In 1988, McLaren decided to put its Formula One expertise to good use by creating a genuine road-going supercar, the McLaren F1. As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, the model remains the most powerful naturally-aspirated production car ever. It also gave birth to a number of innovations that were later copied by other manufacturers.
One of them, of course, is the use of carbon fiber, a strong yet lightweight material that allowed McLaren engineers to reduce the weight of the car’s unibody to a mere 100 kilos or so. The door panels (including the center reinforcement) only weigh 7 kilos apiece!
Boasting a mid-mounted driver’s seat, a 627-horsepower V12 engine (courtesy of BMW) and world-class handling capabilities, the McLaren F1 still holds the top speed record for a naturally-aspirated production car at 240.1 mi/h (386.4 km/h).
Announced in 1988, the supercar only made its official debut two years later, while its first public appearance came on May 28, 1992 in Monaco. Deliveries began a year later with the first-ever owner shelling out nearly €4 million.
Production of the McLaren F1 ended in 1998 after a run of 106 units, including 72 for the road and 34 for the track. The car actually enjoyed a lot of success on the racing scene, totally dominating the 1995 GTI Championship and securing the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 13th places at the 24 Hours of Mans the very same year.
To mark the 20 years of the McLaren F1 program, the company brought some of the owners together at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. A couple of Formula One cars were also on hand, not to mention the model’s heir apparent, the MP4-12C, McLaren’s first real production car.
The McLaren F1 will forever hold a soft spot in the hearts of sports car enthusiasts, who will have plenty of reasons to celebrate the rest of the year.
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| Photo: McLaren |
One of them, of course, is the use of carbon fiber, a strong yet lightweight material that allowed McLaren engineers to reduce the weight of the car’s unibody to a mere 100 kilos or so. The door panels (including the center reinforcement) only weigh 7 kilos apiece!
Boasting a mid-mounted driver’s seat, a 627-horsepower V12 engine (courtesy of BMW) and world-class handling capabilities, the McLaren F1 still holds the top speed record for a naturally-aspirated production car at 240.1 mi/h (386.4 km/h).
Announced in 1988, the supercar only made its official debut two years later, while its first public appearance came on May 28, 1992 in Monaco. Deliveries began a year later with the first-ever owner shelling out nearly €4 million.
Production of the McLaren F1 ended in 1998 after a run of 106 units, including 72 for the road and 34 for the track. The car actually enjoyed a lot of success on the racing scene, totally dominating the 1995 GTI Championship and securing the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 13th places at the 24 Hours of Mans the very same year.
To mark the 20 years of the McLaren F1 program, the company brought some of the owners together at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. A couple of Formula One cars were also on hand, not to mention the model’s heir apparent, the MP4-12C, McLaren’s first real production car.
The McLaren F1 will forever hold a soft spot in the hearts of sports car enthusiasts, who will have plenty of reasons to celebrate the rest of the year.
 |
| Photo: McLaren |
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