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MP4-12C Can Am
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I know this is a dumb question (that has never stopped me before), but which would be faster in a lap around Laguna Seca: The 12C Can Am on modern racing tires or the M8F on tires from the 70's. I think it still has to be the M8F by a huge margin. I'm guessing Mitch can give us some idea of the answer.
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I sure hope not, you would figure that these cars would be progressing and not regressing, so I'm going with the 12C, sorry GeorgeSSS. Cheers....??
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extremeride has it George, even with modern tyres the aero is just nowhere near good enough to go up against the Can-Am. It'd blow by on the straights but would have a hard time keeping up thru the twisty bits.
OK Mitch. You da Man on this stuff, and this is really telling. The M8F has 740hp, weighs 1519 pounds and a power to weight ratio of .48. The Can-Am has 630 HP and weighs 2645.5 for a power to weight ration of .23 (less than half). But I can see what you're saying: Paddle shifting plus better aero plus modern suspension is going to have its day.
I guess the M8F is just a big old loud hot rod. But Damn, those were great days.
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Current Laguna record is a 1:05 and in 1969 Bruce McLaren did a 59.5 in an M8B. BUT the track is totally different. A bit longer and 3 more turns. I would certainly argue that the 12C Can-am would put the hurt on an M8 in a big way. The aero package and brakes on the can-am are so much better and what ever extra horsepower the M8 may have would not be enough. For example, a radical sr3 laps Laguna in the 1:28s with 240hp, and a Porsche gt3 cup challenge car with 450hp is the same.
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You're right on the old Can-Am cars being big hot rods George, massive engines in lightweight scaffolding really. Old school brakes wouldn't help it either....
Even seen videos of the old Can-Am cars? Hairy things to drive fast!
Even seen videos of the old Can-Am cars? Hairy things to drive fast!
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The M8's are ridiculously fast on the straights. The McLaren F1 GTR longtail is just a bit quicker than them on Spa Francochamp but that's mostly due to the cornering speeds (aero). I'd say that the MP4-12C Can Am has more downforce, more advanced suspension and electronics, and more sophisticated braking system than the F1 GTR Longtail. More power and torque, too.
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Guys, what am I not understanding here? The purple M8F ran off and hid. If these 1970's Chevy powered hot rods can out do an F1 GTR (which I think is one of the great cars of all time), I have to think they would thump a 12C Cam Am. Am I missing something here?
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The McLaren F1 GTR longtail won that race by 16 seconds. The F1 GTR's lap time was 1.3 seconds faster than M8F
That makes sense. I just never saw the GTR pass the M8F in the video. The world is back in balance again. Thanks
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What's really telling in that video is just how much downforce the F1 GTR (and any modern sportscar racer GT) has compared to those Can-Am/Grp7 cars. Watching the Eau Rouge shots you hear the Can-Am cars have to lift of essentially right the way thru up to the top of the hill whilst the F1 GTR just lifts for the left hander and is then back on the power thru the right then left up the hill.
Illustrating exactly what you told us originally: The M8F will do fine on the straights but lose it on the twisty bits.
Great insights big guy.
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Thank you sir!
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Great video this.. will post some vids of myself and mcdc, isv and a few others hopefully in the next week as we're off with the GT guys to spa on Monday...
interestingly with a decent lift on the left into eau rouge you can keep the power on all the way out also...
brake steer is a hoot round the circuit it has to be said... not something you want to be activating into eau rouge though to be fair.. or blanchimont for that matter..
interestingly with a decent lift on the left into eau rouge you can keep the power on all the way out also...
brake steer is a hoot round the circuit it has to be said... not something you want to be activating into eau rouge though to be fair.. or blanchimont for that matter..
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