Voltando aos McLaren montados no passado, retomamos com alguns carros dos anos 70, época que tem minha preferência no que diz respeito ao automobilismo. São kits Tamiya convertidos e Iritani, todos escala 1/20, alguns ainda sem pequenos detalhes como minissaias e telas metálicas nos radiadores, a serem instalados em breve.
The McLaren M23 was a Formula One car designed by Gordon Coppuck with input from John Barnard. It was an F1 development of the McLaren Indycar M16, but was mostly inspired by the Lotus 72, sharing the same basic shape and layout. The same Ford DFV engine was used, but was prepared by specialist engine tuning company Nicholson Engines. This helped push the DFV's horsepower output to around 490 bhp. It was a very angular car, which helped it to be very aerodynamically efficient.
It was introduced for the 1973 season, and scored pole position with Denny Hulme on its very first outing. Hulme and Peter Revson took 3 wins between them that season, while fiery rookie Jody Scheckter nearly added a fourth. Scheckter was responsible for one of the biggest accidents F1 has ever seen at the 1973 British Grand Prix, spinning his M23 in front of the pack. This was before Emerson Fittipaldi joined McLaren from Lotus in 1974. His knowledge of the Lotus 72 helped McLaren develop the M23 and that season, Fittipaldi gave McLaren its first drivers' and constructors' world championships, beating Ferrari, Tyrrell and Lotus.
Further development in 1975, including a 6 speed gearbox-a novelty for the time, helped Fittipaldi and McLaren to second in both championships behind Niki Lauda, who had the benefit of Ferrari's excellent 312T chassis. The team experimented with different bodywork styles, including aerodynamic kickups in front of the rear wheels, different nose profiles and extended bodywork in front of the rear wheels, housing the oil coolers. Most of these changes were adopted for the M23 and its successor, the M26. At the end of 1975 Fittipaldi, in a shock decision left the team to join his brother's Copersucar-sponsored Fittipaldi Automotive team. He was replaced by the charismatic and determined James Hunt, who went on to win a dramatic and controversial 1976 season with the final evolution M23.
When the replacement McLaren M26 proved troublesome, Hunt and Jochen Mass relied on the M23 in the early part of the 1977 season, and even though the car was now 4 years old, it was still competitive.The M23 was never the most technically advanced F1 car, but sound preparation and continual development helped it win 16 grands prix, 2 drivers' and a constructors' world championship in its lifetime. Kits Iritani and converted Tamiya, all 1/20th scale.
