Video: McLaren F1 on the Nurburgring

[FeZ]

http://www.pistonheadstv.com/videos/132.wmv
http://www.pistonheadstv.com/videos/133.wmv
http://www.pistonheadstv.com/videos/134.wmv

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[chris]

This is too good to be true. :)

By the way, who is the owner of this light-blue F1, and what is its serial number? I know this car is regularly at the 'Ring. It looks very odd because of its colour, and the side-mirrors which are more like those on the concept version F1's rather than the normal production models.

Could this be the prototype which crashed and burned rebuilt?

The driver is certainly taking it very easy - accelerating extremely carefully, and never using full throttle, even at 120mph plus.

He'd easily keep up with a 911 GT3 the way he was driving, although the deep sound of the engine makes it seem slower.

[monaro]

oh baby, how much do you just want him to open her up and listen to it snort.

edit: nice looking colour too

[chris]

It sounds great doesn't it. :D

It's got one of the nicest sounding engines I've ever heard. Occupants in the F1 must use the intercom system in order to communicate with each other, since the engine is so loud on full throttle.

The 3 microphone/headsets plug into sockets just behind the drivers seat.

In case anyone is wondering what the speeds are on the speedometre, the highest number listed is 260mph, then 240, 220, 200, 180 and so on.

[monaro]

:D

http://www.mischost.com/uploads/sam_webster87@hotmail.com/lm%20dash.gif

[chris]

That one is from the LM model, obvious from the colour, and the carbon background pattern. :)

I've read about the owner of this car. He seems to drive it very carefully.

It almost seems like he is a little bit intimidated by the car. He writes about driving the car in a terrible rain-storm, and being the slowest car on the road. ;) (I can understand). Being like this is probably the best thing. The heroic driver will probably be the one who gets involved in a very serious accident.

Someone else writes about what may have been this F1:

P.S By the by, I hope you weren't driving the thing in Germany when it was silver in 2001! I was trying to demonstrate the capabilities on a spirited run of a Italian V12 to a mate when I was destoryed by an F1. Destroyed actually doesn't do the it justice. It felt like I was going in reverse. Horrible feeling when you are at very high three figure speeds and a car comes up behind you so fast out of nowhere and passes you as if you had pulled over to check your map.

Quite embarassing. :D

Also, this blue F1 which is exactly the one I thought it might have been seems like it is a high mileage car. Mclaren apparently learns more and more about the F1 and high-mileage operation from this car, and probably the final prototype XP5 which is also a high-mileage car.

It proves the excellence of the F1 that even in high mileage they run very well, and give their owners much driving pleasure.

Also notice the side-mirrors on this blue F1, they come from the BMW Z1. The original small mirrors on the clinic car (a very good mock-up) were apparently housed in a shell so small motors could not be fitted to adjust the mirrors.

[monaro]

yeah its the the LM dash but still the same values. its kinda hard to look at the figures without going "what the..."

[FeZ]

I thought you may like these chris :D

there is some more info and pictures at http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1637456

[chris]

Thanks for posting them Frank. :) I enjoyed watching them very much. :)

[[MC]HMD]

*drool*

*changes pants*

:D

[Wazza]

Great movies. Now if only Tiff was driving it to the extreme.. At at least giving it that impression. Took a while to download on 56K.

Is there a full track McF1 video somewhere, where the driver is a little bit braver...

[chris]

The only one is from Best Motoring, where Naoki Hattori drives an F1 flat out around a test-track (achieves 330km/hr), and then flat-out around Tsukuba.

He doesn't slide it about like Tiff Needell, but instead drives it very smoothly and quickly. No wheelspin at all, no sliding, but he is very quick.

Best Motoring does a great job with the cameras in the car. Their whole review was very well done.

[Wazza]

Who is the Japanese driver racing it against the Toyota Supra, that manages 11.045 in the 1/4mile and 19.548 in the 0-1000m test?

[chris]

Not sure who that guy is, though it might be Motoharu Kurosawa, he is not exactly young, but is VERY fast. :)

Whoever the driver is, he left the obviously heavily tuned up Supra well behind.

But the other video I mentioned should be available to download here, there is a link in this forum to it, look up Best Motoring. The download size is about 70mb though, but it goes for about 16 minutes.

They talk about the F1, and show (and explain) in more detail how many of its systems work, like the brake cooling systems for instance.

[blackice111288]

i remember that video. thats a old one isnt it? if the supra hadn't a lost so much traction in the hole shot i think it might have kept up or beaten the F1 (if the F1 was stock seeing they *only* :) run 11.6's (road and tracks' test time)). well tuned supras easily run mid to low 10's even high nines in street form. they probably wont handle as well as F1 tho, cause supras are kinda chubby:

Curb weights, without/with Sport Roof (lbs.): 4-speed automatic:
3,265/3,325 Supra
Not applicable/3,515 Supra Turbo
6-speed manual:
Not applicable/not applicable Supra
3,445/3,505 Supra Turbo
Weight distribution (front/rear):
51%/49% Supra
53%/47% Supra Turbo

compared to:

1062 kg (2336 lbs)
http://www.phrd.ab.ca/Schools/INFO_HWY_TUTORIAL/sites/supercar/cars/mf1lm/mf1lm.htm

[chris]

R&T's F1 test I believe was with the vandalised "Ameritech" F1, a version which is only supposed to have 1 seat, and has ugly boxes over the front turn indicators, with extra turn indicators put at the sides.

It is also supposed to be less potent than the original car as well. To leave one in that form would probably very have a huge impact on depreciation of the vehicle.

And yes, the F1 used by Best Motoring was stock:


Overall Weight: 1138kg
Engine: BMW S70/2 48 valve V12, dual-vanos variable valve timing
Size: 6,064cm³
627-635bhp@7500rpm
652Nm@5600rpm
Engine weight: 266kg
Exhaust system: lightweight inconel

L/W/H: 4288/1820/1140 (in mm)
wheelbase: 2718mm
ground-clearance: 120mm
front track: 1568mm
rear-track: 1472mm

Transmission: Aluminium Case, Transverse unit with high speed bevel gears and final spur drive. All synchro constant-mesh 6-speed. Limited slip final drive differential. Air/oil radiator-pumped dry lubrication system. Helical cut gears. Light weight gun drilled drive shafts and tripod CV joint

Clutch: AP triple plate carbon/carbon. 200 mm diameter. Remote actuation (hydraulic).

Ratios:
1st 3.23:1
2nd 2.19:1
3rd 1.71:1
4th 1.39:1
5th 1.16:1
6th 0.93

km/hr per 1000rpm:
1st 14.08
2nd 20.76
3rd 26.58
4th 32.7
5th 39.2
6th 48.8

Speeds in each gear:
1st 104.2km/hr@7400rpm
2nd 153.6km/hr@7400rpm
3rd 196.8km/hr@7400rpm
4th 242.1km.hr@7400rpm
5th 290.1km/hr@7400rpm
6th 361.8km/hr@7400rpm

Brakes:
Front: 332 mm x 32 mm thick ventilated disc
Rear: 305 diameter x 26 mm thick ventilated disc
4 pot monobloc light alloy calipers front and rear.
Brake cooling: Automatic computerised control system.

Suspension:
FRONT: Double wishbones, Ground Plane Shear centre sub frames, light alloy dampers /co-axial coil springs, anti roll bar.

REAR: Double wishbones, inclined Axis Shear mounting system, light alloy dampers/co-axial coil springs, toe-in/toe-out control links.

WHEELS: Magnesium 17" (432.8mm)
FRONT: 9" (228.6mm) wide
REAR: 11.5" (292.1mm) wide Centre lock with reatining pin

TYRES:
Front: Goodyear Eagle F1 235/45 ZR17
Rear: Goodyear Eagle F1 315/45 ZR17
Unidirectional with asymmetric tread pattern

Steering: Unassisted rack and pinion.
2.7 turns lock to lock

Fuel: RON95 unleaded
Fuel tank: 90 litre safety cell

Aero:
Drag co-efficient (cd): 0.32
Frontal Area: 1.79m²
Downforce: Twin fan-assisted boundary control, automatic rear spoiler

Acceleration:
0-62mph: 3.2 seconds
0-100mph: 6.3 seconds
0-175mph: 19.045 seconds
0-200mph: 28.0 seconds
150-170mph in 5th gear: 3.5 seconds
0-400m (1/4 mile) 11.045 seconds@137mph

Absolute top speed: 366-371km/hr (production model)
Absolute highest recorded speed: 391km/hr (XP5, Ehra Lessien top speed test).



So, when you look at that, you begin to understand why it has been so difficult for others to surpass the F1 overall. The level of expense is huge, and the budget required to build such a car is immense.

The XP5 which achieved 391km/hr was standard production spec with the exception of the rev-limit being raised to 8300rpm from 7500rpm in the pursuit of safety. Driver Andy Wallace didn't want the rev-limiter cutting in while he was on the banked part of the track.

The most definative, or believable of all the F1 tests was probably Autocar's test. That's where the widely reported 0-100km/hr in 3.2 seconds and 0-160km/hr in 6.3 seconds come from. Unfortunately, a lot of magazine reports consisted of the writer being taken for a quick blast around a race track by Jonathan Palmer, and little more.

Palmer though reckoned the F1 was quicker to 150mph than the Porsche 956C he used to race for Richard Lloyd Racing. And that 956C wasn't what you'd call a slow machine.

[blackice111288]

11 flat stock, huh? i wonder whats up with Ameritec's version?

reading all the specs leads one to think the car comes fully tuned, you really cant impove on it, can you? i have yet to see some one twin turbo charge the BMW V12. i dunno how they modify the ones thay race in the Le Mans and stuff tho.

[chris]

Mclaren offered an option to tune the V12 engine up to around 680bhp (like on S70/2 GTR-LM engine) for the normal F1. They also offered a high downforce kit made up of a new rear wing like on the LM model, and a new front splitter.

I believe the Ameritech tuned version was detuned to meet specific emission requirements. Also the race versions of the F1 actually featured detuned engines in order to meet with racing regulations for the GT1 class (maximum 600bhp). The differences were throttle restrictors. Though later on, a specific and lighter 6 litre engine was developed for the 1997 GTR

BMW later tried the engine running at 9500rpm, and it was said to have been delivering 1000bhp. In a BMW magazine article on the V12 LMR prototype which used almost the same engine, they spoke about the excellent durability of that particular engine.

Another thing to note is the race versions and those related to the race versions (1995 GTR, 1996 GTR, 1997 GTR, LM) featured different suspension geometry to the standard F1.

The standard cars Ground Plane Shear and inclined axis shear geometry was designed to give the standard F1 good handling manners, with a very good ride quality so it would be a car that is pleasant to drive in on country roads and doesn't react sharply or harshly to bumps, etc.

Gordon Murray wanted a car that could be used every-day, and by most measures, I think he succeeded.

[blackice111288]

V12 LMR prototype

didnt BMW stick a motor from one of those in to a one-off BMW X-5? i thought i saw one in one of my old C&D's

[chris]

Yeah, I believe so. :rolleyes:

[Justin Martin]

didnt BMW stick a motor from one of those in to a one-off BMW X-5? i thought i saw one in one of my old C&D's

Yes, and lent it to Hans Stuck, who managed to run a 7:49 lap around the Nurburgring in it. His comment was "It was like driving a cannonball." :racer:

[chris]

Yes, it probably went like a shell in a straight line. Probably cornered like one too. :eek:

[chris]

Just wondering if anyone found any more videos of this F1 going much faster around the Ring?