McLaren's Can-Am models take centre stage at Goodwood (w/VIDEO)

McLaren’s 12C GT Can-Am Edition will take centre stage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year, as part of McLaren’s 50th Anniversary celebrations.

It will join an illustrious collection of McLaren racers from the 1960s and 70s as they run up the Goodwood Hill, including the M8D Can-Am driven by Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme.

While the M8D was driven to championship success by Hulme, it is also the car in which McLaren was killed during testing at Goodwood. Nevertheless, McLaren became the most successful team in the history of the Can-Am championship

The 12C GT Can-Am Edition was inspired by the M8D – right down to its bright orange paint colour – and is the rawest, most track-focused model built by McLaren Group’s race car manufacturing arm to-date.

Powered by an unrestricted 621bhp version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo powerplant used in the 12C GT3, it features a huge carbon fibre rear wing, and a package of fins and scoops which increase the total downforce by 30 per cent.

Further modifications over the 12C GT3 include a passenger seat to share its thrills with willing speed-junkies, for unlike the 12C GT3, the GT Can-Am Edition is for want of a better description ‘merely’ a track car, to be produced in limited numbers (no more than 30) for those willing to part with £375,000.

The video (above) shows what you’d be getting – a worthy successor to the M8D and the first McLaren model to wear the Can-Am name since 1972.

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Written By

Steve Davies

Steve is an investor, private equity advisor and former Partner at KPMG, PwC and Bain. Most importantly he's a life-long car enthusiast, mountain biker and active sports enthusiast. He designs and builds technology platforms and is the architect behind Transmission.