one of them going round a right-hander on full left lock with the rear wheels pouring out clouds of smoke. In fact even if a car is out of sight you can tell he has just gone round a bend by the long black lines on the track with clouds of smoke still rising".

[DJRC]

One of those great What Ifs...

Bruce & Denny v Donahue & Porsche.