Classic Car: McLaren F1

In 1992, the Jaguar XJ220 was the fastest street-legal production car reaching a speed of 217 mph. Also in 1992, British car manufacturer started production on a car that pushed the limits of what a car can do. From 1992 to 1998, McLaren produced the McLaren F1, which was designed by Gordon Murphy and Peter Stevens. Only 106 F1s were built. The car was limited to 231 mph. On March 31, 1998, the rev limiter was removed and the McLaren F1 reached a speed o 242.95 mph. What McLaren built was the first hypercar, a car that can reach speeds over 240 mph. Cars that followed the F1 were the SSC Ultimate Aero, Saleen S7, Bugatti Veyron, Hennessey Venom GT, and Koenigsegg CCX. The F1 is one of the most important cars in automotive history.

I recently saw the McLaren F1 at the April 2012 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. This car got a lot of attention. The F1 had a very unique design. The F1 was built with carbon-fiber, titanium, magnesium, kevlar, and gold. Gold foil was used as a heat shield in the gold compartment. The F1 had a unique seating arrangement. Most sports cars are two seaters, 2+2 seaters, or four seaters. The F1 is a three seater. The driver seat is located in the middle, not on the left-hand side or right-hand side of the car. There are two passenger seats located behind the driver seat. Also there are small luggage storage slots along the sides of the F1.  The F1 also has sleek lines for improved aerodynamics. There is no other car that looks like the McLaren F1.

The McLaren F1 is powered by a naturally aspirated BMW 6.1L V12 engine, paired with a six speed manual transmission, that produces 618 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. The F1 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 231 mph with the rev limiter on and 242.96 mph with the rev limiter off. When the F1 was being produced, it cost around $970,000. At a RM auction in 2009, a McLaren F1 went for over $4 million. This car is expensive, but it is very rare and is a very important car in automotive history.

The F1 has been featured on Jay Leno's Garage. Jay Leno told the story when he had two undercover cops in his McLaren F1 when he was the celebrity guess on Top Gear. The F1 has also been featured on both the original version and the revamp version of Top Gear. The McLaren F1 has also been featured in Bugs, The Greatest Ever, Clarkson: Supercar Showdown, Johnson Family Vacation, Love The Beast, Clarkson: Duel, Beyond Tomorrow, RTL Autowereld. The McLaren F1 is playable in Need For Speed: The Run, Midnight GT: Primary Racer, Burnout Revenge, Viper Racing, Cruis'n World, Cruis'n Exotica, Test Drive Unlimited, Test Drive 5, Choro Q HG, Supercar Challenge, Drag Racer, Drag Racer 3, GT Racing '97, Twisted Metal 4, vDream Racing, Mad Race, Ridge Racer V, Auto Club Revolution, Ridge Racer 2, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, Automobil Lamborghini, London Racer, Europe Racer, Need For Speed II, Need For Speed: Pro Street, San Francisco Rush 2049, Death Rally, Need For Speed: Undercover, Need For Speed: Shit, Gran Turismo 5, Wheels and Fire, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Forza Motorsport 2, Forza Motorsport 3, Forza Motorsport 4,Shit 2: Unleashed, Car Town, Super GT 24h, and Driver: San Francisco.

The McLaren F1 is the original hypercar. It took the automotive world by storm in the 1990s. The Ferrari F40 was the first car to reach speeds over 200 mph. It was very lightweight and had a powerful engine. The McLaren F1 took the Ferrari F40 formula and brought it to the next level. The McLaren F1 was the first car to reach speed over 230 mph. It is a very sought after car. To get one, you have to have deep pockets. If you can afford to pay over $4 million for a car, get the McLaren F1. It is very rare and very fast. This is a must own for any high end car collector.


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