MCLAREN F1

It's not every designer or engineer who has the chance to build the ultimate car, with no expense spared. Few in the industry could argue that Gordon Murray's McLaren F1 was anything but the ultimate road-going car.

A former chief Formula 1 designer at Brabham, then at Woking-based McLaren, Murray had a burning but unqualified passion to build a machine that qualified as the fastest, most involving road car yet made - and, of course, the most expensive. Yet it would also have to be a car you could happily drive in town.

Ideas at McLaren began crystallizing during 1988, and in March 1989 Murray announced his plans to the public. Murray was in charge of design and development, while Lotus stylist would pen the car's shap, and BMW's Motorsport division had agreed to build an all-new V-twelve engine from scratch. Everything revolved around Murray's ideal precepts, such as the innovative three-seater cabin with the driver sitting in the middle ahead of the two passengers.

Another crucial factor was the target weight: an unbelievable 1000kg (2205lbs) (Ferrari's F40 weighed 1235kg (2720lbs) and Jaguar's XJ220 weighed 1470kg (3240lbs)). Every detail was under scrutiny to see if it could be made lighter.

With no less than 468kW (627bhp) on tap from the 6064cc BMW V-twelve engine, the truly explosive performance which Murray had been aiming for became a reality. Ex Formula 1 driver Jonathon Palmer flew to the Nardo test track in Italy in August 1993 and, in the searing heat, he drove the F1 at an incredible 372kph (231mph). In 1998 at the Volkswagon circuit it was put through its paces again and the rev limiter was removed and the car made a two-way average speed of  386.46kph (240.14mph). Further tests produced more amazing figures: 0-96kph (60mph) in 3.2 seconds, 0-161kph (100mph) in 6.3 seconds and 48-113kph (30-70mph) in just over 2 seconds. Such incredible performance made the F1 almost invincible on the track: an F1 GTR came firt in virtually every GT Endurance race it entered, and the F1 was triumphant at Le Mans in 1995.

Then there was the cost: no less than 635,000 pounds sterling (US$1,070,000), reflecting the huge development budget, ultra-high technology and the fact that, initially, each one took 6,000 man-hours to build. Then there were all the little touches that made the F1 so special, like the gold-insulated engine bay, the unbelievably complex Kenwood soundsystem, total leeway for individual colour choice and tailored luggage. If you had car problems, McLaren would jet out a mechanic on the next available flight.

The first customer car was finished on Christmas Eve 1993, and the last one of a total of exactly 100 cars - far short of the initial target of 300 - was completed in 1997. There could hardly be a car more exclusive that this.

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