MP4/8 with engine and suspension
The model contains a fully (external) detailed engine, gearbox and suspension

The MP4/8 was McLaren’s entry to the 1993 Formula One World Championship. Honda had pulled out of F1 at the end of the ’92 season. McLaren then had to use the unsatisfactory Ford and Peugeot engines for a couple of years, until they began their very long partnership with Mercedes.

This is a repost of some of my more recent old work. The full project can be seen on the archived old site, here.

Ayrton Senna

MP4/8 with Ayrton Senna's helmet
Senna’s helmet rests on the MP4/8’s sidepod

This was the car Ayrton Senna drove in his final complete season of F1, and also his last race-winning car. I reworked the materials a little, and produced these images as my tribute to that racing legend, marking 20 years since his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

McLaren MP4/8 Renders

Here are a few renders of the car in various configurations. I built every variation seen at all the races throughout the season, for both cars 7 (Andretti/Häkkinen) and 8 (Senna). That includes model and sticker changes.

McLaren MP4/8 of Andretti, rear quarter Senna's MP4/8, quarter shot

Senna's MP4/8, engine cover removed Häkkinen and Senna's cars

The red used on these cars was a fluorescent paint. This is essentially impossible to recreate faithfully on a computer screen. In order to simulate the effect, the red material on this model is slightly emissive, in response to incoming light. In a perfect shadow, the luminance value would be zero, as you’d expect. The effect is most noticeable in indirect light, where it has a little more kick than you’d expect from a conventional surface. There is little that can be done for areas that are subject to direct illumination – the effect is of course strongest in such places, but not noticeable in the renders. This is inline with photos of the real thing, however, so I consider it totally acceptable. Quite often in photos the paint appears very red, but in real life, viewed with your own eyes, it leans somewhat towards orange.

References

  1. MP4/8 “Walking Around” – Modeler Site. Author Tim Harris (2002)

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