7 replies to this topic

[aerogi]

Hello again,

sorry for bringing this up in a new thread, but in the thread Experiments, bizarre, etc ... I have posted a pic of a Mc Laren M27, and this car seems to be a mystery to me...

In early 1978, Mc Laren tested a very, very strange rear wing configuration, the car was named M27... Don't know what happened afterwards,though.
I could not find any other information about this car, because after the M26 came the M28 at the end of 1978... I guess it is just a M26 with that weird rear wing?

t is Tambay driving the car. If anybody have some more information about this, or has pictures taken from the front or another angle, that would be very great, because this car is a real mystery to me. I even tried 'google', but couldn't find any information. Any Mc Laren freaks here who could help? :

[gdecarli]

Do you have exact date of this test?
I have at home many Autosprint dated early 1978 and few time to look for (I am at home only at week end); maybe I can find something...

Ciao,
Guido

[Vitesse2]

DCN's McLaren book says that M27 was the designation of a "shelved" non-ground effect car - that would seem to indicate it never left the drawing board. He also mentions a "more radical" M26 variant tested at Paul Ricard during the off-season "with different wing side plates and repositioned radiators".

[aerogi]

@ gdecarli : I don't really have an exact date this car was tested, however the article I have is from a Dutch magazine 'Autorensport', dated January 19th, 1978, so it has to be before that date. And apparently there where many other teams present!

@Vitesse2: I think this is the car you are talking about. It is mentioned that the M27 is a different version of the M26,with those positioned radiators and bizarre rear wing. Maybe the author of this article automatically suggested it would have been the M27?

[MoMurray]

In Autosport Dated 5th January 1978, James Hunt describes (not in any detail) his test of the M26.5 or "batmobile". He says two cars were available for him and new teammate Tambay.
"For our second outing at Ricard, we brought the M26.5, but, as our time at the track was very limited and I had a lot of testing to do for Goodyear with the regular car, the run in the new car was no more than an exploratory outing, which was all that was intended. There are twwo technical aspects which our designer, Gordon Cuppock has had a go at: The aerodynamics and the functioning of the rear suspension. The technical details have already been described in the motoring press by experts far better qualified than I, but it is interesting to note that Gordon and Colin Chapman have arrived independantly at similar solutions to current problems...."


Different picture in the artical also Front right three quarter view.

Mo.

[MoMurray]

Also Autosport dated 22/29 December 1977 has a feature on the new Lotus testing at Ricard at which test the M26/7 was tested for the first time (same car).
"By using a rocker arm attached to the rear upright at one end and operating an inboard coil spring damper unit at the other, it leaves a far cleaner airflow around the rear wheels and does away with the top radius rod. This also allows room for a new tail assembly consisting of two long side fins incorporating the oil and water radiators in the gap behind the monocoque at the front and the rear wings at the back similar to the Porsche arrangement. A second combination was aslo tried with the side panels cut back and the rear wing fixed in conventional style. Both Tambay and Hunt tried the long wing arrangement, Tambay finding the set-up gave a smoother feel but a much quicker break-away at the rear which he backed up with his first spin for the McLaren team.
James Hunt did three laps before he also spun then only did a few more laps before getting out of the car and declaring the set up not to his liking."

The sotry refers to the test being "last week" so I assume it was during the week of December 15th 1977 or thereabouts. Lotus, McLaren, Williams, Brabham, Tyrell, Renault and two rpivate cars (Lunger and Rebaque) attended the test.

Mo.

[gdecarli]

So I'm quite sure I have no pics about: my first 1978 Autosprint is one with Argentina GP report, mid January.

Ciao,
Guido

[Reyna]

On january 3th 1978, Autosprint shows the Mclaren M26/7. This one was an M26 with some new solutions for the future M27. In fact at this time the new M27 was only a project....






Photos from Autosprint


Rafa