The Bruce McLaren story: check out the McLaren trailer now!

26 February, 2017

The inspirational documentary account of Bruce McLaren’s pioneering spirit, unswerving tenacity, and endless passion, McLaren is set to grace the big screen.

Directed by Roger Donaldson (The World’s Fastest Indian), McLaren is set to appear in cinemas in June 2017.

Roger Donaldson says, “I was delighted to be involved in the telling of such an incredible New Zealand story — bringing it to life on the big screen has been a huge effort from all involved in Bruce’s legacy. Ever since seeing Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham race each other in the Tasman series years ago, I’ve been a McLaren fan. Few people know just how extraordinary his journey was and how much he accomplished in his short life.”
 
Produced by Matthew Metcalfe (Beyond The Edge), and Fraser Brown (Orphans & Kingdoms), the film features contributions from renowned drivers Emerson Fittipaldi, Alastair Caldwell, Dan Gurney, Lothar Motschenbacher, Chris Amon, Howden Ganley, Mario Andretti, and Sir Jackie Stewart, and offers unprecedented access to the McLaren family and archives.
 
McLaren will be released in New Zealand cinemas by Transmission in June 2017. It is to be distributed to the rest of the world by Universal Pictures.

Merry Christmas from NZ Classic Car magazine

The Classic Car magazine team is taking a few weeks’ holiday from the work computer and heading to the beach for some kickback time.
Merry Christmas, and have a wonderful summer holiday to all our readers, followers, and fans. Enjoy this special extra time with the family. We will be posting archive articles again in mid to late January.
Have fun, be good and be careful out there.

Two engines instead of one?

Popping two motors into a car is not only complicated, it doesn’t always end well. Donn Anderson recalls early attempts, including John Cooper’s ill-fated original Twini Mini built 58 years ago

For a boost in performance, better traction, and perhaps improved handling to some, two motors seems an obvious solution. It would also eliminate the need to develop a larger engine replacement from scratch, but would that outweigh the not inconsiderable technical difficulties?
The idea of using a pair of engines dates back at least 86 years to the Alfa Romeo Bimotor single seater racing car that was officially timed at 335km/h, or 208mph. Taking a lengthened Alfa P3 chassis, the Italians fitted two supercharged straight eight 2.9-litre and 3.2-litre engines, one in front of the cockpit, and the other behind the cockpit.