<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Despite the additional components of the four-wheel drive system, the M9A was hardly heavier than the conventional M7A, so there were high hopes going into the experimental car's first test at Goodwood with Bruce McLaren himself behind the wheel. The sentiment changed after the M9A proved very difficult to drive. Having already spent a considerable sum of money and also anxious not to miss out, McLaren nevertheless pressed on and readied the car for its debut during the British Grand Prix. Here it would face off against a pair of 4WD Lotus 63s and the unique Matra MS84.
A young Derek Bell was signed to drive what was an additional entry for the McLaren team. He had his work cut out, in only his third Grand Prix entry. His feedback prompted the installation of a tea-tray rear wing but the car remained unruly. The problems were not limited to the M9A as the 4WD cars posted the slowest times in qualifying, with Bell placing 15th ahead of the of the Lotus 63s and the Matra. Bell started well and lead the 4WD sub-division briefly until his rear suspension failed in the fifth lap.
After the M9A's single outing, McLaren's engineers came to the conclusion that 4WD was not the way forward. Instead the focus turned firmly on developing more sophisticated aerodynamics to use downforce to harness the power of the potent engines and cope with the ever increasing speeds. The other teams also abandoned the 4WD experiments. Following its sole outing, the M9A was preserved and displayed for many years in the Donington Grand Prix Collection museum alongside many other McLaren single seaters. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Despite the additional components of the four-wheel drive system, the M9A was hardly heavier than the conventional M7A, so there were high hopes going into the experimental car's first test at Goodwood with Bruce McLaren himself behind the wheel. The sentiment changed after the M9A proved very difficult to drive. Having already spent a considerable sum of money and also anxious not to miss out, McLaren nevertheless pressed on and readied the car for its debut during the British Grand Prix. Here it would face off against a pair of 4WD Lotus 63s and the unique Matra MS84.