McLaren is known throughout the automotive world as one of the leading supercar makers. It is also one of the most popular of the Formula One teams. McLaren Automotive is based in Surrey, United Kingdom. While it may be a British automotive company, the story of McLaren starts in New Zealand where its racing pedigree began.
Bruce McLaren was born in New Zealand and started racing at age 15. He won the first competition he ever entered which was a hill climb race driving an Austin 7. McLaren then availed of the “drive to Europe” scheme which brought racers from Australia and New Zealand to the Europe to compete. Success was in Bruce McLaren’s blood as he won the US Formula One Grand Prix at the age of just 22 years and 14 days which made him one of the youngest Grand Prix winners at the time. He went on to win three more Grand Prix and also the Le Mans 24H race in 1966.
The legendary Bruce McLaren. McLaren
Bruce McLaren started the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing company in 1963.
The company initially built race cars and open wheel racers. But McLaren’s true vision was to build the fastest accelerating road car at the time. The prototype vehicle codenamed M6GT could accelerate to 100mph in 8 seconds and had a top speed of 165mph. There were plans to build 250 units but Bruce McLaren tragically died in 1970 before any were ever made.
In 1980, Ron Dennis, a known figure in the racing world, merged his Project 4 Racing team with the McLaren company. Taking the lessons learned from years of racing, McLaren Automotive launched its first car in 1989 which was called the McLaren F1.
1989 Formula 1 McLaren. McLaren
The McLaren F1 was a supercar that had its roots in racing. Underneath the gold lined bonnet of the F1 sits a 6.1 litre V12 built by BMW. The engine is capable of producing a massive 627bhp and 480 lb-ft of torque. It is lightning quick, accelerating to 62mph in 3.2 seconds and reaching a top speed of 230mph. The F1 was unique as it was the first car to have a central driving position and a carbon fibre monocoque. It was constructed mainly of carbon fibre to save on weight. The engine bay is lined with gold to reflect the heat generated by the powerful engine.
The McLaren F1 featured active aerodynamics and used “ground effect” to keep it on the road. The suspension and brakes have technologies taken from Formula One race cars. The engine was paired with a six-speed carbon triple-plate clutch gearbox which had a faster response time than most cars of the generation.
The McLaren F1 was a very successful car in terms of sale.
All 106 examples of the vehicle have been sold. In 1998, a McLaren F1 prototype took the title of the world’s fastest production car reaching a speed of 240mph. The Bugatti Veyron broke the record in 2005 with a top speed of 253mph.
The McLaren F1. Road and Track
Today, McLaren is still very successful both as a manufacturer and as a racing team. The company has enjoyed record sales figures in the last few years as an independent supercar maker. Racing is still at the heart of the company and McLaren has been dominating the Formula One scene in 2016.
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