The McLaren that rendered its Indy rivals obsolete
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indycar game-changer that won its third Indianapolis 500 five years after its debut
Handsome in all its guises, a winner in all its guises, and, being one of the greatest McLarens, therefore one of the greatest racing cars of all time. The M16 - along with the various M8 Can-Am bruisers and the M23 Formula 1 car - upgraded McLaren to the race car constructor elite.
Tragically, founder Bruce McLaren didn't live to see his team make this leap in status, but his legacy was a company made in his image, perfectly blending ambition and adventure with a solid methodical engineering ethos. And it was from this environment that the M16 originated and evolved.
Share Or Save This Story
More from David Malsher-Lopez
The long evolution of Dallara's Indy 500 winner
How to be an ace engineer: Leading IndyCar race engineer Michael Cannon
IMSA Laguna Seca: Ganassi Cadillac holds off Tandy Porsche for victory
Palou surprised IndyCar rivals didn’t use his winning tyre strategy in Indy GP
IndyCar Indy GP: Palou beats McLaren drivers to claim points lead
Lundgaard: I can call Indy GP track "home” after maiden IndyCar pole
IndyCar Indy GP: Lundgaard beats Rosenqvist, Palou for first pole
IndyCar Indy GP: Palou tops second practice, Rahal Letterman Lanigan shines again
Latest news
Everything you need to know about the pitwall in F1 - who sits there and what does it do?
Alpine: "Shock" of having slowest F1 car triggered tech revamp
How Bruce McLaren's death shaped more than just his F1 team
Both DS Penske in the points in São Paulo
Autosport Plus
The apprenticeship that will aid Ilott's IndyCar to WEC switch at Jota
The long evolution of Dallara's Indy 500 winner
Nigel Mansell’s greatest F1 and Indycar drives
How Ericsson achieved Indy immortality as Ganassi's main man stumbled
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.