Identify The General Facts Of The McLaren F1
The McLaren F1 is capable of 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and a top speed
in excess of
240 mph. This makes it the fastest production car in the
world.
During development work, McLaren driver Jonathan Palmer drove F1
prototype XP3
around Italy's 7.5 mile Nardo test track at 231 mph. But for
the tight nature of the track, the car
could have gone even faster. Early in
1998 this record was broken at Volkswagon's test track
with a recorded speed
of 241 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.
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.
Everywhere you look on
the McLaren, attempts have been made to reduce weight. Like
the front and
rear wishbones which are machined from solid aluminium alloy; or the
wheels,
constructed out of magnesium alloy.
McLaren Cars built five F1
prototypes before assembling 001, the first car. There was
XP1
(experimental prototype 1), destroyed in a fire after three months; XP2, used
for crash
testing; XP3, used for durability testing and the 231 mph Nardo
run; XP4 responsible for
gearbox validation work; and XP5, a marketing
department car.
One key design feature of the McLaren F1 is the
positioning of the driver - in the middle,
with two passenger seats aft of
either side. That makes everything equi-distant from the wheel.
The F1
uses sophisticated double wishbones at the front and rear to give superb
handling
characteristics, but an absorbent ride, too.