NEWS: Slot.it 'Led Zepplin' McLaren M8E/D

Slot.it McLaren M8E/D
CA26b, 'Led Zepplin', Interserie Silverstone 1974

Slot.it have published some eye-popping photos of the second McLaren M8E/D livery to be released, the Led Zepplin car that raced at Silverstone in 1974.  As you can see for yourself, Slot.it has done an outstanding job capturing the M8E/D at 1:32 scale and the very unique Led Zepplin livery.  The front nose angle and stance and the side profile of the slot are perfect, the M8E/D is clearly a labour of love for Slot.it.

I've always been a huge fan of Slot.it, they were one of the manufactures (along with Fly) that got me back into slotting in a big way.  Releases like the McLaren M8E/D, Porsche 911 GT1, Matra MS670 and working with companies such as Policar will guarantee Slot.it are around for another decade producing the slot cars we love to race.


From the Slot.it Team: 'In 1971, Trojan built new cars for private teams; two of them were prepared with body similar to the M8D, and thus they are known as the M8E/D.

One of them was engaged in several Formula Libre and Interserie events, driven by Kaye Griffiths. In 1974, the Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham decided to sponsor the car, giving it the decoration that it still have nowadays. In comparison with the former ‘M8’, the M8D was wider and with a lower wing, which was also braced to the chassis, as the high mounted, suspension attached wings had been banned.

Chassis was an aluminium sheet monocoque with steel bulkheads and stressed engine. Bodywork was in glass-fibre. The engine was a Chevrolet V8 with Lucas fuel injection, prepared by George Bolthoff. On the last evolutions of this engine, the displace- ment was more than 8 litres, with maximum power near to 750 Hp. The transmission was the 4 speeds Hewland LG500. The wheels had a 15 inches diameter, a width of 11 inches at front and 16 inches at rear. Tracks: front 1575 mm, rear 1486 mm. Wheelbase: 2387 mm. Width: 1930 mm. Length: 4166 mm. The overall weight of the ‘M8E/D’ version was 650 kg.'

 
From Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes: 'In the year of McLaren's 50th annivesary we take a look back at the iconic McLaren M8D, a car driven by our legendary founder Bruce McLaren and in which he tragically lost his life.

The M8D gave his team one of its best years in Can-Am. Rallying superbly after the tragedy, McLaren took nine wins from 10 rounds, and Denny Hulme took his second title despite driving with his hands still bandaged after the fire in the M15 at Indianapolis. The M8D differed visually from the M8B. With new rules banning the strut-mounted wings that had proliferated in 1969, the solution at McLaren comprised a pair of tail fins which acted as fences to channel airflow over a wide, low-mounted wing located eight inches above the rear bodywork.

The distinctive appearance earned the car the nickname 'the Batmobile'. It was less efficient aerodynamically without the M8B's high wing, so to maintain performance the team sought even greater horsepower. A new deal with Reynolds Aluminium gave it access to that company’s new silicon-aluminium Chevrolet blocks, 8-litre versions of which were said to be capable of producing 700bhp. In the interest of reliability a slightly smaller 7.6-litre was chosen, giving 670bhp.

In 1970, on that tragic day in Goodwood, Bruce McLaren pulled in and out of the pits for adjustments to the rear wing in a bid to avoid overseer. At 12.19 he left the pits for the last time. In a fast left-hand kink leading on to the main straight part of the tail section lifted at 170mph, causing the car to spin. It struck a marshals’ protective embankment on the right-hand side of the track with enormous impact. Bruce was thrown from the wreckage, and killed instantly.'

Here is a short YouTube video of the car shoot in 2009 at the Monterey Historics.

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