McLaren. From the world of auto racing to the public roads
McLaren (McLaren Automotive Limited) is a British company founded in 1963. It is engaged in the production of sports road cars under the McLaren brand. The company has its own Formula 1 racing team, the name of which is forever inscribed in the automotive history. The McLaren team aspires to win every season, challenging such motorsport players as Ferrari and Lotus.
The British company McLaren was founded in 1963 by New Zealand racer Bruce McLaren. Bruce McLaren, the founder of the company and the Formula 1 racing team of the same name, decided to participate in the famous Le Mans race. At that time, the manufacturer created the first prototypes, intended for driving not on the racing track, but on public roads.
Interesting facts
- The first McLaren logo featured a New Zealand kiwi bird. The second logo had a flying kiwi, which is not typical for this bird.
- TAG Heuer (Switzerland), engaged in production of luxury watches, produces a MP4-12C watch dedicated to the car.
- Since the merger with Project 4 Racing in 1981, all McLaren Formula 1 cars started featuring an index starting with MP4.
Popular models
During the sixties, two completely finished M6GT models were produced. The death of the company’s founder in 1970 suspended development, but did not stop it. A young manager, Ron Dennis, came to the rescue, merging his Project 4 team with the distressed McLaren team and taking the helm of the new project. Their joint product, the McLaren MP4/2 car, equipped with a TAG engine, tore all competitors to pieces. In the 1984 season, Niki Lauda, Austrian race-car driver, won 5 races while driving it, and another 7 victories were won by the Frenchman Alain Prost.
In 1981, car designers were the first in history to use a carbon chassis on the MP4/1, a game changer in motorsport that is now in common use. This provided a different level of rigidity and protection for the pilot. Ron Dennis came up with the idea to create a real car company on the basis of the team, which could use Formula 1’s technologies in the creation of road cars. Thus, in 1985, McLaren Group was registered, which included the McLaren racing team and the McLaren Technological research center.
Back in 1981, McLaren was the first in history to use a carbon chassis on the MP4/1, a game changer in motorsport that is now in common use.
In 1992, the first production car of the company, the McLaren F1, a 3-seater coupe with an unusual centrally located driver’s seat, premiered in Monaco. For ten years, this supercar was considered the fastest sports road car in the world, capable of accelerating to the first 100 km/h in 3 seconds and developing a top speed of over 391 km/h. It was equipped with a 627 hp V12 engine developed by the German BMW. In 1995, the F1 also achieved success in motorsport, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its first try.
The collaboration between McLaren and Mercedes brought two championship titles in 1998 and 1999, when the Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen managed to outplay Michael Schumacher. Therefore, the next production car was the SLR, created with the participation of Mercedes in 2003. British engineers developed the body, aerodynamic body kit and chassis, and German designers developed the interior and a 5.5-liter V8 engine with 626 hp. Since 2006, the manufacturer introduced the SLR 722 Edition, with an even more powerful engine option and an improved suspension. A year later, the manufacturer began to offer the same model in a convertible body.
In 2010, the McLaren MP4-12C prototype was presented. It had an 8-cylinder engine with 600 hp developed by McLaren. In addition to the advanced design, the supercar had a number of unique technical solutions in its design, regarding both the transmission and the control interface. The car went on sale in 2011 at a price of 165,000 euros and won numerous awards and prizes. And this, by the way, is far from the most expensive supercar among the brand’s products (as of 2020).
The McLaren R1, based on the MP14-12C, is one of the best driving cars in the world, which feels equally good both in the city and on the race track. It was estimated at over 1 million pounds (as of 2020).
In 2013, the manufacturer presented the McLaren R1, based on the MP14-12C, but almost completely redesigned. The car featured a new exterior, improved aerodynamic efficiency, an upgraded 6-liter 8-cylinder engine with an additional electric motor with a total capacity of 916 hp. According to McLaren, they wanted to build the world’s best driving car, which feels equally good in the city and on the race track. Its electric motor had the highest power-to-weight ratio in the world. Its suspension, assembled with the use of elements borrowed from the 12C, was additionally equipped with a hydraulic system for controlling the vertical oscillations of the body. And it was estimated at more than 1 million pounds (as of 2020).
In 2015, two new models were released: 675LT and 570S. The first one was equipped with a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine designed by McLaren, coupled with a 7-speed preselective gearbox and a carbon fiber body. Acceleration to 100 km/h occurs in 2.9 seconds. However, to experience this, it was necessary to pay about 360,000 euros (as of 2020).
The 570S sports car had slightly more modest parameters, but was more affordable. It was equipped with a leather interior, carbon ceramic brake discs, and had a carbon fiber body. The derated 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine developed 570 hp, which made it possible to move at a speed of 328 km/h and accelerate to the first 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. It was estimated at ‘only’ 180,000 US dollars (as of 2020).
