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Developed by McLaren cars LTD, a subsidiary of the
McLaren Formula One Team, the McLaren F1 GTR is the fastest, most powerful and most
expensive production car in the world.
The McLaren is powered by a
BMW 6.1 Liter V12 engine producing 627 hp with a 0-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 230-240 mph.
The original McLaren F1 was started in 1991 and 64 cars were made. The LM model was introduced in 1993 with 5 cars built. The GT model had 3 cars. Finally, in 1995, the GTR was
introduced, and over the next 3 years, 28 cars were built.
Unfortunately, production stopped in May 1998 after only 100 cars were built.
The BMW powered,
British-built F1 from McLaren International, Ltd, is arguably the
fastest and most expensive production car ever made.
The specially
commissioned BMW engine allows the driver to be centrally situated in
the cockpit, affording a more equal weight distribution. With it's 627
normally aspirated horses pouring through a bespoke six-speed
transaxle gearbox, the ultra-light F1 leaps from 0 to 60 mph in a
matter of a few scant seconds.
The McLaren F1 holds
several records, including the highest top speed (240.1 mph) and the
fastest lap speed on a UK circuit (195.3 mph).
In 1995, McLaren debuted
the F1 GTR at the Le Mans endurance race. The McLaren took first
place, taking it's place in history as doing so on it's first race. In
addition to taking the checkered flag, the F1 GTR also took 3rd, 4th,
5th, and 13th places in that race.
To celebrate this
extraordinary achievement, McLaren produced five F1 LMs, one for each
of the F1 GTRs that finished the 1995 Le Mans race, with the goal
being that the LM was a 1995 F1 GTR modified as little as possible to
make it a street legal supercar. Consequently the F1 LM sported a more
powerful 680 bhp V12, and now owns the 0-100-0 mph world record for a
production car by ripping through the tach in a gut wrenching 11.5
seconds while travelling a distance of only 828.4 feet!
The final version of the
F1 production car was the F1 GT. It was designed to attain downforce
equal to that of the LM, but to do so with lower drag. Thus, the front
bodywork was extended and the rear deck was redesigned to create a
stunning, yet functional, new look.
Several racing versions
of the McLaren were produced, including the highly successful 1995 F1
GTR, the 1996 F1 GTR, and the 1997 F1 GTR.
The 95 GTR was
originally developed for shorter, 4 hour Global GT Endurance series
races in response to demand from customers who wanted to race their
own modifications of the standard production F1. However demand
quickly came about to make it into a 24 hour car to run in the Le Mans
endurance race. In 1995 McLaren became the first manufacturer ever to
sweep the board, scoring four of the top five places, upon its Le Mans
debut.
In 1996 McLaren revised
the 1995 GTR to meet new BPR GT series regulations, capping the engine
power output to 600 bhp. This allowed the designers to shed 100kg from
the car, making it as light as the 1,000kg minimum weight limit would
allow. McLaren also developed an upgrade for 95 GTRs to move them to
96 GTRs in spite of the fact that the 96 model was 70% new components.
New features included a larger rear wing for markedly improved
downforce.
In 1997 the GTR was once
again revised to meet new racing regulations, this time from the FIA
GT Series and the Le Mans 24 hour race. The modifications focused on
engine refinement, the inclusion of an all new sequential
transmission, extensive aerodynamic changes, and substantial weight
reduction. The chassis and power train were the prime candidates for
weight reduction along with small weight improvements made throughout
the car. In 1995 the F1 GTR weighed 1,100kg. The 96 model reduced its
weight to 1,000kg, and in 1997 the GTR was able to further reduce its
curb weight to a mere 915kg.
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