The world's fastest series-produced car with a naturally aspirated engine and genuine Formula 1 genes. If you've seen a McLaren F1 up close, you'll never forget it.
"Scary to drive"
The probability of encountering this car on the road is microscopic. First, only 106 were built. Second, this car is not used for daily driving, unless you are a "car crazy" and rich. Elon Musk og Rowan Atkinson did so and both eventually crashed their cars. Elon Musk's car ended up as an uninsured total wreck, while Rowan Atkinson had his car fixed twice before selling it. The car in the photo could have suffered the same fate. One of the previous owners, Liam howlett (Prodigy) sold it because he thought it was too scary to drive.
What characterizes the McLaren F1 is that it is free of computers. Designer and McLaren founder Gordon Murray emphasized that the model should be equipped with a naturally aspirated engine where the forces were delivered spontaneously and linearly without "kicking in" with lag. The McLaren F1 was the world's fastest car when it came out in 1992, until 2003 when the record was broken Bugatti Veyron with more. But McLaren is still the world's fastest car with a naturally aspirated engine. A superlight car with superpowers without electronics to keep it on the road is truly terrifying.
Got an upgrade
The car in the pictures was originally delivered in British racing green , the only F1 in the world. When Liam Howlett bought the car in 1997, he sent it to the factory to have it repainted in magnesium grey. He later had the factory equip the car with McLaren's High Downforce Kit which includes a new front with a front lip and a large rear spoiler. Other cars with this kit got wider fenders and 18 inch wheels. This makes this car the only one with the Downforce kit on standard McLaren 17 inch wheels.
uncompromising
It is no exaggeration to describe F1 as uncompromisingly sporty – probably the closest you can get to a Formula 1 feeling on the road. You enter the compartment through scissor doors. The driver's position is centered with one seat on each side pushed half a length behind the driver. The dashboard and levers are also as you would expect in a Formula 1 car 30 years ago. The seats are light and molded with minimal padding. The chassis is designed for maximum traction.
The McLaren F1 is not described as a car with dangerous driving characteristics - on the contrary. In 1994, Autocar wrote that "The McLaren F1 is the finest driving machine yet built for the public road". But it is far from harmless to drive a Formula 1 car in sports car guise.
Museum item?
The car's third owner became Paul stewart, the son of none other than Sir Jackie Stewart. Paul Stewart owned the car for approximately 10 years before it was sold on to Johann Rupert, a major investor in South Africa. The car was then put in a museum in Cape Town, but was last observed in England in 2020. That was when I got to study it - at the London Classic Car Show - exactly a week before the world fell off its hinges in Covid fever. In London, the car was exhibited on the stand of the auction house Coys, together with other classic cars that were to be auctioned off on the last day of the exhibition. But the beautiful car was then only shown without bidding being opened. Maybe it was just supposed to be a draw?
It is of course a shame that a car like this can only be viewed in a museum and not along the road. But it is also very understandable when it is estimated at an incredible 12 - 15 million British pounds, i.e. between 140 - 180 million Norwegian kroner. Do you have so For a lot of money, you can get a car with real Formula 1 genes, with a unique place in automotive history, as well as one of the world's most beautiful cars of all time.
But you better stay on the road!
Facts about the McLaren F1
Engine: BMW S70/2 6,1 liter V12
Horsepower: 627 HP
Torque: 617 Nm @ 4000 revs
Gearbox: 6-speed manual
Net weight without driver: 1 kg
Top speed: 386 km/h
0-100: 3.2sec
Year Model: 1994
Price new: £635
Click on an image to view in a larger format.Copyright notice
See
Paul Stewart's McLaren F1
In the YouTube clip below from Classics & Sports Cars Magazine, we get to go inside this McLaren F1 while it was in Paul Stewart's possession. Enjoy the raw sound of the BMW V12 engine. This film clip is part 2 of a trip on a stretch of road in Switzerland. The brakes are hot after active driving and screech when they engage. The McLaren F1 has been criticized for having undersized brakes, but I don't know if that's a real problem.
