McLaren's Bringing The Power To The Goodwood Festival of Speed

McLaren's celebrating many noteworthy anniversaries this year. For example, 2016 marks the jubilee of the British team's debut in F1, 45 years since the last of McLaren's five-season dominant winning streak of the wild Can-Am series, and the 40th anniversary of the now-iconic 1976 F1 championship that's been immortalized in countless books, documentaries and blockbuster motion pictures. So, with the benefits of having a stellar road car range under its belt, McLaren will commemorate its successes in style at this year's Goodwood FOS.

Spearheading these celebrations is the largest ever collection of McLarens to be entered into the Festival of Speed's hill climb runs. Along with road-going models like the 570S, 675LT Spider and 650S Can-Am Edition, McLaren will also be allowing an array of track-only cars to storm their way up the 1.16-mile-long route, with the 570S Sprint (essentially a GT4 racing car, but with a less edgy handling balance and the engine mapping of their road going donor car) joining the ridiculously fast P1 GTR. Hopefully all of them are entered into the 'Time Attack' competition - the mere thought of seeing a P1 GTR being hussled flat out through the right-left kink past the flint wall is terrifyingly tantalizing enough for us!

McLaren will also be bringing plenty of static displays to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. Not only will the company's entire production car range be featured in the Supercar Paddock, but McLaren is also bringing along some interesting racing cars. The 'Papaya Orange' M8D that won all bar one race in the 1970 Can-Am season will be present, and McLaren will be commemorating the recent running of the 100th Indy 500 with the M15 - its first ever car to race around The Brickyard. Sitting pride of place, however, will be the championship-winning MP4/2C F1 car from 1986: not only is it representing McLaren's long-running participation in the sport, but is also an example of the most successful chassis design in Formula One history.