McLaren has a strong pedigree in Formula one in the name of Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes (also known as McLaren racing). Its automotive division on the other hand, McLaren Automotive, has yet to enjoy prolonged success. The Woking based company shook its leg in the roadcar segment with the launch of F1 in 1992 which happened to rule the roost for a considerable period. The F1’s ability to hit 231mph earned it the name of The Fastest Production Car until 2005 when the record was broken by Koenigsegg CCR. Just 106 units of the F1 were produced between 1992 and 1998 some of which were purpose built for racing under the name F1-GTR.
Mclaren stopped making roadcars for more than a decade. In 2009 it unveiled the design of MP4 12C which was launched early last year. Sadly it did not win too many accolades as one of the main drawbacks of MP4 12C was emotionless driving experience as described by most of the journalists. The likes of Ferrari 458 Italia and 911 Turbo S are giving it a good run for money.
Mclaren’s move to rebuild the iconic F1 has brought a huge delight to its fans. Principally targeted at overshadowing Bugatti Veyron, the upcoming F1 which is scheduled for launch in 2014 has already started the testing stage. Under the hood will be a 5.0L V8 outsourced from Ricardo that can churn out a brutal 799bhp and 800Nm of torque to propel the mean machine to 60mph in a mere 2.8seconds. The supercar will be equipped with a Graziano seven speed gearbox (currently doing work in the MP4-12C) for lightning fast gear changes and the chassis will be an all carbon fiber shell which is McLarenesque. The aggressive stance of the new Mac will boast active aerodynamics like the original F1. Pricing is expected to be higher than $1m.
The upcoming McLaren’s new avatar possesses all that it needs to whet the adrenaline of supercar aficionados. It will be interesting to see if the new F1 closes the gap left by its legendary cousin back in the mid 90s.
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