Top Six Classic Can-Am Racers at the 2017 Monterey Motorsports Reunion

the Can-Am group is likely one of the louder, more brutish groups that will take to the track during the entirety of the 2017 Rolex Motorsports Reunion. Featuring snarling engines, these cars are characterized with their heavy use of downforce, insane wings, fat race tires, and velocity stacks sticking out of the rear decklid, just inches behind the driver’s helmet. These are legendary machines that made heroes out of the drivers that piloted them. Here are six of our favorites from the class.

1. 1972 Lola T290

Although the Lola T70 is more widely known, the T290 is the radder, more beastly racer. Featuring a 3.0-liter Formula 1 derived Cosworth DFV engine, the T290 dominated a host of European and American championships.

2. 1975 Sauber C4

Peter Sauber, the man behind the company didn’t come from the racing world. Rather, he was an electrician and then a car salesman. His later ventures turned him into a racing icon, including the car shown here. The C4 used a 2.0-liter V-8 engine, an aluminum chassis, the then cutting edge wedge shape design and massive rear wing helping produce downforce.

3. 1971 Chevron B19

Unlike the Lolas and Sauber, the Chevron B19 wasn’t exactly a modern marvel at the time. Instead of an aluminum chassis to save weight, the Chevron B19 used a steel spaceframe, as well as double wishbone front suspension and a Cosworth-built FVC engine limited to just 2.0-liters. Even though it’s just four cylinders, the noise could compete with the big gnarly V-8s throughout the rest of the pack.

4. 1973 Lola T292

Building on the success of the T290, the T292 was an upgraded, faster version of the car that had been so dominant.

5. 1970 Martin BM-8

Built in an English shed, as all good racecars used to be, the BM-8 is the last in a long line of racecars built by Brian Martin (BM), who was just 18 years old when he built his first racecar. The BM-8 used the latest BMW 2.0-liter four-cylinder race engine and contested the European 2-liter Championship series.

6. 1978 Chevron B36

Steel spaceframe ditched, the B36 uses an aluminum monocoque made to fit a host of compact 2.0-liter engines, including motors from BMW, Ford, Cosworth, and Chrysler. It debuted at the 4-Hours of Monza, but both cars failed. It later took its first win at the 500km Dijon race.