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McLaren F1
Overview
Manufacturer	McLaren Automotive
Production	1992–1998 (106 produced)
Assembly	Woking, Surrey, England, UK
Designer	Gordon Murray & Peter Stevens
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupé
Layout	Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related	McLaren F1 GTR BMW 850
Powertrain
Engine	6.1 L S70/2 V12
Transmission	6-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,718 mm (107.0 in)
Length	4,287 mm (168.8 in)
Width	1,820 mm (71.7 in)
Height	1,140 mm (44.9 in)
Curb weight	1,138–1,062 kg (2,509–2,341 lb)
Chronology
Successor	McLaren P1

The McLaren F1 is a sports car designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior and interior of the car. On 31 March 1998, it set the record for the world's fastest production car in the world, reaching 231 mph (372 km/h) with the rev limiter enabled, and 243 mph (391 km/h) with the rev limiter removed.

The car features numerous proprietary designs and technologies; it is lighter and has a more streamlined structure than many modern sports cars, despite having one seat more than most similar sports cars, with the driver's seat located in the centre (and slightly forward) of two passengers' seating positions, providing driver visibility superior to that of a conventional seating layout. It features a powerful engine and is somewhat track oriented, but not to the degree that it compromises everyday usability and comfort. It was conceived as an exercise in creating what its designers hoped would be considered the ultimate road car. Despite not having been designed as a track machine, a modified race car edition of the vehicle won several races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, where it faced purpose-built prototype race cars. Production began in 1992 and ended in 1998. In all, 106 cars were manufactured, with some variations in the design.

In 1994, the British car magazine Autocar stated in a road test regarding the F1, "The McLaren F1 is the finest driving machine yet built for the public road." and that "The F1 will be remembered as one of the great events in the history of the car, and it may possibly be the fastest production road car the world will ever see."

In August 2013, at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Gooding & Company auctioned off chassis 066 for a record sale price of US$8.47 million.

Design and implementation

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 such as carbon fibre, titanium, [[gond Prix cars were using Honda engines. Although it's true I had thought it would have been better to put a larger engine, the moment I drovmbers 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, plus various other components such as 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 c 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

History

, had a 3.5-litre 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.

Specifications

In trch 2013|reason=This looks more like a car spotters fansite than a reliable reference}}</ref> At a relatively new and unproven technology for the time) for maximum flexibility of control over the four valves per cylinder, and a chai The overall drag coefficient on the standard McLaren F1 is 0.32, compared with 0.36 for the faster Bugatti Veyron, and 0.357 for the SSC Ultimate Aero TT, which was the fastest production car from 2007 to 2010. The vehicle's frontal area is 1.79 square metres and the total Cx is 0.57. Because the machine features active aerodynamics these are the figures presented in the most streamlined configuration.

The normal McLaren F1 features no wings to produce downforce (compare the LM and GTR editions); however, the overall design of the underbody of the McLaren F1 in addition to a rear diffuser exploits ground effect to improve downforce which is increased through the use of two electric Kevlar fans to further decrease the pressure under the car. this figure changes less than 1% with the fuel load. name="AUTOCAR"/>

• 0–400 m (0.25 mi): 11.1 s at 138 mph (222 km/h)
• 0–1,000 m (0.62 mi): 19.6 s at 177 mph (285 km/h)

Track tests

• Tsukuba Circuit, time trial: 1:04.62 on a hot lap.
• Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, 2-mile (3.2 km) banked circuit, top speed test: An average speed of 195.3 mph (314.3 km/h), with a maximum speed of 200.8 mph (323.2 km/h) (driven by Tiff Needell using the XP5 prototype).
• MIRA, 2.82-mile (4.54 km) banked circuit, top speed test: An average speed of 168 mph (270 km/h), with a maximum speed of 196.2 mph (315.8 km/h) (driven by Peter Taylor).

Record claims

The title of "world's fastest production road car" is constantly in contention, especially because the term "production car" is not well-defined.

The McLaren F1 has a top speed of 240 mph (386 km/h), restricted by the rev limiter at 7500 rpm. The true top speed of the McLaren F1 was reached in April 1998 by the five-year-old XP5 prototype. Andy Wallace (racer) piloted it down the 9 km (5.6 mi) straight at Volkswagen's test track in Ehra-Lessien, Germany, setting a new world record of 243 mph (391 km/h) at 8300 rpm. As Mario Andretti noted in a comparison test, the F1 is fully capable of pulling a seventh gear, thus with a higher gear ratio or a seventh gear the McLaren F1 would probably be able to reach an even greater top speed—something which can also be observed by noticing that the top speed was reached at 7800 rpm while the peak power is reached at 7400 rpm.

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, 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 was ever painted. XP3 did durability testing, XP4 stress tested the gearbox system and XP5 was a publicity car, all owned by McLaren; they were also used for publicity shots and tested by reporters. All were painted a different colour, and each was able to be distinguished by its chassis code painted on the side rocker panel.XP3 is owned by the car's designer Gordon Murray, 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.

Ameritech

The American model of the McLaren F1, the Ameritech McLaren F1 is a modified standard McLaren F1 to meet the U.S. regulations; to comply with said regulations the car had to meet stricter emission requirements which increased the weight and also reduced the power somewhat. Due to a lack of airbags for the passengers, the Ameritech edition only has the single driver seat in the middle.

F1 LM

McLaren F1 LM
Overview
Manufacturer	McLaren Automotive
Production	1995 5 produced (plus one prototype)
Designer	Gordon Murray
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door 3-seat coupé
Layout	Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	6.1 L V12
Transmission	6-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,718 mm (107.0 in)
Length	4,365 mm (171.9 in)
Width	1,820 mm (71.7 in)
Height	1,120 mm (44.1 in)
Kerb weight	1,062 kg (2,341 lb)

Only five McLaren F1 LM (LM for Le Mans) cars were built in honour of the five McLaren F1 GTRs which finished the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, including taking the overall win.

The weight was reduced by approximately 75 kg (165 lb) over that of original, through the removal of various pieces of trim and use of optional equipment. The car also had a different transaxle, various aerodynamic modifications, specially designed 18-inch (457 mm) magnesium alloy wheels and upgraded gearbox. The F1 LM used the same engine as the 1995 F1 GTR, but without race-mandated restrictors, to produce 680 hp (507 kW; 689 PS). It had a top speed of 225 mph (362 km/h), which is less than the standard version because of added aerodynamic drag, despite identical gear ratios. The LM is 76 kg (168 lb) lighter than the stock F1 – a total mass of 1,062 kg (2,341 lb) – achieved by having no interior noise suppression, no audio system, a stripped-down base interior, no fan-assisted ground effect and no dynamic rear wing. In the place of the small dynamic rear wing there is a considerably larger, fixed CFRP rear wing mounted on the back of the vehicle.

The LM has the following performance figures: peak torque of 705 N⋅m (520 lbf⋅ft) at 4,500 rpm and peak power of 680 PS (500 kW; 670 hp) at 7,800 rpm, it has a redline at 8,500 rpm. The total weight of 1,062 kg (2,341 lb) gives the car a 110.16 bhp (82 kW; 112 PS) per litre ratio.

Officially recorded acceleration times are 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.9 seconds and 0-100 mph (161 km/h) in 6.7 seconds. The LM was once the holder of the 0-100-0 mph record, which it completed in 11.5 seconds when driven by Andy Wallace at the disused airbase RAF Alconbury in Cambridgeshire.

The F1 LMs can be identified by their Papaya Orange paint. The F1 LMs were painted in this colour in memory of, and tribute to, Bruce McLaren, whose race colour was Papaya Orange.

Although only five F1 LMs were sold, a sixth chassis exists in the form of XP1 LM, 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. This car, reportedly worth $4 million, was promised in 2008 by McLaren CEO Ron Dennis to his driver Lewis Hamilton if he should win two Formula One World Championship titles. Hamilton has since won one World Championship.

F1 GT

The final incarnation of the roadcar, the F1 GT was meant as a homologation special. With increased competition from homologated sports cars from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz in the former BPR Global GT Series and new FIA GT Championship, McLaren required extensive modification to the F1 GTR in order to remain competitive. These modifications were so vast that McLaren would be required to build a production road-legal car on which to base the new race cars.

The F1 GT featured the same extended rear bodywork as the GTRs for increased downforce and reduced drag, yet lacked the rear wing that had been seen on the F1 LM. The downforce generated by the longer tail was found to be sufficient to not require the wing. The front end was also similar to the racing car, with extra louvers and the wheel arches widened to fit larger wheels. The interior was modified and a racing steering wheel was included in place of the standard unit.

The F1 GTs were built from standard F1 road car chassis, retaining their production numbers. The prototype GT, known as XPGT, was F1 chassis #056, and is still kept by McLaren. The company technically only needed to build one car and did not even have to sell it. However, demand from customers drove McLaren to build two production versions that were sold. The customer F1 GTs were chassis #054 and #058.

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.

Many F1 GTRs, after the cars were no longer eligible in international racing series, were converted to street use. By adding mufflers, passenger seats, adjusting the suspension for more ground clearance for public streets, and removing the air restrictors, the cars were able to be registered for road use.

F1 GTR 1995

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 (450 kW) at 7,500 rpm. The car's extensive modifications included changes to body panels, suspension, aerodynamics and the interior. The F1 GTR would go on to take its greatest achievement with first, third, fourth, fifth, 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 1996

To follow up on the success of the F1 GTR into 1996, McLaren further developed the 1995 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 1996 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. The weight was reduced with around 100 kg (220 lb) from the 1995 GTR edition and the engine was kept detuned at 600 HP to comply with racing regulations.

F1 GTR 1997

With the F1 GT homologated, McLaren could now develop the F1 GTR for the 1997 season. Weight was further reduced and a [[sequential manual

References

1. McLaren Automotive – Production from mclarenautomotive.com
2. ^ Cite error: The named reference AUTOCAR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
3. "McLaren F1 sells for record price". AUSmotive.com. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
4. Jalopnik Fantasy Garage - Mclaren F1
5. ^ gtmash. "Modern Racer's performance figures". Modernracer.com. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Supercarsnet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
7. Cite error: The named reference HOWSTUFFWORKS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
8. "McLaren Automotive – Aerodynamics".
9. {{broken ref |prefix=Cite error: The named reference {
Unexpected use of template {{1}} - see Template:1 for details. (see the help page).
10. Cite error: The named reference FASTLAPS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
11. ^ McLaren Automotive F1 track records
12. ^ "McLaren F1 top speed with rev limit and without". Users.globalnet.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
13. "McLaren Automotive – LM history".
14. "McLaren Automotive – LM specifications".
15. ^ "MotorTrend, with CAR Magazine, April 2000".
16. "McLaren F1 LM Roadcar – Track Record". McLaren Automotive Ltd. Archived from the original on 21 April 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
17. Piecha, Stan (26 March 2008). "The Sun – Hamilton promised $4m supercar if he wins 2 titles". London.
18. "Supercars on the McLaren F1 GT".
19. ^ McLaren F1 GTR general information from ConceptCarz
20. ^ McLaren F1 GTR 1995 general information from QV500

v t e McLaren Racing
Personnel Founder Bruce McLaren Ambassador Mika Häkkinen Current Zak Brown (Chief Executive Officer) Andrea Stella (Team Principal) Rob Marshall Neil Oatley Peter Prodromou Tom Stallard Former Ben Agathangelou Giorgio Ascanelli John Barnard Bob Bell Matt Bishop Éric Boullier Marcin Budkowski Adrian Burgess Alastair Caldwell Jost Capito Bernadette Collins Gordon Coppuck Mike Coughlan Peter Crolla Gil de Ferran Luca Furbatto Ron Dennis Henri Durand Mike Elliott Pat Fry Tim Goss Mark Gillan [ja] Steve Hallam Norbert Haug Robin Herd Jürgen Hubbert John Iley James Key Simon Lacey Werner Laurenz Paddy Lowe Neil Martin Teddy Mayer Sam Michael Paul Monaghan Matt Morris Gordon Murray Jonathan Neale Adrian Newey Steve Nichols Mansour Ojjeh Ciaron Pilbeam Mark Preston Phil Prew [ja] Jo Ramírez Dave Redding Simon Roberts Dave Ryan David Sanchez Wolfgang Schattling Andreas Seidl Mark Slade Rob Taylor Nikolas Tombazis Hans-Ulrich Maik Joan Villadelprat Mark Williams Martin Whitmarsh
Drivers Current drivers 4. Lando Norris 81. Oscar Piastri Reserve drivers Pato O'Ward Test and development drivers Oliver Turvey Will Stevens Driver Development Programme Pato O'Ward Gabriel Bortoleto Bianca Bustamante Ugo Ugochukwu Alex Dunne Martinius Stenshorne Dries Van Langendonck Brando Badoer Ella Lloyd F1 World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi Lewis Hamilton James Hunt Mika Häkkinen Niki Lauda Alain Prost Ayrton Senna Race winners Bruce McLaren Denny Hulme Peter Revson Emerson Fittipaldi Jochen Mass James Hunt John Watson Niki Lauda Alain Prost Ayrton Senna Gerhard Berger David Coulthard Mika Häkkinen Kimi Räikkönen Juan Pablo Montoya Fernando Alonso Lewis Hamilton Heikki Kovalainen Jenson Button Daniel Ricciardo Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Former drivers See category
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