The McLaren F1 Summary: The McLaren F1 can be called the greatest supercar of all time. Only 106 were ever made, out of which 6 have been lost in wreckage. 100 of these masterpieces remain, most of which are split between the US. and the UK. At the time, the F1 shot from stationary to 100 in 11.4 seconds, a clear indicator of the legacy it was about to leave behind. Designed by Murray, Gordon, who was poached from Brabham F1 in ‘87, the F1 remains an icon of the 90s. The clientele of the F1 are the biggest A-list celebrities in the world, ranging from Sir Rowan Atkinson and Ralph Lauren to Elon Musk and Sir Lewis Hamilton. The Sultan of Brunei loved the car so much, he bought 7 of them. A pre-production F1 prototype with the rev limiter raised to 8,300 set an average two-way speed of 240.14 miles per hour (388 kmh). That’s not even the fastest it went — the peak speed clocked by the prototype was 243.0 on the initial run. The McLaren F1 Introduction Alright, you want to talk about the McLaren F1? Brace yourselves, because this isn't some cobbled-together tarted-up supercar with a fancy badge. A car so fast, that 32 years on, it is still the fastest naturally aspirated V12 ever made. A car so powerful that it has to be rev-limited to stop the pistons from going into orbit. And speaking of pistons going into orbit, we did a quick calculation, and found something interesting. If a piston from the McLaren F1 engine were to escape at peak thrust and maintain this thrust continuously, it would take only 1.5 minutes to reach the moon. That’s how much power this thing has. Leading the lap: The McLaren F1. Image Credit: Kevin Goudin on Flickr The McLaren History Lesson The McLaren F1 is the culmination of Bruce McLaren's lifelong obsession with speed. See, Bruce wasn't just a driver, he was a racer in his soul. Started out in Coopers, the little brutes that nipped at the heels of the big boys. Won a Grand Prix at the ripe old age of 22, mind you. But Bruce craved something more. Something built for pure, unadulterated victory. That's where the McLaren Formula One team comes in. Founded in 1963, these guys weren't messing around. They were scrappers, podium chasers, and champions in the making. They built cars light enough to dance on a dime, and mean enough to snout a Ferrari into next week. Think Emerson Fittipaldi spraying champagne, think James Hunt with a wild mane and a taste for danger. That's the lineage, the fighting spirit coursing through the veins of the F1. So, the F1 wasn't some garage tinker's dream. It was the ultimate expression of McLaren's racing DNA. A road car born from the relentless pursuit of speed, born through the crucible of Formula One. It's a champion's pedigree, a true racer's bloodline, and that, my friend, is something no amount of money can buy. In 1981, McLaren Formula One introduced carbon fiber into their Formula One car, the MP4/1. It trickled down into their latest offering towards the end of the decade, the MP4/4. Then MP4/4 won 15 out of 16 races, and the rest is history. It has a 93.75% win rate, unbeaten even today. Coasting fresh off this high, McLaren decided to make a car that was to be like no other. Enter Gordon Murray, stage left. An F1 GTR leading zooming by at Goodwood. Image credit: PSParrot on Flickr Designing an icon Think about this. Gordon Murray, THE Gordon Murray, the bloke who designed championship-winning Formula One cars, sat down with a blank sheet of paper. No compromises, no focus groups, just one question: "How do we build the greatest driver's car ever?" To do this, the engineers and designers had a blank checkbook, and carte blanche to do as they pleased. Murray was the technical director at the time, and realized that the car would have to be compact, and with a large engine. It even had gold in the engine bay to deflect heat, and all its tools were gold-plated plated too. And with the centered driving position, you weren’t just in the car, you were a part of it. It is said that while designing the car, Murray’s obsession with weight was said to rival that of supermodels. Most of the car, including its underbody was made of a revolutionary new material at the time — simply called “the composite”. Today, we call this material “carbon fiber”. This thing demolished supercar speed records in the '90s, and still embarrasses most things on four wheels today. It even won the Le Mans, outright! It is not some watered-down class victory, it beat purpose-built prototypes. Few people know this, but it was McLaren, and not Pagani that first put carbon fiber in a car. In 1981, the then technical director of McLaren Formula One racing, John Bernard developed the first carbon fibre chassis. This was used in the revolutionary MP4/1. While the MP4/1 increased driver safety, it didn't have much of a career. But, it eventually gave rise to the MP4/4, which remains the most successful F1 car in history, and which we will cover in a future opinion piece. Of course, the MP4/4 was massively helped along by the fact that it was driven by the King of Rain, Ayrton Senna. The other helping hand was no doubt, her massive engine. Ayrton Senna in the McLaren-Honda MP4/4, the most successful F1 car in history. Credits: Wiki Commons The McLaren F1’s engine (and specs) A BMW V12 – proper engine, that – not some turbocharged nonsense. A 6.1-liter monster of an engine that pushed out 618 bhp with 477 lb-ft of torque. Every component was even custom-milled by the manufacturers to exacting standards set by Murray. In fact, many of the manufacturers expressed concern over the seemingly impossible standards set by Murray. For instance, Kenwood Audio developed the sound system from scratch. And even that audio system set a world record, being the smallest 10-disc CD system in the world at the time. Imagine, a car where even its individual components were setting world records. The engineers at McLaren had no doubt in their minds that as much of the car as possible had to be made of the new material. As a result, even the underbody of the car was made of super lightweight carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is everything. Lightweight, insanely rigid, the dream combination. So, with the complete carbon fiber body and custom-machined parts inside, we’re just left with the mechanical components. The engineering division had already decided that cost was not an issue, but weight was. The mechanical parts for cars at the time were traditionally made out of heavy metals, but not on the F1. Oh no. Virtually every single mechanical part on the F1 was made from magnesium, magnesium alloy, aluminium, or aluminium-magnesium alloy. The end result? A car that weighed just 2,244 pounds (1,018 kg). The F1 was born, and it had the heart of a lion. The fastest naturally aspirated V12 ever made, courtesy of the engineering division at BMW. Sure, the Bugatti Veyron and a couple of cars have since surpassed the top speed, but all of them use forced induction. At the end of the day, the F1 remains the fastest naturally aspirated V12-powered car ever made. However, the F1 isn't about numbers or bragging rights. It's a raw, visceral experience. It'll scare you, reward you, and likely send you into a hedge if you're not paying attention. It's automotive nirvana, and if you don't get it, well, you're probably better off with your heated seats and Bluetooth nanny systems. Today, less than 100 F1s remain, most never nicking the speed limit. Their owners are too careful, scared that their investments will get dinged up, and that’s a crying shame. We may never hear the throaty roar of the 6.1-litre BMW V12 propelling this car to speeds that would put a jet to shame. But still, the fact that she exists, is enough to be thankful for. A McLaren F1 GTR in the iconic Gulf Petroleum livery. Image Courtesy: Wiki Commons Pedigree and legacy Some consider the F1 to be the greatest supercar of all time. Gullwing doors. A roaring, throaty, naturally aspirated V12. 240.14 miles per hour in a straight line with 618 ponies under the hood. No driver assist, ABS, or traction control — this car would kill you if you didn't know how to drive it. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that she would actively attempt to kill the driver. However, should you be one of the few lucky enough to drive her, and one of the even fewer who could handle her, you’d be rewarded with a driving experience like no other. And the best part: she had air conditioning as standard. This wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill “much power less weight” tin can. It was the car that made McLaren, the legendary F1. This was the fastest production car at the time. Beating out the next fastest by a solid 10.5% margin. The car that put McLaren on the map. She was a complete from-scratch design, from the grassroots up. As we’ve said, every single component of this work of art was designed bespoke. Why? Because McLaren wanted to make their new baby as efficient as possible. Thus, every single component of the car was built from a clean sheet. With the exception of her tail lights. In fact, McLaren used the tail lights from a 1987 Bova Futura bus. It was such a bizarre move, even for the time, almost like McLaren had forgotten about the tail lights and chucked in the first ones they found at the last moment. See for yourself. The back of a ‘87 Bova Futura, showing the tail lights. Image Courtesy: Wiki Commons And now, take a peek at the McLaren F1 tail lights. The back of a ‘92 McLaren F1, showing the tail lights. Image Courtesy: Martin Lee on Flickr In fact, the McLaren also shared her tail lights with the Saleen S7. In all honesty, the Saleen was just a wider F1 with the steering off to one side. But that’s an argument to be had another day. The rear view of a Saleen S7 that also shared the same tail lamps. Image Courtesy: Wiki Commons The end of the line And that's the thing about F1, isn't it? It's more than just a collection of carbon fiber, gold plating, and fancy pistons. It's a time machine. Back to a time when engineers ruled the roost, not focus groups and accountants. When cars were pure, raw, a visceral experience. They weren't about lane-keeping assist and parking sensors – they were about the connection between you, the machine, and that open road. Now, they'll tell you modern supercars are faster, and more advanced. And they're right. But they don't have the soul of the F1. They don't make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, not like she does. It's a purity you just won't find anymore. Once you’ve driven the F1, you’ll never have that feeling, the one where you and the car are dancing on the razor's edge between life and death in any other car. Granted, the McLaren F1 might not be the most sensible car. It's loud, and impractical, and with that V12 howling behind you, it'll likely scare the fillings out of your teeth. Hell, it might try to kill you if you blink wrong. But that's the point. For those of us, the lucky few, who understand what driving is really about... well, it's everything. It's the last of its kind, a glorious beast from a time we might never see again. And that is why it's more than a machine. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it a legend. Source: McLaren Official
