{"id":173636,"date":"2016-03-24T16:19:41","date_gmt":"2016-03-24T16:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.supercars.net\/blog\/?p=173636"},"modified":"2024-04-16T00:59:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T00:59:01","slug":"mclaren-f1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/mclaren-f1\/","title":{"rendered":"1992 McLaren F1"},"content":{"rendered":"

McLaren F1<\/h1>\n

The McLaren F1 is a supercar designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive, the same guys that run that incredibly successful Formula 1 team. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior of the car.\u00a0The McLaren F1 debuted in 1992. It was the cost-no-object approach to building a car and was such a leap ahead in almost every imaginable way that it changed way we think about supercars forever.<\/p>\n

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The McLaren F1 was a clean-sheet design, with all components except the tail lamps built specifically for it. The guiding principle was efficiency. Thus it is compact, with body panels and understructure of featherweight carbon fiber, and virtually every mechanical component of aluminum or magnesium. The obsession with weight was the stuff of legend. The Kenwood stereo, the air conditioning and the gold-plated titanium tools were all designed by their manufacturers to specific weight specifications that Murray has asked for. Completely customized for the F1 and so light that most parts manufacturers at the time were not sure they could meet the targets.<\/p>\n

Most people don’t know that the F1 had a great racing history. The 220-mph GTR competition version took first, third, fourth, and fifth overall against a slew of purpose-built racers and did so almost immediately after launching. It blew the competition away. When production of the F1 ended in 1998, McLaren had given the world seven prototypes, seventy-two street-legal examples, and twenty-eight full-on race versions. The Sultan of Brunei owns eight or so, and untold numbers have been destroyed at the hands of over-exuberant owners.<\/p>\n

The Story<\/h2>\n

Even today (2012), the F1 remains one of the fastest cars ever built. I still would rather have an an F1 in my garage than just about anything else ever created. It is that awesome. The screaming engine, the central driving position, the gullwing doors and much much more.\u00a0\u00a0A fun fact that most people don’t realize is that while the Bugatti Veyron and a few other cars have since beaten the F1s top speed, all of those cars use forced induction. That means that the McLaren F1 is still (in 2013) the fastest naturally aspirated production car in the world. Not bad for a car launched in 1992.<\/p>\n

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again, the McLaren F1 is world’s best supercar. It’s currently the most expensive modern supercar in the used market and it has a performance pedigree to backup up the heavy price tag.<\/p>\n

The story begins in 1988 when partners of the McLaren Cars Ltd – the world’s leading Formula One team, winning 15 out of 16 races – finished their successful season and decided that they should move beyond their current program and go one step further by building the finest road car possible. To them, this meant developing a no compromise supercar, built with nearly endless funds to achieve the highest power to weight ratio but retain usability for everyday driving.<\/p>\n

To meet these goals, technical director of McLaren Gordon Murray and stylist Peter Stevens realized that the car had to be small, use the lightest components available and have a large capacity, normally aspirated V12 engine. Little did they know, this design philosophy would break many speed records and win championships it wasn’t even originally intended for.<\/p>\n

Related: McLaren F1 Image Gallery<\/a> \/\u00a0McLaren F1 Videos<\/a> \/\u00a0McLaren News<\/a> \/ McLaren Model List<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Four years after the McLaren’s costly development, the first car made its official debut at the 1992 Monaco F1 week where McLaren could finally reveal to world what they had been doing. At Monaco, the targeted customer base learned that only 100 examples would be made, and that the McLaren would be the fastest, most exclusive car in the world. These attributes and gorgeous styling helped potential clients look past the 634 500 GBP price tag and beyond competitors like the Ferrari F40, Porsche 959 and Jaguar XK220.<\/p>\n

After its release, the F1’s potential was immediately realized when it reached 0-100-0 in 11.4 seconds and a record top speed of 240.14mph in its XP5 pre-production trim. Although, the success didn’t stop in the record books, as special GTR versions won Le Mans<\/a> outright in 1995 and took two FIA GT World Championships.<\/p>\n

The F1’s success can be attributed the McLaren’s Formula One expertise. The small dedicated team picked by Gordon Murray designed 5000 individual pieces which were predominantly carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium to keep minimum weights. The car’s carbon fiber monocoque was the world’s first and supported BMW’s impressive BMW S70\/2, 620 horsepower engine. This engine produced considerable heat, so the engine compartment was lined with pure gold and air conditioning came as standard. But the greatest innovation was its seating arrangement.<\/p>\n

To show off McLaren’s dedication and Formula heritage, Murray used a central drivers seat and provided an option for two seats on either side. Like a race car, this provided the best possible view and was the good example of how uncompromising the F1 was. Additionally the McLaren wasn’t equipped with any driving aids which meant it lacked traction control, ABS, power brakes and power steering.<\/p>\n

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Quick Links:\u00a0Read about the McLaren F1<\/a>.\u00a0See the\u00a0McLaren F1 Image Gallery<\/a>.\u00a0Watch McLaren F1 Videos<\/a>.\u00a0More McLaren Posts, Videos and Images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Included with the purchase of every McLaren was bevy of lush appointments including a specially designed lightweight stereo, a tailored golf back, custom fitted luggage and the mother of all full tool boxes, used for McLaren personal to use if they needed to do remote work on the customers car. Included was a modem, which could send data directly to McLaren. With this, one customer in Germany was found to reach 200 mph almost daily on his way to and from work!<\/p>\n

After delivering 100 customer cars McLaren stopped production after seven prototypes, 64 road cars, 5 special F1 LMs<\/a> (built to commemorate victory at Le Mans in 1995), three F1 GTs (road going versions of the long tail 1997 F1 GTR race car<\/a>) and 28 F1 GTR road cars<\/a>. Of these, the Sultan of Brunei owns the most, and has two very special black F1 LMs with striking Pininfarina graphics as well as an exact replica of the F1 GTR that won LeMans.<\/p>\n

Since delivery, McLaren have stayed committed to the F1 and continue to service the many cars. Almost every car has been returned to the factory and some have received custom modifications to suit the needs of their owners. The most radical of these are the few race cars which were converted back to road cars with the most minimal of changes. Other less daring cars have treatments that include new aerodynamic packages and custom interiors. As these cars get better, they keep the F1 up to pace with modern alternatives.<\/p>\n

McLaren F1 Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Engine<\/td>\nBMW S70\/2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type<\/td>\n6.1 liter\u00a048 valve V-12 with aluminum block and heads<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Horsepower<\/td>\n627 bhp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bore and stroke<\/td>\n3.38 x 3.41 in (86 x 87 mm)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Displacement<\/td>\n370 cubic in, 6064 cc<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Compression ratio<\/td>\n10.5:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engine control system<\/td>\nBosch Motronic with port fuel injection<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Valve gear<\/td>\nChain-driven double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters, variable intake timing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Power (SAE net)<\/td>\n618 bhp @ 7400 rpm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Torque (SAE net)<\/td>\n479 ft-lb @ 4000 rpm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Redline<\/td>\n7,500 rpm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

McLaren F1 Technical Highlights<\/h2>\n

BMW Motorsports was contracted to design and build the engine, which McLaren specified be naturally aspirated for instant response. And they delivered in spades. The F1 has the best power-to-weight ratio ever in a production road car. Standard cars were good for 231 mph and it did this without the need for turbos or supercharging… or all-wheel drive, ABS, power steering or power brakes. Just amazing. Which is why the McLaren smashed just about every performance record for a production car ever, including top speed which was 242.96 mph (391.01 km\/h) (with rev limiter removed).<\/p>\n

Another innovation at the time was the driver centrally located in a form fitting seat, with room for passengers on either side. The drive being placed centrally allowed for optimal command without intrusion from wheel arches or the nuisance of offset pedals and the best weight distribution, thus maximizing cornering speed. It also had small electric underbody fans that would generate ground-effects grip and an active rear spoiler that raised during hard braking to improve stability and slow the car faster. It was this attention to every detail that made the F1 the stuff of legend. Even the engine bay was not left along. Gold is the best heat deflector so Murray lined the F1 engine bay with gold leaf. There were no compromises.<\/p>\n

The McLaren F1 with the BMW S70 engine had a 0-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 240+ mph. Powering the McLaren is a quad cam, 48-valve, 6.1-litre BMW V12 engine with variable valve timing. It produces a staggering 627 bhp.<\/p>\n

The F1’s engine uses competition inspired dry sump lubrication. More complex than a conventional wet sump, it shaved vital inches from the oil pan, allowing the engine to be mounted lower. Later on, the McLaren F1 LM<\/a> had a few engine upgrades that took the LM model up to 680 hp and 520 ft-lbs of torque! Issued in honor of the McLaren F1’s that won the 1995 LeMans race, the LM’s set a 0-100-0 mph world record for a production car.<\/p>\n

McLaren F1 Performance<\/h2>\n

On 31 March 1998,\u00a0Andy Wallace\u00a0set the record for the fastest road car in the world, topping at 231 mph (372 km\/h) with rev limiter on, and 242.95 mph (391 km\/h) with rev limiter removed.\u00a0Many still believe that with better gearing (inclusion of a 7th gear) the McLaren was capable of even higher speeds. Drivers who got the McLaren up to top speed said the car was still pulling and only gearing stopped them for achieving more.<\/p>\n

Even today (2012), the F1 remains one of the fastest cars ever built. A fun fact that most people don’t realize is that while the Bugatti Veyron and a few other cars have since beaten the F1s top speed, all of those cars use forced induction. That means that the McLaren F1 is still (in 2012) the fastest naturally aspirated production car in the world. Not bad for a car launched in 1992.<\/p>\n

Acceleration<\/h3>\n