McLaren F1

McLaren F1
Manufacturer	McLaren Automotive
Production	1994–1998 107 produced
Class	Supercar
Body style(s)	2-door 3-seat coupe
Engine(s)	60° 6.1 L V12
Length	4287 mm (169 in)
Width	1820 mm (72 in)
Height	1140 mm (45 in)
Curb weight	1140 kg (2513 lb)
Designer	Gordon Murray & Peter Stevens

The McLaren F1 was engineered and produced by McLaren Automotive, a subsidiary of the British McLaren Group that, among others, owns the McLaren Mercedes Formula One team. The car features a 6.1-litre 60° BMW S70 V12 engine and it was conceived as an exercise in creating what its designers hoped would be considered the ultimate road car. Only 100 cars were manufactured, 64 of those were street versions, 5 were LMs, 3 were GTs and the rest were GTR racing models. Production began in 1993 and ended in 1998.

The McLaren F1 was the fastest production car ever built (having achieved a top speed of 240.14 mph, 386.5 km/h) until surpassed in 2005 by the Koenigsegg CCR, and then the Bugatti Veyron a few months later.

Concept

Chief engineer Gordon Murray's design concept was a common one among designers of high-performance cars: low weight and high power. This was achieved through use of high-tech and expensive materials like carbon fiber, titanium, gold and magnesium. The F1 was one of the first production cars to use a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis.

The idea was first conceived when Murray was waiting for a flight home back from the fateful Italian Grand Prix in 1988; Murray drew a sketch of a three seater supercar and proposed it to Ron Dennis. Later, a pair of Ultima MK3 kit cars, chassis numbers 12 and 13, "Albert" and "Edward", the last two MK3s, were used as "mules" to test various components and concepts before the first cars were built. Number 12 was used to test the gearbox with a 7.4 litre Chevrolet V8 to mimic the torque of the BMW V12, plus various other components like the seats and the brakes. Number 13 was the test of the V12, plus exhaust and cooling system. When McLaren was done with the cars they destroyed both of them to keep away the specialist magazines and because they did not want the car to be associated with "kit cars".

The car was first unveiled at a launch show, 28 May 1992, at The Sporting Club in Monaco. The original prototype (XP1) remained the same as the production version except for the wing mirror which, on the XP1, was mounted at the top of the A-pillar. This car was deemed not road legal as it had no turn signal indicators at the front; McLaren was forced to make changes on the car as a result (some cars, including Ralph Lauren's, were sent back to McLaren and fitted with the prototype mirrors). The original wing mirrors also incorporated a pair of indicators which other car manufacturers would adopt several years later.

The car's safety levels were first proved when during a testing in Namibia in April 1993, a test driver wearing just shorts and t-shirt hit a rock and rolled the first prototype car several times. The driver managed to escape unscathed. Later in the year, the second prototype (XP2) was especially built for crashtesting and passed with the front wheel arch untouched.

Engine

Gordon Murray insisted that the engine for this car be normally-aspirated to increase reliability and driver control. Turbochargers and superchargers increase power but they increase complexity and can decrease reliability as well as the ability of the driver to maintain maximum control of the engine. Murray initially approached Honda for an NA powerplant with 550BHP, derived from the Formula 1 powerplant in the then-dominating McLaren/Honda cars.

When Honda refused, Isuzu, then planning an entry into Formula 1, had a 3.5 V12 engine being tested in a Lotus chassis. The company was very interested in having the engine fitted into the F1. However, the designers wanted an engine with a proven design and a racing pedigree.

BMW took up interest, and motorsport division BMW M ended up building Murray a custom-built 6.1 L (6064 cc) 60-degree V12 based on BMW's M70/S2 engine with aluminum alloy block and head, 86 mm x 87 mm bore/stroke, quad overhead camshafts for maximum flexibility of control over the four valves/cylinder and chain drive for the camshafts for maximum reliability. At 266 kg, the resulting engine was slightly heavier than Murray's original maximum specification weight of 250 kg but also considerably more powerful than he had specified, which effectively canceled out the weight gain in a straight line; however, extra weight can cause handling problems around corners.

The McLaren F1's engine compartment contains the mid-mounted BMW S70/2 engine and uses gold foil as a heat shield in the exhaust compartment.

The carbon fiber body panels and monocoque required significant heat insulation in the engine compartment, so Murray's solution was to line the engine bay with the high efficient heat-reflector: gold foil. Approximately 25 g (0.8 ounce) of gold was used in each car.

The road version used a compression ratio of 11:1 to produce 627 horsepower at 7400 rpm—considerably more than Murray's specification of 550 horsepower. Torque output 480 ft·lb (651 N·m) at 5600 rpm.[1] Other, more highly tuned, incarnations of the F1 produced up to 680 hp. The engine has a redline and rev limiter at 7500 rpm.

From 1998 to 2000, the Le Mans–winning BMW V12 LMR sports car used a similar S70/2 engine.

Performance

The McLaren F1 can do 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and has an official top speed of 240.14 mph (386.4 km/h) (although with the rev limiter removed); the F1 remains one of the fastest "production" cars ever made.

While most car manufacturers rate their cars in terms of raw engine power, in terms of overall performance (acceleration, braking, and agility) a car's weight is a more important factor. The power-weight ratio is a better method of quantifying performance than the peak output of the vehicle's powerplant. By this measure, the F1 was one of the most powerful production cars ever made. The F1 achieves 501 hp/ton, or just 4 lb/hp, while the Enzo Ferrari (even with its significantly higher raw output) measures behind the F1 at 434 hp/ton (4.6 lb/hp) due to its greater weight.

McLaren F1

• 0–60 mph 3.2 s
• 0–100 mph 6.3 s
• 0–150 mph 12.8 s
• 0–200 mph 28.0 s

Bugatti Veyron

• 0–60 mph 2.5 s
• 0–100 mph 5.3 s
• 0–150 mph 10.1 s
• 0–200 mph 18.2 s

The McLaren F1 has a top speed of 231 mph (370 km/h), restricted by the rev limiter at 7400 rpm. The true attainable top speed of the McLaren F1 was reached on the 31st of March, 1998 by the (then) five-year-old XP5 prototype. Andy Wallace piloted it down the 9 km straight at Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track in Wolfsburg, Germany, setting a new world record of 391.2 km/h (244.54 mph) at 7800 rpm. As Mario Andretti noted in a comparison test, the F1 is capable of engaging a seventh gear, thus, with a higher gear ratio or addition of a seventh gear, it is possible for the McLaren F1 to attain an even greater top speed. This is something which can also be observed by noticing that the top speed was reached at 7800 RPM while the powerplant's peak output is at 7400 RPM. Wallace reportedly remarked that removal of the wing mirrors and adjusting the rear spoiler would have made the car go faster.

Some claim the record is not true nor official due to the fact the car can be considered to be modified prior to the test—the rev limiter was removed. However making minor modifications is common when testing the top speed of supercars, for example removing mirrors, covering up air ducts and using different tires has been seen before.^{[citation needed]}

Record claims

The title of "world's fastest production road car" is constantly in contention, especially because the term "production car" is not always well-defined by the media. Critics of the F1 will point to the relatively tiny number of cars produced and the extremely high price and contend that a car available to so few is hardly a "production car".

Callaway's Sledgehammer Corvette^{[citation needed]}, the road going version of the Dauer-Porsche 962 (winner of the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans as a GT) and most recently a version of the 911 Turbo produced by German tuner "9ff" have all proven in testing that they are capable of top speeds matching or in excess of 240 mph, although none of them are considered production cars, and hence cannot displace the McLaren's record. More recently, the Koenigsegg CCR recorded a speed of 388 km/h (241 mph), a record which has in turn been broken by the Bugatti Veyron, with a top speed of 407 km/h (253 mph). Both of these are considered to be production cars, and have therefore each beaten the McLaren's record.

As a sidenote, the 962, Veyron, Ariel Atom, Koenigsegg CCX, the turbocharged version of Saleen's S7 and RUF's Rt 12 can hit 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds or less, meaning that even while certain cars cannot break the McLaren's top speed, they are capable of matching or beating its 0–60 time.

In response to this, however, designer Gordon Murray has repeatedly stated, usually in his column in Evo Magazine, that the F1 was never meant to break records, but rather perform as the ultimate driver's car. The Autocar magazine also stated in their review (Autocar is the only car magazine, other than Road & Track 12/97, to have performed an official road test/review on the McLaren F1) that the McLaren F1 will remain the best supercar ever produced, which helps reinforce what Gordon Murray had said. Further evidence of it being the ultimate driver's car is its light weight. It weighs only 1138kg while the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 weighs in at 1888kg. Gordon Murray's target for the McLaren F1 was a curbweight of 1000kg, but ended up being 1138kg. It remains one of the lightest supercars ever built.

Variants

The McLaren F1 road car, of which 64 were originally sold, saw several different modifications over its production span which were badged as different models. Of the road versions, 21 are reportedly in the United States. One of the completed street cars remained in McLaren's London showroom for a decade before being offered for sale as new in 2004. This vehicle became the 65th McLaren F1 sold. The showroom, which was on London's luxurious Park Lane, has since closed. The company maintains a database to match up prospective sellers and buyers of the cars.

Prototypes

Prior to the sale of the first McLaren F1s, five prototypes were built, all carrying the numbers XP1 through XP5. These cars carried minor subtle differences between each other as well as between the production road cars. XP1 was the first publicly unveiled car, and later destroyed in the accident in Namibia. XP2 was used for crash testing and also destroyed. Neither were ever painted. XP3, XP4 and XP5 were all publicity cars developed and owned by McLaren, used for publicity shots and tested by reporters. All were painted a different color, and each was able to be distinguished by their chassis code painted on the side locker panel. XP4 was seen by many viewers of Top Gear when reviewed by Tiff Needell in the mid 1990s, while XP5 went on to be used in McLaren's famous top speed run.

F1 LM

In honor of McLaren's achievements at Le Mans, they announced the building of the McLaren F1 LM (LM for Le Mans). Since five F1 GTRs had finished Le Mans, five F1 LMs would be built. illustration drawn by a designer who has seen the vehicles in person.

The McLaren F1 LM prototype as seen at the British International Motor Show.

Although only five F1 LMs were sold, a sixth chassis exists in the form of XPLM, the prototype for modifications to the existing F1 to form the new F1 LM. This car is also painted Papaya Orange, and is retained by McLaren. Other F1s have been modified by McLaren with LM bodyparts at the behest of the owners, however these are not full LMs since they do not use the race engine.

An F1 LM was used by CAR Magazine when they broke the world record for 0-100mph, achieving 5.9 seconds total time.

F1 GT

The final incarnation of the roadcar, the F1 GT was meant as a homologation special. With increased competition from homologated supercars from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, McLaren required extensive modification to the F1 GTR in order to be competitive. These modifications were so vast that McLaren would be required to build a production car on which to legally base the new race cars. Thus was born the F1 GT.

The F1 GT featured the same extended rear bodywork for increased downforce, yet lacked the rear wing that had been seen on the F1 LM. The downforce generated by the long tail was found to be sufficient to not require a wing. The front end was also similar to the racing car. The wheel fenders were also widened to fit larger wheels. The interior was redesigned, and a racing steering wheel was included.

The F1 GTs were developed from unfinished standard F1 chassis. The prototype, XPGT, was F1 chassis #056, and is still kept by McLaren. The two customer F1 GTs were F1 chassis #054 and #058. McLaren technically only needed to build one, but demand from customers drove McLaren to build the two production versions.

Total Production

In total, McLaren built the following amount of F1s and variants:

• 65 F1s (plus 5 prototypes)
• 5 F1 LMs (plus 1 prototype)
• 2 F1 GTs (plus 1 prototype)
• 28 F1 GTR race cars

Total production is thus 72 road legal F1s, 28 racing cars, and 7 prototypes.

Motorsports

Following its initial launch as a road car, motorsports teams convinced McLaren to build racing versions of the F1 to compete in international series. Three different versions of the race car were developed from 1995 to 1997.

F1 GTR '95

Built at the request of race teams, such as those owned by Ray Bellm and Thomas Bscher, in order to compete in the BPR Global GT Series, the McLaren F1 GTR was a custom built race car which introduced a modified engine management system that increased power output — however, air-restrictors mandated by racing regulations reduced the power back to 600 hp (447 kW). The cars extensive modifications included changes to body panels, suspension, aerodynamics and the interior. The F1 GTR would go on to take its greatest achievement with 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 13th places in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, beating out custom built prototype sports cars.

In total, nine F1 GTRs would be built for 1995.

F1 GTR '96

To follow up on the success of the F1 GTR into 1996, McLaren further developed the '95 model, leading to a size increase but weight decrease. Nine more F1 GTRs were built to 1996 spec, while some 1995 cars were still campaigned by privateers. F1 GTR '96 chassis #14R is notable as being the first non-Japanese car to win a race in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC). The car was driven by David Brabham and John Nielsen.

F1 GTR '97

With the F1 GT homologated, McLaren could now develop the F1 GTR for the 1997 season. Weight was further reduced and a sequential transaxle was added. The engine was slightly destroked to 6.0L instead of the previous 6.1L. Due to the heavily modified bodywork, the F1 GTR '97 is often referred to as the "Longtail". A total of ten F1 GTR '97s were built.

Many F1 GTRs, after the model was retired from racing, were converted to street use. By adding mufflers, passenger seat upholstery, adjusting the suspension for more ground clearance for public streets, and removing the air restrictors, they made quite a formidable sports car. An F1 GTR Longtail equipped like this can be described as the ultimate F1, and quite possibly the ultimate road-going supercar.

Trivia

• During its pre-production stage, McLaren commissioned Kenwood to create a lightweight car audio system for the car; Kenwood, between 1992 and 1998 used the F1 to promote its products in print advertisements, calendars and brochure covers.
• The F1 held the title for "Fastest Production Car Till Date" for a span of 12 years, since its initial production in 1993. The longest for any street legal or production car in the history of automobiles.
• Midnight Club III: DUB Edition features the F1 LM. The F1 is by far the fastest car in the game with the best handling and best braking aspects while the F1 LM is slightly more sluggish in these areas.
• Gran Turismo 4, Forza Motorsport and R:Racing Evolution features the same works backed '97 F1 GTR with Fina livery.
• Although the Mclaren F1 in Gran Turismo 4, Forza Motorsport and R:Racing Evolution have the same sponsor, the one in Gran Turismo 4 is the only '97 Longtail one.
• Scud Race and Le Mans 24 features the same Gulf Oil sponsored '95 F1 GTR.
• The F1 Was Featured on the Discovery Channel show Ultimate Cars as the ultimate supercar. [2]
• In Test Drive Unlimited, the McLaren F1 (1995) and McLaren F1 GTR (1997) are featured. Download packs available on Xbox Live have added the McLaren F1 LM and the McLaren F1 GT to the game.
• Kit car builder DDR Motorsport builds a kit that resembles the F1, which is actually based on the Toyota MR-2 SW20 Turbo.