McLaren F1 The Ultimate Automobile Of All Time

If there is such distinction as “The Ultimate Automobile of All Time,” for many motoring journalists it would be the McLaren F1. Craig Cheetham and Richard Gun of the book "Ultimate Performance Cars" dubbed the McLaren F1 as the world's most exotic and most expensive supercar. Nick Cook in a different book called this automobile as "the fastest production automobile." In its own time, McLaren proved worthy of the praises and accolades.

The F1 is conceived in 1988, when four men while waiting for their flight- Ron Dennis, Mansour Ojjeh, Creighton Brown, and Gordon Murray had arrived to a bold and uncompromising decision - building the finest road car in the world. Within four years they have succeeded in their goal. The McLaren F1 was unveiled in 1992.

McLaren commissioned the quad-cam V12 engine from BMW - a true masterpiece. The light, compact and powerful 6-liter quad-cam, alloy V12 has continuously variable intake valve timing to produce the greatest power and torque at all engine speeds. Each cylinder has its own individual ignition coil. It uses four chain-driven overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder. Four catalytic converters ensure each emission clean and safe. (Source: Ultimate Performance Cars, 213).

The F1's brakes are made by Brembo. Under heavy braking the spoiler rises at an angle of 30 degrees which generates rear down force and overcomes the usual pitching. High-speed driving is protected by six-speed transmission as it allows the automobile to have the first five ratios close together and a high overdrive sixth relaxed. If the F1 crashes, the driver are protected by a survival cell made of carbon fiber. The air passing through the venturi tunnels will generate ground effect and suck the car firmly down on the road at high speeds. The driver gets the best view with its central driver's seat. Passengers sit on either side, and slightly behind the driver. Since space in the front luggage compartment is limited, the user can opt to use spaces ahead of the rear wheels.

Weight is the sports car designer's worst enemy. It works against every single aspect of automobile dynamics. In the case of McLaren F1, the car weighs 2,579 pounds which means it weighs less than many other sports car. The car was built from lightweight materials like aluminum alloy, carbon fiber and magnesium. However, because the designer liked the car more lightweight, spare tire inside is excluded.

The classic design of F1 was an attempt to achieve a lasting impression and appeal. The car had many claims on firsts at the time of its release and even today some of them are unparallel. The McLaren F1's design is unique. The car was conceived to give driving pleasure mixed with everyday usability. The accolades of being the ultimate automobile for many car enthusiasts belong to McLaren F1. There had been many attempts to surpass the car's record. On the face of it, each car's design is unique and comparison is hard talk. In 2006, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 finally hit the road however, many are convinced that it is impossible to compare the two since they are of different concept, styling and material. The two cars share many technical features and employ same active aerodynamics to withstood tremendous forces at high speed.