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Mclaren F1 Supercars

Back in 1988, the McLaren Formula 1 team dominated the season with teammates Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna scoring a combined 15 victories out of a total 16 races. After a successful campaign, McLaren set out to build what it called at the time “the finest sports car the world has ever seen.” In 1990, a McLaren developmental team led by Gordon Murray would put into motion the plan to build one of most celebrated street-legal race cars the world has ever seen: the McLaren F1. This year, hard as it may be to believe, that car turns 20 years old.

As the F1 road car made headlines for its impeccable handling, detailed packaging, and 3.2-second 0-to-60 mph time, the McLaren crew would also lend their talents to the ongoing racing effort. Three different F1-based race cars were produced from 1995-1997, with the 1995 F1 GTR taking victories in the FIA GT1 class and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. After the Le Mans win, McLaren commissioned five commemorative F1 LM edition road cars with more power and even less weight (680 horsepower and 2340 pounds).

Development work on the F1 began in 1990 before the supercar was officially launched on May 28, 1992. The first production model, which carried a price tag of $778,000 unadjusted for inflation, was delivered in December 1993. Only 106 F1s, in street, race, and prototype trims, were ever assembled from 1993-1998, ensuring its continued elevated status on the automotive market. In 2008, a pristine F1 was auctioned off for $4.1 million.

Given the illustrious status held by the F1, the original McLaren road car has left big shoes to fill. Its successor, the MP4-12C, is due next year so be sure to take a look at the newest supercar to come out of Woking.

The Blackadder and Mr Bean star is believed to have lost control of the £650,000 vehicle which spun off the road and hit a tree before catching fire.

The 56-year-old walked away from the wreckage and was looked after by another motorist until emergency services arrived at the scene.

An ambulance took him to Peterborough District Hospital, Cambridgeshire, where he is suffering from a minor shoulder injury, it was claimed.

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews brought the fire under control by 8.13pm. They made the vehicle safe and used one hose reel to put out the fire.

“There was one casualty but he was not trapped.”

Mr Atkinson is well known for his love of fast cars and recently recorded the fastest lap time in Top Gear’s Star in a Reasonably Priced Car.
He told presenter Jeremy Clarkson he was keen on racing and was currently driving a 1964 Ford Falkan.

But his racing expertise did little to quell his nerves before taking on the challenge, he admitted.

In a clip of the show, uploaded on to YouTube by the BBC on July 22, Atkinson said people would “assume that in the reasonably priced car I will be very good when there's absolutely no guarantee of that whatsoever”.

But the Blackadder actor notched up the fastest ever time on the show, completing the circuit in 1 minute 42.2 seconds.

The crash yesterday happened on the A605 in Haddon at 7.30pm and no other vehicle was involved.

The McLaren F1 is one of the fastest production cars in the world and has a top speed of 230mph. Mr Atkinson is expected to be released from hospital later today.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokeswoman said yesterday: “There has been a single vehicle road traffic collision near Haddon.”