Friday, September 24, 2010

Car Style - The McLaren F1

Car Style post #50! No car is as awesome as the McLaren F1. Fifth Gear called it as the greatest car in the world. It is a British car with a German powerplant. The British car packs 624hp from a BMW V-12. It is sexy from every angle. It is an angelic devil. The car may be nearing two decades old (as of the date of this blog entry), but I STILL consider this car as the greatest car ever. It is awe-inspiring and absolutely a great car. It's one of the rarest of its kind with all that makes it such an awesome car. I know there are people who say the Enzo Ferrari and the Bugatti Veyron as the greatest cars in the world. They may be incredibly fast, but they are nowhere near the athletic and agile beast the McLaren F1 is.

This blog entry is a look at how I think about the McLaren F1 design-wise. Welcome to my 50th "Car Style" segment.
Car Style - The McLaren F1^ from: sobreruedas.org - the McLaren F1 was cool even WELL before the likes of the Enzo Ferrari and the Bugatti Veyron. Though 15+ years old, it's still one of the greatest supercars ever made.

The McLaren F1 is my all-time favorite car. It is a very hot car with great styling. It is still beautiful even if it is somehow obsolete compared to today's supercars. Even while I love the new MP4-12C, the McLaren of the '90s is still a beautiful and fantastic car. I will mostly discuss the original McLaren F1, not any of the other versions (F1, F1 LM, GTR, etc.).

The front of the McLaren exudes "I'm better than you" character. Two big headlights in two headlight clusters help light the way. The front bonnet has a little scoop to it, adding to the aggressive nature of this car's looks. The front windshield is styled beautifully in matching the swoopy looks of the rest of the car. * The sides feature a combination of swoopy and sharp styling. The side doors have plenty of aggression with sharp lines. The side door windows look very racy. The view from up top is beautiful with a somewhat modest (yet still functional) hood scoop. Only the McLaren F1 LM features a larger hood scoop. * The rear completes this car's aggressive and racy character. The rear bonnet features that awesome V-12 BMW engine. The rear windshield features a split window deal. You'll see why there is a split rear windshield once you sit behind the wheel. The car features a dynamic rear spoiler that makes sure the car stays on the ground even while at speed. A pair of twin mufflers compliment the rear just above the rear valance.

What makes this car REALLY different? Its interior makes it unique. What other car can you enjoy driving in the center? Getting into the car can its own gymnastics event. You could actually have three people in this car once you add in the two extra seats. However (and with all due respect), do you really need to bring along two more people to make this car more enjoyable? Remember earlie about the split rear windshield? A reason why there are two rear view mirrors on either side is to properly see behind you with the little windows. The instrument panel is very basic as well as with the basic set of panels. The steering wheel also looks very basic. Despite the fact things look so basic on the inside, it's very much an inviting car (since when is a superexotic NOT inviting?). I think this car even has gold-plated tools to help you fix the car since you'll be pulling some insane speeds even for a car of its age. This car's version of a center console are to your left and your right. You have a few controls by your left legs and your right legs, including a stick shifter. Simply put, this car was designed for people who want to enjoy driving while feeling like they are high above everybody else. It's like being in a monster truck, only much lower to the ground and not with any macho character. You'll feel like you're God behind the wheel of a divine beast like this.



Before the likes of the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari, Bugatti Veyron, SSC Ultimate Aero TT, and cars like that... this was the "it" supercar. Newer supercars may be outstanding in their own right, but I still consider the McLaren F1 as the greatest car ever made. There's one thing this car can lay claim to that none of today's more recent supercars can say- winning Le Mans outright. That was the case when the Ueno Clinic McLaren F1 GTR won Le Mans outright in 1995. The only McLaren I love more than the original is the rare McLaren F1 GT (not the McLaren F1 GTR, though I love that car too). Here is your look at the McLaren F1 GT:

Car Style - The McLaren F1^ from: sportscarforums, by way of autosrapidos.com - the McLaren F1 GT is a beautiful, yet rare McLaren.

Gran Turismo 5 will welcome the McLaren F1 to its already stellar lineup of cars. It will be featured for the first time aside from the BMW McLaren in Gran Turismo 4. The McLaren F1 is also the car I mostly use in "Need for Speed 2: Special Edition." Everyone has their opinions on what the greatest car of all time is, and mine is the McLaren F1. There's just nothing like it even today. Time has passed it by, technologies have passed it by, but you know what? It's still a damn good car for what it is today. This car could go as fast as a Champ Car back in its time (meaning it's possible of 240 mph). So love your 21st century supercars. While you're at it, make sure to pay this beautiful car its greatest respects. The McLaren F1 was cool before other recent supercars got their face time.

That concludes my 50th "Car Style" blog entry. Thanks so much for reading and for your continued support!