Although there has been a great deal of discussion regarding the scale of Vanquish MG Can Am cars, and some question regarding the the differentials durability, I could not help but be drawn to the Lotus 72D F1 offerings, when I first spotted them sitting, quite unexpectedly on the shelves of my local hobby shop. I knew that they were coming, but here in Canada you learn to be patient and last in line for world release, even behind Australia.

Up until now, every Vanquish MG car released, and there have been a lot of them, have been very much like the last. The chassis have been identical, the bodies very much alike between models, even the interiors and motor detail have been reused on many of the models. There are now three different versions of McLarens (not counting this one) and each have been very much the same, with the exception of only the body work on the M8D.

One of the most spectacular vehicles in the entire history of the CAN-AM series was the Lola T260 which made its debut in the 1971 series driven by three times world champion of Formula 1, the Scotsman, Jackie Stewart. Despite all the aerodynamic innovations made, this car did not meet with the success expected when confronted by the invincible McLaren, which dominated the CAN-AM championship. The Lola did not compete officially in the following seasons being passed down from one private enterprise to another.

The early '70's of Can Am history is an era of innovations. Every manufacturer, engineer, builder and driver was trying everything imaginable to gain that little bit of advantage over the next guy on the track. The Autocoast Ti22 debuted in 1969 as the first and only car with a monocoque chassis built completely of Titanium. Though MkI and MkII versions raced in '69 and '70, the cars with the Titanium chassis didn't not fair well in competition, mostly due to mechanical and driver errors, not because of the speed of the cars.

The car has an eye-catching livery reminiscent of the colors of the John Player Special formula 1 cars, and for me is one of the most attractive releases of the McLaren to date.

However, it has been released in kit form, and this may put some people off. Now what I would say is that I am the worst kit maker in the world, a complete butterfingers who even has difficulty applying jam on toast in the morning.

It's finally here, the Vanquish MG McLaren M8D, a car eagerly awaited for some time now, and an icon of many Can-Am fans world wide. Bruce McLaren's name has been synonymous with motorsports since the '60's, and lives on today as one of the big names in auto racing. In the '60's and '70's, it was the name to beat. Like many, I grew up memorizing my Auto World catalog, and no one reading an Auto World catalog in the late 60's and early 70's could possibly not be familiar with the Auto World McLaren. We build models and raced slot cars, bought the decals and read Model Car Science magazines, and everything had ties or reference to the Auto World McLaren.

Seems as though 2002 was the year for the slot car, and went out with a bang with the release of the highly anticipated Vanquish MG Lola T-260. Two Liveries found their way to dealers just before the close of 2002; the Jackie Stewart L&M Sponsored version from Riverside 1971, and the Bob Nagel #17 from Mosport 1973.