I hope you don't take these comments too badly. I am
a bonafide McLaren
CAN-AM fan and I'm very disappointed in GMP!
It's almost as if GMP had their patterns and plans
developed from memory.
They bear only a passing resemblance to the real car. Checking
just about
any photo of a 1968 M8A could have shown them what the real thing
looked
like. In fact, if they even looked at the photo on their own box
top it
would have shown them a few things!
Here are the things GMP got mixed up, possibly a compromise
in the design
process to re-use the patterns to produce models from several
years.
1/ Windscreen. This represents the windscreens used
on McLarens from 1970
onwards when the regulations required them to be symmetrical (Minichamps
got
it correct).
2/ Injector stacks. These are the straight ones
from the 1969 M8B
(Minichamps got it correct).
These are things GMP just got plain wrong.
1/ Angle of the front radiator outlet too steep
(Minichamps got it
correct).
2/ Front wheel arch is too wide and not cut off at the rear
as it should
be (Minichamps got it correct).
3/ Wheel spokes are not nearly as dark a colour they should
be
(Minichamps did it better).
4/ Rear wheel arch is too curved at the front where it leaves
the sill.
(Minichamps got it correct).
5/ Spoiler. It's not quite wide enough and this effects the
shape of the
"winglets" above the rear wheels (Minichamps got it
correct).
Points 4 and 5 are quite minor when compared to the
others but I though I'd
include them anyway.
These are things that GMP did poorly due to the breakdown
of their parts
and/or assembly time. I realise that many of these are a fact
of die-cast
models but this is what separates a good model from a better one.
1/ Door hinges/sill break line. This should be a
noticeable moulded line
and not just represented by a painted silver line.
2/ Brake cooling and (gearbox cooling?) radiator intakes in
the top of
the rear wing should be backed off and/or painted.
3/ Very noticeable join line all around the rear of the tail.
Interestingly GMP have not used this untidy, but correct, open
moulding for
their Team McLaren M8B of 1969. Opting instead to use an inaccurate
louvered
rear end from a 1970 car.
Colour.
This is very subjective. Somewhere between the GMP (too dark)
and Minichamps
(too light) would be perfect. Think of the GMP as if you were
looking at it
in the morning or evening and the Minichamps model in the bright
lunchtime
light.
Stickers.
These changed from race to race, during practice sessions and
even after the
race for publicity photos.
In the light of all this I must strongly recommend
the Minichamps model over
the almost imaginary GMP effort. It's orange and calls it's self
a McLaren
but that's about it! What on earth were Woking thinking when they
signed off
on the licence for this thing?
Many of these inaccuracies are carried over from their
1/18 McLarens. If
only they had got hold of the (admittedly rare) Tamiya 1/18 kitset
and
copied it their model would have been a million times more accurate!.
I hope
that Exoto do not cancel their projected line of 1/18 CAN-AM McLarens
because GMP's attempt got released first.
Richard
in New Zealand
(the land of Bruce McLaren)
I am a McLaren Trust member and I met Bruce McLaren
and saw the cars close up several times. I agree with most of
the comments made so far but I want to clarify the color issue.
If someone out there has an actual paint sample from, say the
Team McLaren M8B, he will know that neither the Minichamps color
nor the GMP color is correct. They do reflect the appearance of
the team cars at opposite times of day, however. The Minichamps
car reflects the appearance in extremely strong daylight at around
mid-day while the GMP color relfects the actual color as it would
appear either very early in the morning or very late at night.
This is due to a red shift as some of you know from physics. The
real color of these cars is a blend of what might be called butterscotch
and orange-yellow. The register on film is also made complex by
cloud conditions and film exposure. Given the sensitivity of the
color and its complexity, it is not surprising that most model
companies have it wrong. Also, the team cars shifted a bit toward
the yellow in 1971 and 1972. It is also interesting that the 1/43
scale hides some defects and amplifies others. For instance, the
1/43 GMP cars are better in overall appearance than the 1/18 GMP
cars. In general, the Minichamps cars have better bodies but the
weakest of the Minichamps cars is the M8A and that is why some
are saying the GMP M8A is better. I am saying a prayer that Exoto
gets most of the details right!
-Rand
Attached foto of one of the original 1/43 Mclaren M8B'S
by SOLIDO from my
collection of 1/43 scale racing cars. As you can see from this
foto, the old
model from 1969 is nicer than any of the newer ones from Minichamps,
Marsh or
GPM.
Just for comparison,
- Bob
A fellow modeler / collector directed me to your comparison
of the GMP McLaren M-8A and the Minichamps M-8A.. Each
has it's attributes and each has it's problems. My viewpoint is
somewhat unique both from the design standpoint and
from the fact that I spent six weeks working for a small (they
were all small!!) Can-Am team during the Summer of 1969.
Our team had a T-163 Lola, but, I was attending the Insitutue
of Design at IIT and if anything met the Bauhaus design
philosophy of "form follows function", it was the M-8B
McLaren... when Bruce dinged the front bodywork at Watkins Glen
during practice in July of 1969, I got a piece of the bodywork
and a small can of lacquer paint from Tyler.. still have both..
The color on the Minichamps m-8A is much too yellow and the color
on the GMP replica is much too red.. actually, the
GMP color is very close to the color Oscaar Kovaleski used when
he bought a team m-8B in 1970.. the best color
match for the correct color of McLaren Orange is the Carousel
1 M-16B. Overall, I think the GMP version captures
the car better though the spilt panel at the rear of the car is
unacceptable in today's model world.. The front wheel
well opening on the Minichamps is just perfect whereas the GMP
shape is unlike any M-8A I have ever seen.. no
doubt they will say they have photos that back up their shape...
An important question for collectors to answer
is whether or not removable body panels are neede in 1/43rd scale???
I do not like them.. the end result can
compromise the perceived scale of the body panel fit. As with
any replica, they each have their strong and weak
points.. my vote goes to GMP on price and package presentation.
-Bob
As Derek Daly would say, well,well,well...!
First off, how lucky we all are to have this situation where we
get to choose between TWO simultaneously released sets of these
cars-already built up. Having been a builder and collector in
this scale for over twenty years, I can say we are TRULY spoiled
now.
Tough call-the Mini seems more technically executed-better shape
body, windscreen, interior, and so forth.Decals on both have their
plusses and minuses; the actual cars changed a lot over the season.
But I think the "McLaren Cars" lettering was black up
until the 8D, right? So GMP would be wrong on that, and the driver
name script style, too.
The December 2001 Motor Sport mag has a few interesting color
shots of the 8A that are revealing.Cover: Bruces car w/o covers
on the intake stacks, so GMP is not necessarily wrong there.Pg
35 has an interesting shot of #5 at the Bridge: no big Gulf logo's
forward of front wheels(!) (Mini),black Goodyear decals on side
of car(Mini), a clear windscreen(GMP),and a different decal treatment
in front of the windscreen.So the markings, excluding the numbers,
are a tossup. The number markings seem better on the Mini.
Yes the GMP's interior is not executed as well as the
Mini, but how about that GMP fire extinguisher bottle? Looks pretty
nice on the pics.
In addition to the great engine detail on the GMP is the great
fit of the rear bodywork-the join lines do not appear excessive.
The more precise detail execution of the Mini is obviously reflected
in their price-almost as much as the original price of the 1/18
GMP Lola. They have a lot more knowledge of the 1/43 market than
does GMP. But GMP's level of execution on their car is consistent
with previous releases-the Penske Lola set, for instance.
Both makes real worthwhile. I reserved the GMP's with you sight
unseen. they will be in my display alongside my other orange McLarens-which
are all Marsh's -so that is a great vote of confidence for the
GMP.
Oh, yeah, the color? Either is ok, just so they aren't
Competition orange! Thanks for the eye(and mind)candy with this
photo set.
- Dave
Now that the GMP 1/43rd McLaren is out (in orange)
I would like a Bruce.
- John
For accuracy, particularly with respect to ducting
on the nose and tail,
the Minichamps version is superior. As well, the windscreen on
the
Minichamps version looks far more accurate. The GMP version being
too
angular.
Having said all that..........the colour on the GMP
version looks more
accurate........at least based on the pictures anyways.
-Martin.
Hey guys,
I don't know which model is historically more accurate,
but I didn't know
McLarens ever ran in a urine yellow paint scheme...GMP is twice
the model
at about half the price. No comparison!
-Mark
The issue of the accurate color for the Can Am Team
McLarens has been
something of an interesting question to me. These were the first
race cars
I ever saw and some of the most lasting and vivid racing memories
I possess.
I have seen a number of models and/or art work with the McLarens
more of a
"bright orange" and some with a more "caramel orange".
I thought the
caramel orange looked more correct... my father believes the bright
orange
is more correct.
I have several hand-built models (two of the 1/24th
Accurate Miniatures
M8B's, a 1/43 Tenariv M8B, and a 1/43 Marsh M8F)... all were built
with
paint matched to an actual paint chip from an original M8B that
was damaged
and shed some body work... the color is more what I would describe
as a
"caramel orange". When I got the first of the GMP 1/18th's
I was a bit
disappointed, thinking my hand-built's were wrong due to "faded"
paint,
since the GMP's were more of a bright orange. Nonetheless, I displayed
the
cars in a separate area and got over it. I'm not convinced either
version
is absolutely "correct".
I also have both the "Orange Crush" print
from Keith Murray, the "Team
Formation" print from Michael Turner, and the "Can-Am
Champions" Print from
Craig Pence. The "Team Formation" and Pence prints are
closer to the
hand-builts I have in color and closer to each other. The "Orange
Crush"
print is closer to GMP's rendition on their 1/18 M8As, B's and
D. All look
good and none stand out as garishly wrong.
Moving on to the Minichamps...
As for the color: it is the only Team McLaren I have
ever seen with that
shade of yellow-orange. Unless they have a secret source for the
paint
color, it just looks flat out wrong... compared to my prints,
compared to my
memory, compared to my models, compared to any source books I
have. The
roll cages also looked pretty cheap during my brief look at the
models
(since returned). A real disappointment, particularly after their
fine
Porsche 917/30's.
As for the shape: the velocity stacks may be right
for at least part of that
season on the Minichamps M8A version (although the GMP look nicer),
but the
car is missing a few decals and the shape does not look quite
as accurate.
The only thing that may look better on the Minichamps version
is the
seat/seatbelts. Given the extra cost, the color issues, and the
lack of
extra detail on the Minichamps, the GMP looks like the clear winner.
Upon receipt of my 1/43 Minichamps M8A, two M8B's and
M8D, I really wanted
to like them. It's a hassle to send them back, pay insurance,
shipping,
etc, but they just look wrong. I will look forward to the GMP
replacements
and will be curious to see what color Exoto comes up with, IF
they ever come
up with their M8B.
