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Special might even be an understatement for this iconic McLaren supercar. What other supercar has a gold foil-lined engine bay?
Celebrities have the coolest and most expensive cars, but usually their vehicles match their outside persona. Arnold Schwarzenegger drives beastly military vehicles. Sylvester Stallone celebrates his Italian roots even through his impressive collection of luxury cars, such as the Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Rolls-Royce Phantom. As for Kate Moss, time and time again, the model proved that indeed she is a vintage queen and her car collection is as iconic as her style. The British supermodel has in her garage a 1968 MG Midget Mk III, 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE and 280SL Pagoda.
Obviously, celebrities are like us, and they often match their cars to their personalities. By this logic, Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean should drive a Mini like his character in the sitcom or some quirky small car like the Vauxhall Adam. But it seems that Mr. Bean is as surprising in real life as in his comedy show because he used to drive one of the most spectacular exotic cars that was ever created-the McLaren F1. Let’s face it, McLaren is more of a James Bond car than Mr. Bean's. However, the successful British comedian acquired one of the 106 cars ever produced but crashed it twice. For mere-mortals, the idea of owning the legendary F1 remains nothing more than a dream, but that doesn’t mean we can’t acknowledge the performance, spectacular design, and the devilish engine of this supercar.
Related: The 10 Features That Made The McLaren F1 Stand Out From Every Other Supercar
In an age of boxy, dull cars, where few models standout, the F1 is a miracle of rare design. Everything about this car screams the best of the best, from the materials to the technology. Each detail is perfectly curated and matched to the next to create the most spectacular car ever manufactured.
From all the 106 units ever created, there were only 64 road cars (F1), so this makes them extremely rare. But scarcity isn’t the only aspect that makes the F1 command high prices. The fact that each supercar took around three and a half months to manufacture is also pretty impressive.
Another important detail that made the McLaren F1 special is that this car was designed by the legendary Gordon Murray. The chief designer had worked on sketching a one-plus-two seating configuration for the car since 1969. And two decades later, his arrowhead concept was finally revealed thanks to the F1. Murray worked alongside McLaren’s team of engineers on other futuristic elements as well. For example, they found innovative ways to reduce weight and drag, while boosting downforce. Furthermore, for the first time ever, they used carbon fiber chassis for a production car. It’s worth noting that McLaren spent more than 3,000 working hours making each carbon fiber chassis.
Various sports cars manufacturers can say that the engines of their vehicles are naturally aspirated, but not too many can declare that their cars have a gold foil-lined engine bay. As you can imagine, F1 has both!
The existence of 16 grams of gold under the engine cover has become mythical, but few know that gold was used because it was the best heat deflector. As of July 7, 2022, 16 grams of gold is worth $910.14. It’s worth noting that you can buy a small Chinese EV for the same value, but these cars play in different leagues.
Naturally, the gold foil wasn’t the only astonishing engine feature. Gearheads can rejoice because this car is as beastly as they get. At the time of the F1 release, the naturally aspirated 6.1-liter, V12 BMW powerplant produced the highest power output for its size and delivered more than 620bhp.
Related: Here's What We Love About The McLaren F1 LM
Most speed fanatics dream about driving a supercar on a racetrack. Naturally, the ultimate fantasy would be to drive a Formula 1 car in a Grand Prix. The wealthy class can come close to achieving that dream each time they ride in their F1. Not only does the on-board diagnostic computer keep track and log the most complex metrics to recognize and diagnose problems, but the F1 also comes equipped with the world’s most advanced braking system, typical for Formula 1 vehicles.
Additionally, the F1 reaches insane speeds in record time, typical of supercars. For instance, it speeds up from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds and reaches 100 miles per hours in 6.3 seconds.
Eugenia Akhim is a luxury car aficionado. She naturally gravitates towards the legendary 911 and the classic Ferrari because they are fun to drive and have a killer aesthetic. In her column, expect to read more about turbo-powered vehicles.