10:Lamborghini Countach

The Lamborghini Countach was a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design popularized, but did not pioneer, the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance supercars. The “cabin-forward” design concept, which pushes the passenger compartment forward in order to accommodate a larger engine, was also popularized by the Countach.

In 2004, Sports Car International named this car number three on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1970s, and it was listed as number ten on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1980s.

Name

The word countach (help·info) (pronounced ˈkun.tɑʃ) is an exclamation of astonishment in the local Piedmontese language – generally used by men on seeing an extremely beautiful woman.^[1] While the term is often considered untranslatable into English, it is essentially equivalent to the British lager lout verbalization “Fwwaaaa”.^{[citation needed]} Or, it can also be considered the verbal equivalent of a wolf-whistle.^{[citation needed]}

The Countach name stuck when Nuccio Bertone first saw “Project 112″ in his studio. The prototype was introduced to the world at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Most previous Lamborghini car names were associated with bulls and bullfighting.

 Styling

The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio, the same designer and studio that designed the Miura. Gandini was then a young, inexperienced designer—not very experienced in the practical, ergonomic aspects of automobile design, but at the same time unhindered by them. He produced a quite striking design. The Countach shape was wide and low (42.1 inches), but not very long. Its angular and wedge-shaped body was made almost entirely of flat, trapezoidal panels. There were curves, notably the smoothly coke-bottle wing line, but the overall appearance was sharp.

The doors, a Countach trademark, were of a ’scissors’ fashion—hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. This was partly for style, but just as much because the width of the car made conventional doors impossible to use in an even slightly confined space. Care needed to be taken, though, in opening the doors with a low roof overhead. (With the car’s poor rear visibility and wide sills, this led to drivers adopting a method of reversing the car for parking by opening the door, sitting on the sill and reversing while looking over the back of the car from outside.)

Aerodynamics, however, were still unfortunately unable to match the sleek looks of the car.^{[citation needed]}

The pure style of the prototype was progressively enhanced or cluttered (depending on one’s point of view) by the evolution of the car to improve its performance, handling, tractability, and ability to meet mandated requirements. This began with the first production model, which included several vents which were found to be necessary to cool the engine adequately. These included the iconic NACA duct on the door and rear fender of each side of the car. The car design changes ended with a large engine vent directly behind the driver, reducing the rearview. Later additions, including fender flares, spoilers, carburetor covers, and bumpers, progressively changed the aesthetic values of the car.

The Countach’s styling and visual impression caused it to become an icon of great design to almost everyone except automotive engineers. The superior performance characteristics of later Lamborghini models (such as the Diablo, or the Murciélago) appealed to performance car drivers and engineers, but they never had the originality or outrageousness that gave the Countach its distinction. The different impressions left by the various Lamborghini models have generated numerous debates and disagreements over what constitutes ‘classic’ or ‘great’ automotive design (elegant looks and style, vs. technical and engineering superiority).

Engine

The rear wheels were driven by a traditional Lamborghini V12 engine mounted longitudinally with a mid-engined configuration. For better weight distribution, the engine is pointed ‘backwards’; the output shaft is at the front, and the gearbox is in front of the engine, the driveshaft running back through the engine’s sump to a differential at the rear. Although originally planned as a 5 liter powerplant, the first production cars used the Lamborghini Miura’s 4 liter engine. Later advances increased the displacement to 5 liters and then (in the “Quattrovalvole” model) 5.2 L with four valves per cylinder.

All Lamborghini Countaches were equipped with six Weber carburetors until the arrival of the 5000QV model, at which time the car became available in America, and used Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. The European models, however, continued to use the carburetors until the arrival of the Lamborghini Diablo, which replaced the legendary Countach.

 Construction

The Countach used a skin of aircraft-grade aluminum over a tubular space frame, as in a racing car. This is expensive to build but is immensely strong and very light (in spite of its size, the car weighs approximately 1500 kg (3300 lb)). The underbody tray was fiberglass.

 Countach models

 Prototype LP500

A single prototype was built, the LP500 ^[1] (the 500 standing for the 5 L displacement of the engine which was intended to be used). Painted bright sunflower yellow, the car was a stunner at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971. Sporting Gandini’s original design concepts, the car’s design needed extensive modification for production. In particular, the small air intake ducts on the car’s rear shoulders proved insufficient to cool the engine, and large ‘air box’ scoops were added in that position. Large NACA ducts were added on the sides to give additional air. The experimental car was also constructed of aluminum honeycomb sheeting among other things, which was dropped for production.

The car did not survive; it was sacrificed in a crash test to gain European type approval, even though its construction method was utterly unlike production vehicles.

 LP400

The Countach entered production as the LP400 with a 4.0-litre engine. The first production Countach was delivered to an Australian in 1974. The first recorded person to own the LP400 was D. Milne, who was a member of the Australian Defence Force Transport Corps.^{[citation needed]} Externally, little had altered from the final form of the prototype except at the rear, where conventional lights replaced the futuristic light clusters of the prototype. The styling had become rather more aggressive than Gandini’s original conception, with the required large air scoops and vents to keep the car from overheating, but the overall shape was still very sleek. The original LP400 rode on the quite narrow tires of the time, but their narrowness and the slick styling meant that this version had the lowest drag coefficient of any Countach model and possibly the highest top speed. Many people like the looks of this clean, fresh original model the most of all the Countach variants, and indeed it is simple, with smooth lines and few decorations. Even the emblems at the rear simply read “lamborghini” and “Countach”, with no engine displacement or valve arrangement clutter as is found on more modern cars.

 LP400S

In 1978, a new LP400S model was introduced. Though the engine was slightly upgraded from the LP400 model, the most radical changes were in the exterior, where the tires were replaced with much wider Pirelli P7 units, and fiberglass wheel arch extensions were added, giving the car the fundamental look it kept until the end of its production run. An optional V-shaped spoiler was available over the rear deck, which, while improving high-speed stability, reduced the top speed by at least 10 MPH. Most owners ordered the wing. The handling of the LP400S was improved by the wider tires which made the car more stable in cornering. Aesthetically, some prefer the slick lines of the original while others prefer the more aggressive lines of the later models, beginning with the LP400S. The standard emblems (“Lamborghini” and “Countach”) were kept at the rear, but an angular “S” emblem was added after the “Countach” on the right side.

There are three distinct Countach LP400S Series.

Series One – The first 50 cars delivered with Campagnolo “Bravo” wheels in 1978 & 79. The very early 1978 cars had the original LP400 steering wheel. Small Stewart Warner gauges, 45mm carburettors and a lowered suspension (lowbody) setting is a trademark feature of this celebrated first series. Halfway through 1979’s production, bigger gauges were employed. 50 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121100*

Series Two – These cars are recognized by their smooth finish dished/concave wheels, and still retain the lowbody setting. 105 cars were built and the last one is noted to be 1121310*.

Series Three – It is claimed that from chassis number 1121312 onwards, the cockpit space available was raised by 3cm. These cars are recognized by their raised suspension setting. 82 cars were built, and the last one is noted to be 1121468*

 LP500S

1982 saw another improvement, this time giving a bigger, more powerful 5 litre engine, which improved performance to be more in line with Lamborghini’s somewhat exaggerated claims. The bodywork was unaltered. This version of the car is sometimes called the LP5000S, which may cause confusion with the later 5000QV (next section).

 5000QV

In 1985 the engine was improved again, bored and stroked to 5.2 litres and given four valves per cylinder (quattrovalvole in Italian). The carburettors were moved from the sides to the top of the engine for better breathing – unfortunately this created a hump on the engine deck, reducing the already poor rear visibility to almost nothing. Some body panels were also replaced by Kevlar. In later versions of the engine, the carburettors were replaced with fuel-injection.

For the first time, a US specification model was produced by the factory, with styling changes to allow bumpers to meet US federal standards (large, bulky bumpers were used that, to many people, ruined the smooth lines of the car). Although this change was the most notable on the exterior, the most prominent change under the hood was the use of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, rather than the six Weber carburettors used in the Euro-spec model.

25th Anniversary Countach

25th Anniversary Countach

Production	1988-1990 658 produced
Engine(s)	5.2 L (5167 cc) V12
Wheelbase	2500 mm (98 in)
Length	4140 mm (163 in)
Width	2000 mm (79 in)
Height	1070 mm (36 in)
Curb weight	1490 kg (3285 lb)

Named to honor the company’s 25 year anniversary in 1988, the 25th Anniversary Countach was mechanically very similar to the 5000QV but sported much changed styling. The rear ‘air boxes’ were restyled and enlarged, while the vents behind them were changed so that they ran front to back instead of side to side. In addition, a new air dam and side skirting, both with air intakes, were fitted, and the taillights were restyled to be narrower, with body-colored panels replacing the upper and lower parts of the previous large taillights. The styling changes were unpopular with many, particularly since the intakes had strakes in them that appeared to mimic those on the Ferrari Testarossa, but they improved the engine’s cooling, a problem the Countach had always struggled with. It also featured 345/35R15 tires; the widest tires available on a production car at the time. The Anniversary was produced through 1990 when it was replaced by the Lamborghini Diablo.

 Walter Wolf Countach

In 1975, Walter Wolf, a wealthy Canadian businessman and owner of the Wolf F1 Racing team in the 1970s, purchased an LP400; however, he was not satisfied with the LP400’s engine and asked Dallara, the chief engineer of Lamborghini at that time and the founder of the Italian F1 racing team Scuderia Italia in the early 1990s, to create a special high-power version of Countach. It was the “code NO 1120148″ Walter Wolf special with the original “5″ engine from the Countach prototype which produced 447 hp / 7900 rpm and reached a supposed maximum speed of 315 km/h (195.7 mph). This model also featured the upgraded wheels, Pirelli P7 tires, large fender flares, and front and rear spoilers of the LP400S model. It was painted in red, with black fender flares, and was designated “LP500S” like the standard Countach model from the 1980s, and was the stepping stone that led to this later production model. This first Walter Wolf car is currently located in Japan. Two other Wolf Countaches were produced, one painted blue, NO 1120202 (currently in Germany) and one navy blue, NO 1121210. (This machine was owned by Mr. Wolf for a long time, but was eventually sold.)

 Production figures

A total of 2,042 cars were built during the Countach’s sixteen year lifetime:

prototype	LP400	LP400S	LP500S	LP500S QV	25 Anniversary
1	157	237	321	676	650

Substantially more than half were built in the final five years of production, as Lamborghini’s new corporate owners increased production.

 Countach replicas

In 1984 Rod Ladret of Ladret Design Studio located in Alberta Canada began producing and marketing a replica of the Countach. The form for the kit was sculpted from plaster and then a fiberglass mold was made of the form. The kits and cars Ladret design Studio built included a tube frame chassis with an American V8 power plant. Ladret Design Studio built 141 of these replicas and the industrial clients who purchased his fiberglass forms have built several thousand over the past two decades. As of 2007 there are still several companies building kits based on Ladret’s forms built in 1984. In 1993 Ladret ceased manufacturing the Countach replica and moved on to other projects.

From around 1985 until the late 1990s several companies replicated the Countach to various degrees of success. In 1985, Gary Thompson and Pete Jackson hired a real Countach from an up-market Manchester car hire company and took a glass fiber mold of it. This mold resulted in a number of UK-based manufacturers producing their own Countach replicas. A few were able to produce remarkably good replicas, including Paul Lawrenson of Prova Cars, Alan Booth of Sienna Cars, Phil Cheetham of Mirage replicas, and Brightwheel replicas. Ultimately, none of these companies survived.

9:Nissan Skyline GT-R

Nissan Skyline GT-R

Manufacturer	Nissan
Production	1969-1977 1989-2002

The Nissan Skyline GT-R is a Japanese sports car based on the Nissan Skyline range. Since the Skyline GT-R became a popular car for street racing in Japan, it has led to countless appearances in video games and most notably the Gran Turismo series, and in Need for Speed Underground as well as the occasional appearances in feature films, anime, and manga.

 History of the brand

The Skyline name originated from Prince automobile company, which developed and sold the Skyline line of sedans before merging with Nissan-Datsun. The GT-R abbreviation stands for Gran Turismo Racer while the GT-B stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The Japanese chose to use English when naming the car — as most cars made in Japan at that time used American abbreviation — to further enhance sales. The earliest predecessor of the GT-R, the S54 2000 GT-B, came second in its first race in 1964 to the purpose-built Porsche 904 GTS. The next development of the GT-R, the four-door PGC10 2000 GT-R, scored 33 victories in the one and a half years it raced, and by the time it attempted its 50th consecutive win, its run was ended by a Mazda Savanna RX-3. The car took 1000 victories by the time it was discontinued in 1972. The last of the original GT-Rs, the KPGC110 2000GT-R, used an unchanged S20 160 hp (120 kW) inline-6 engine from the earlier 2000 GT-R and only sold 197 units due to the worldwide energy crisis. This model was the only GT-R to never participate in a major race despite the sole purpose-built racecar which now resides in Nissan’s storage unit for historical cars in Zama.

The Skyline continued into the 1990s when it became popular largely because it remained rear wheel drive, while most other manufacturers were focusing on front wheel drive cars.

After a 16 year hiatus after the KPGC110 Skyline GT-R of 1973, the GT-R version of the Skyline was reintroduced with the eighth generation Skyline R32 in 1989. The GT-R became the flagship of Nissan performance, showcasing many advanced technologies including the ATTESA-ETS 4WD system and the Super-HICAS four-wheel steering. The GT-Rs remained inexpensive compared to its European rivals, with a list-price of ¥ 4.5 million (about US$ 31,000).

GT-R Skylines of the 1990s progressed from the R32 (1989) through to the R34 (1999). Production of the GT-R ceased in August 2002. Although Nissan continues the Skyline name, a new GT-R was not developed as part of the lineup. However, it was later announced that a new Nissan GT-R would go into production as a separate car line, separating it from the Skyline nameplate. The new GT-R debuted in 2007.

Throughout its lifetime, various special editions containing additional performance-enhancing modifications, were released by Nissan and its performance division Nismo (Nissan Motorsport).

 Versions

 1st generation (1969-1972)

First generation

Production	1969-1972
Assembly	Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan Oppama, Japan
Body style(s)	4-door sedan 2-door coupe
Layout	FR layout
Engine(s)	2.0L 160 brake horsepower (120 kW) I6
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual

The first Skyline GT-R, known by the internal Nissan designation PGC10, was released in February 4, 1969. It was available originally as a four-door sedan after a public debut at the 15th annual Tokyo Motor Show. It was advertised alongside the Nissan R380A racecar to showcase its racing heraldry. It was equipped with the 2.0 L DOHC S20 I6 producing 160 hp (120 kW) at 7000 rpm and 118 N·m (87 ft·lbf) of torque. Power was delivered to the rear wheels by a 5-speed manual transmission. The first Skyline GT-R rode on a semi-trailing arm strut suspension. It was available as a coupe in March 1971 with the chassis code KPGC10.

A popular name for the PGC and KPGC10 Skyline GT-R was “Hakosuka,” which is a combination of the Japanese word for box (“hako” or ハコ) and the pronounced abbreviation of skyline (“Suka” or スカ as in スカイライン or “sukairain”).

A total of 1,945 PGC and KGPC10 Skyline GT-R’s were produced.

2nd generation (1972-1977)

Second generation

Production	1972-1977
Assembly	Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan
Body style(s)	4-door sedan 2-door coupe
Layout	FR layout
Engine(s)	1989 cc I6
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual

The KPGC10’s successor, the KPGC110, was released in 1973 after its introduction at the 1972 Tokyo motor show. Powered by a 1989 cc I6 S20 engine, the second generation GT-R delivered power to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. The suspension was a semi-trailing ring arm setup and minor aerodynamic parts were added.

This edition of the GT-R was also known as the “Ken & Mary” Skyline, due to a popular advertisement featuring a young couple (Ken and Mary) enjoying the Hokkaido countryside. The advertisement later spawned a hit song by Buzz, and the tree featured in the advertisement later became a minor star itself.

Unfortunately, the second generation GT-R was unsuccessful, for a gas crisis hit in the early 1970s, drying out any demand for high-performance sports cars. A total of 197 cars were built by the end of its short production run. For the next decade, this would be the last GT-R until the production of the R32 in 1989.

 3rd generation (1989–1994)

Third generation

Production	1989-1994
Assembly	Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan
Body style(s)	2-door coupe
Layout	Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Engine(s)	2.6 L I6
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual

[edit] Concept

After canceling the Skyline GT-R marque in 1973, Nissan revived the GT-R again in 1989. At the time Nissan was competing in Group A Racing with the 1988 Nissan Skyline GTS-R. Nismo wanted to retire the GTS-R in favor of a more competitive vehicle. The Nissan Skyline E-BNR32 chassis (commonly shortened to R32) had just been designed, and was chosen as a base to build a more competitive Group A race car.

Nismo originally designed the new R32 Group A Skyline to have a 2350 cc Straight 6 turbocharged engine, and produce 313 horsepower (230 kW) using a RWD drivetrain. Under Group A regulations, a turbocharged engine must multiply its engine displacement by 1.7, putting the new Skyline in the 4000 cc class, and requiring the use of 10-inch-wide tires. Knowing that they would be required to use 10-inch-wide tires, Nismo made the decision to make the car all wheel drive. Nismo developed a special motorsport-oriented AWD system for this purpose called the ATTESA E-TS. Although this assisted with traction, it made the car 100 kg (220 lb) heavier; the added weight put the GT-R at a disadvantage to other cars in the 4000 cc class. Nismo then made the decision to increase the displacement to 2600 cc, and put the car in the 4500 cc class, with the car’s weight near-equal to competing cars. The 4500 cc class also allowed for 11-inch-wide tires.

 Production

This new 2.6 L all wheel drive concept, designed by Nismo, was put into production by Nissan as the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. Initial production of the car was the required 5000 to allow for homologation starting on May 22, 1989 which with critical acclaim by the motoring press along with heavy demand for the car, Nissan opted to allow an unlimited production run which went on sale to the public in August 1989, and began its Group A campaign in 1990. Due to strict Group A homologation rules, Nissan was required to also sell a series of the Skyline GT-R which more accurately reflected the car they use in Group A racing. This series was called the Skyline GT-R ‘Nismo’ edition.

The Skyline GT-R ‘Nismo’, introduced in February 22, 1990, has a total production of 560 units as required for the “Evolution” models regulation (over 500). Its purpose is to homologate a number of aerodynamic changes used in Group A racing. Changes include additional ducts in the front bumper to improve airflow to the intercooler, a bonnet lip spoiler to direct more air into the engine bay, and an additional boot lip spoiler to provide more downforce. The ‘Nismo’ GT-R was only available in Gunmetal Grey.

The Skyline GT-R ‘N1′ model, introduced on July 19, 1991, was designed for home-market N1 racing with a total of 228 units produced. The most notable change was in the engine, which was upgraded to the R32-N1 specification. The car was also lightened by the removal of the ABS, air conditioning, sound system, rear wiper, trunk carpet, and the use of light-weight headlights. No color options were available and all ‘N1′ cars were delivered with a thin layer of Crystal White paint.

To celebrate the success of the GT-R in both Group N and Group A racing, Nissan introduced the Skyline GT-R V-Spec (“Victory Specification”) car on February 3, 1993. The V-Spec added Brembo brakes and a retuned ATTESA E-TS system to the Nismo and N1 packages, as well as 17″ BBS wheels with 235/45/17 tires. The V-Spec has a list price of ¥ 5.260 million.

Finally on February 14, 1994 the Skyline GT-R V-Spec II was released, with the only change being wider 245/45/17 tires. Total production of the V-Spec I and II was 1,453 and 1,303 units respectively.

Total production of the R32 Skyline GT-R was 43,394 units, with production starting on May 22, 1989. An above average proportion of the GTR’s were sold in white: this is likely due to the fact that white is the national racing color of Japan in international motorsport.

 Production figures

Standard Cars = 40,390
NISMO Group A Evolution = 560
V-Spec = 1,453
V-Spec II = 1,303
N1 Race Version = 228
Total = 43,934

4th generation (1995–1999)

Fourth generation

Production	1995-1999
Assembly	Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan
Body style(s)	2-door coupe
Layout	Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Engine(s)	2.6 L I6
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual

The E-BCNR33 (R33) was developed in 1995 as a successor to the venerable R32 model. The engine in the R33 was nearly identical to the R32. It used the same turbochargers and the same specification for the manual gearbox, although the syncros were made to be stronger. The engine corrected the R32’s weak oil pump drive collar, which tended to fail in higher power applications, with a wider collar. The R33 engine also introduced a mechanical advance on the intake camshaft improving torque slightly. The base model R33 GT-R weighs 1540 kg.^[1]

The R33 GT-R launched in January 1995 with the base model GT-R and the V-spec model. The V-spec model weighed in 10 kg (22 lb) heavier, and had sportier suspension resulting in lower ground clearance. The V-spec also featured the newer ATTESA E-TS Pro all wheel drive system, which included an Active Limited Slip differential. The V-spec model also included a four wheel independent channel anti-lock braking system.

At the same time as the release of the R33 GT-R, and GT-R V-spec, Nissan released an R33 GT-R V-spec N1 model. Changes on the R33 N1 model are similar to the R32 N1 model. The car was made lighter, by removing the ABS, air conditioning, sound system, rear wiper, and the trunk carpet. The R33 GT-R V-spec N1 received the slightly revised R33 N1 engine.

A special edition R33 was released on November 3, 1997. The car was called the 400R, with R standing for Racing. Developed with Nismo, it featured an overbored RB26DETT engine, the RBX-GT2, with polished ports, an upgraded exhaust, composite parts, and a more free flowing turbo and intercooler system. The car developed 401 horsepower and 399 lbs-tq, which allowed a top speed of over 198 mph (320 km/h), and enabled it to reach 0-97 km/h in 4.0 seconds. This version was a limited 40 units available to the general public.

A limited 4 door version of the R33 Skyline GT-R was produced to celebrate Nissan’s 40th anniversary. The car was produced by Autech and Nismo, both tuning subsidiaries of Nissan.

Production figures

Standard Cars = 9,871
V-Spec = 6,551
Autech-Version = 447
Total = 16,422
(Figures Include N1 and LM Limited Versions)

 5th generation (1999–2002)

Fifth generation

Production	1999-2002
Assembly	Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan
Body style(s)	2-door coupe
Layout	Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Engine(s)	2.6 L I6
Transmission(s)	6-speed manual

The GT-BNR34 (R34) Skyline GT-R and GT-R V-spec models were released in January 1999. The R34 GT-R was also made to be shorter (from front to rear), and the front wheels were made closer to the front. The valve covers were also painted glossy red, rather than dull black.

A new feature on the R34 GT-R is a 5.8″ LCD multifunction display on the center of the dashboard, which shows seven different live readings of engine and vehicle statistics such as turbocharger pressure (1.2 bar max), oil and water temperature, among others. The GT-R V-spec model added two extra features to the display: intake and exhaust gas temperatures. Special order Nismo Multi-function Displays (MFD) included a lateral-G meter, a lap timer and an increase in boost pressure measurement to 2 bar. R34 rears are longer than previous models.

Like the R33, the new R34 GT-R V-spec models come equipped with the ATTESA E-TS Pro system and an Active LSD at the rear, while standard GT-R models come with the non-Pro system and a conventional mechanical differential. The V-spec model also had firmer suspension, and lower ground clearance. The V-spec model also included a plastic front air diffuser (covering the underside of the engine), and also a rear carbon fiber air diffuser, designed to keep air flowing smoothly under the car.

Another special model of the R34 GT-R is the M-spec. It was similar to the V-spec, but had special “Ripple control” dampers and a leather interior with heated front seats.

At the time of the R34’s release, like the R32 and R33, Nissan released an R34 N1 model. The R34 GT-R N1 was equipped similar to the R32 and R33 N1 models – a homologation special. It was sold without ABS, air conditioning, audio equipment, rear wiper, or carpet in the trunk. The new R34 N1 was also given the new R34 N1 engine. Only 45 R34 N1 models were produced from the factory, 12 of which were used by Nismo for Super Taikyu racing. The rest were sold to various customers, mostly racing teams, and tuning garages.

In August 2000, Nissan released a newer V-Spec II GT-R model. The V-Spec II has increased stiffness in the suspension (even stiffer than the original V-spec) and had larger brake rotors on the rear. It also comes equipped with a carbon fiber hood, which is lighter than the aluminum that all other GT-R hoods are made from. Also different on the V-Spec II was an iridium center console and aluminium pedals. The seats were also made with black cloth rather than the gray cloth used on previous R34 GT-R models, and the amber turn lenses were replaced with white versions. From this point on the standard trim level GT-Rs and V-Specs also received these updates, with the exception of the carbon fiber bonnet.

In February 2002 Nissan released a final production model of the R34 GT-R called the Nür. Nissan also released a limited Manufacturer Special model designated the M-Spec. This came in two forms, the base M-Spec, and the Nür. The Nür was sold in 2 different models: the Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nür and the previously mentioned Skyline GT-R M-spec Nür. The Nür was named after the famous German Nürburgring racetrack, where the Skyline was developed. The Nür model featured an improved RB26DETT based on the N1 racing engine, used by Nismo in Motorsports. The V-spec II Nür is based on the regular V-spec II model, and the M-spec Nür was based on the regular M-spec model. Other than the addition of the Nür engine, the Nür models also included a different color of stitching on the interior trim, as well as a speedometer reading up to 300 km/h (186 mph).

Production figures

Standard Cars = 3,964
V-Spec = 7,301
N1 Race Version = 45
Total = 11,310

 Z-Tune

Nismo originally designed the concept of the Z-tune in 2002 when Nissan was putting an end to the R34 Skyline production. The first Z-tune was built in 2003, using a used 2002 Skyline GT-R V-Spec II. It was built with a concept RB26DETT ‘Z1′ engine. The cylinder diameter was bored out, and the crankshaft was designed with a longer stroke. The engine was now a 2.8L, and produced about 600 hp (450 kW).

Nismo was then given the approval from Nissan to build 20 Z-tune models for the nismo anniversary. For the 20 production models, the 2.8L engine was revised to allow it to reach 9000 rpm. The turbochargers were supplied by IHI in Japan. The engine is advertised as making as much as 500 hp (for warranty reasons). This second revision of the Z-tune engine is called the ‘Z2′. The bodywork is designed with the same functional components used in Nismo’s GT500 racing cars, such as engine bay vents on the hood and fenders, as well as wider fenders for wider wheels. The Z-tune is also improved with an aggressive suspension setup from ohlins/sachs, and a specially designed Brembo brake setup.

The entire car is essentially handmade, with the car being completely stripped and re-built from the chassis up. Engineers reinforced and stiffened the chassis seam welding in key areas such as the door seams and door frames and added carbon fiber to the strut towers and transmission tunnel and the engine bay, completely redesigning the suspension, drivetrain, engine, gearbox and other components so as to work at maximum efficiency and reliability as is expected of a road-going vehicle. Only 20 units exist worldwide and is often regarded as the most expensive (prices for some have been known to exceed $180,000 usd) street legal GT-R ever built!

 Replacement

Following the end of R34 production in 2002, Nissan announced their plans to separate the GT-R model from the Skyline name, creating an entirely new vehicle although it would remain on the same platform as the Skyline. This new car, now known simply as the Nissan GT-R, debuted in 2007 in Tokyo. It will be the first GT-R available worldwide, entering the North American market for the first time.

Although based on the FM platform used by the V36 generation Skyline, the GT-R uses an evolved Premium Midship (PM) platform. The car retains its heritage by using the chassis code CBA-R35, or simply R35.

 Power-train

The GT-R of the 1990s included a 2.6 L straight six-cylinder twin-turbo engine producing 206 kW (276 hp). The turbo-chargers were of a hybrid steel/ceramic design allowing them to spool up faster due to the light nature of the ceramic exhaust wheel.

Power was delivered to all four wheels using an electronically-controlled all wheel drive system referred to by Nissan as the ATTESA-ETS system. The ATTESA-ETS system uses two G-Sensors mounted underneath the center console, which feed lateral and longitudinal inputs to the ECU. The ECU would then control the feed of power by allowing a limited amount to be delivered to the front wheels via an electronic torque split converter. In 1995, the ATTESA-ETS Pro was introduced as an option for R33 GT-R customers, and came as standard equipment in GT-R V-spec models. It was later standard equipment in all GT-R models for the R34 Skyline GT-R. The ATTESA-ETS Pro added an Active Limited Slip Differential, which was controlled by the onboard ATTESA computer. This was only for the rear differential, as the front differential remained as a normal Limited Slip Differential. The ATTESA-ETS Pro was also advertised in brochures as adding an electronically controlled 4-channel ABS brake system. Although it is not related to the all wheel drive system, it uses much of the same sensors, and the same computer. The R32 could be switched from AWD to RWD by removing the 4WD fuse, but R33 and R34 models had to have the front tailshaft removed.

The car also had computer-controlled all wheel steering system referred to as HICAS. The HICAS system activated when the vehicle exceeded 80 km/h (50 mph) and controlled the steering of the rear wheels in the same direction as the front to improve turn in on entry to corners. It should be noted however that this feature is often seen as more of a hindrance than help in race applications. The system tends to favor less advanced drivers, and can make the rear suspension unstable during high speed cornering. For this reason many kits are available to override this system usually by looping it’s hydraulic lines back on themselves. This is seen to make the car much more predictable when driving at the limit of grip.

While the published figures from Nissan were as quoted above, practical tests showed the car had a factory power output of closer to 330 PS (325 hp) at the flywheel. The lower published figure was Nissan’s response to the need to abide by a gentleman’s agreement between the Japanese auto manufacturers not to release a car to the public exceeding 280 PS (276 hp) of power output.

 N1 engines

The RB26DETT N1 is an upgraded version of the standard RB26DETT engine. It was first developed by Nismo for Group A racing purposes. The standard RB26DETT, although known for its durability, proved to require too much maintenance for Group A racing conditions. The N1 engine is built from the standard RB26DETT block. The water cooling channels in the block are enhanced to increase flow. The block, and internal components are also strengthened. The pistons have 1.2 mm (0.047 in) top rings, but otherwise as standard. The connecting rods are the same as standard, and the crankshaft is standard but balanced. The specifications of the camshafts were also improved for power. The N1 engine uses the same parallel twin turbocharger layout but with improved turbochargers. The N1 engine also received an upgraded oil pump and water pump, to improve the cooling and lubrication of the engine. The N1 engine is identified by its 24U number stamped on the block, as opposed to the 05U stamp on standard RB26DETT engines.

The first model of the N1 engine was the R32 N1 engine. It uses a pair of larger turbochargers compared to the standard R32 GT-R. The turbine wheels on the new turbochargers are made from steel, rather than the weaker ceramic used for all standard GT-R models. The R33 N1 engine was slightly revised, with larger turbochargers than the R32 N1 engine, supporting more power if the engine were to be modified.

The R34 N1 engine saw further improvement. The camshafts were slightly improved for even more potential power, the turbochargers were about the same size as the R32 N1 turbochargers, except now they use ball bearing technology, which operates much more quickly than any other model used.

The most improved N1 engine is the R34 Nür engine. It is based on the R34 N1 engine. The camshafts were further improved for power, and the crankshaft was further balanced for higher engine speed. There were 1000 Nür engines made for use in the R34 V-spec II Nür, and R34 M-spec Nür models, however an undefined amount of extras were made and sold through Nissan dealers. They were advertised as making the same 280 PS (276 hp) as the standard model, but with the lighter engine parts, and more efficient turbochargers, the engine would make closer to 350 hp (260 kW).

 Motorsport

The GT-R’s history of racetrack dominance began with its 50 victories scored from 1968-1972, including 49 consecutive wins in the Japanese race circuit. Nissan pulled out of racing shortly after the release of the KPGC110.

The Skyline GT-R soon earned the name Godzilla, for its track performance. The R32 GT-R dominated JTCC, winning 29 races from 29 starts, taking the series title every year from 1989-1993. It took 50 races from 50 starts from 1991-1997 (latterly R33) in the N1 Super Taikyu. The GT-R’s success sounded the death knell of Group A Touring Car racing; with the formula being scrapped soon after. JTCC was similarly blighted by the R32 GT-R, and splintered soon after, leading to the switch to the Supertouring category and also indirectly to the GT500 category of today.

The GT-R’s success in motor racing was formidable, particularly in the annual 1,000 km race at the Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, Australia, where the winner in 1991 and 1992 was a GT-R (despite receiving additional 100 kg (220 lb) in weight penalties and a turbo pop off valve in 1992), and in the Japanese GT series where it has remained dominant for many years. The Skyline GT-R line were retired from the JGTC series (later changed Super GT Series) in 2004. And the successor Nissan GT-R will return in Super GT in the 2008 season.

No other race victories by the GT-R could escape without controversies. At the 1990 Macau Grand Prix Guia touring car race, the factory backed R32 driven by Masahiro Hasemi led the race from the start to the finishing line which caused a wave of protests by the European entrants. The following year, the car was forced to carry a weight penalty of 140 kg (309 lb) and was up against the more competitive DTM BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II. A disgruntled Hasemi was forced to settle for fourth place. For the following and final year the weight penalty was reduced and works backed Hasemi returned with another privateer R32 that crashed in the race, while Hasemi would retire with engine failure.

In the UK, Andy Middlehurst took the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) to two consecutive championship wins in the National Saloon Car Cup. Other championship titles include the 1991 Australian Touring Car Championship (Jim Richards (race driver)), the 1991 Australian Endurance Championship (Mark Gibbs & Rowan Onslow), the 1991 Australian Manufacturers’ Championship, the 1992 Australian Touring Car Championship (Mark Skaife) and the 1992 Spanish Touring Car Championship.

Akira Kameyama has taken the GT-R to the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb race on three occasion winning in each Open Class for production cars he entered, one in 1993 with the R32,^[2] another in 1996 with the R33^[3] and again in 1998.^[4] For the following year, Rhys Millen took an R33 Skyline GT-R to win the High Performance Showroom Stock category^[5]

At the 1994 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, the GT-R would make its US debut when Nismo entered a sole Group A specification R32 for the GTU category, the car would finish 20th.

In 1995 Nismo developed the Skyline GT-R for endurance racing with a pair of JGTC specification R33s for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In order to meet homologation regulations, a street legal version had to be built, although Nismo only required one example to comply. The two racing cars were able to achieve some success at Le Mans, with one car achieving 10th overall, and 5th in its GT1 class, being beaten only by the more developed McLaren F1 GTRs. For 1996, the Skyline GT-R LMs would return, this time carrying enlarged RB26DETTs displacing 2.8 litres. Again competing in GT1, they would finish 15th overall, and 10th in class. However, Nissan chose to abandon their production-based Skyline GT-R LMs in 1997 and instead turn to the purpose-built R390 GT1s. In honor of the success of the Skyline at Le Mans, Nissan marketed a limited edition R33 referred to as “LM Limited”, only available in a Competition Blue.

In 2007 Automotive Forums became the first ever to compete with a Nismo R34 Z-Tune in the United States, participating in the Speed World Challenge GT series. Team: Driver and President of Automotive Forums.com Igor Sushko, Crew Chief Sean Morris, Team Manager Victor Reyes, Mechanic Josh Mitchell, and Engineer Merritt Johnson. Tentative plans are in place for the 2007 season.

In 2007 the Heat Treatments Drag Skyline GT-R driven by Reece McGregor of New Zealand, broke the world record for the fastest AWD over a 1/4 mile with a 7.57 at 305.96 km/h (190.11 mph) at the Willowbank Dragway in Australia, a record previously held by the HKS Skyline GT-R with a 7.67.

Today, the car is popular for import Drag Racing, Circuit Track, Time Attack and events hosted by tuning magazines. The GT-R actually is the winner in the 2007 Tsukuba Time Attack held in Japan– the M-Speed GT-R ( 9 out of the top 15 cars consists of GT-Rs ). This car was tagged by BBC’s Top Gear as the only true Japanese contribution in the line of Supercars

8: Aston Martin DB4

A tiny number of non-GT DB4s used the GT’s more-powerful engine. This combination is often called a Vantage GT, though not all included the Vantage package and none was technically a GT. Three Series III, five Series IV, and six Series V cars have this unusual combination of body and engine for a total of 14

[hide] v • d • e Aston Martin and Lagonda road car timeline, 1948–present
Type	1940s		1950s										1960s										1970s										1980s										1990s										2000s
	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Grand tourer	DB1			DB2			DB2/4			DB Mk III										DBS/Vantage																										DB7 I6						DB7 Vantage						V8 Vantage
												DB4				DB5			DB6				V8																				Virage/V8														DB9
																														V8 Vantage																V8 Vantage								V12 Vanquish						DBS V12
Limited Run														Zagato																									Zagato															Zagato			AR1				One-77
4-door	2.6-Litre					3-Litre								Rapide															Lagonda																																	Rapide
Owner	David Brown Limited																								William Willson			Sprague & Minden						Pace Petroleum & Gauntlett		Gauntlett & Livanos				Gauntlett, Livanos & Ford								Ford												Richards, Sinders, Dar, Adeem, & Ford

The Lotus Seven was a small, simple, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car produced by Lotus Cars (initially called Lotus Engineering)^[1] between 1957 and 1972. It was designed by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and has been considered the embodiment of the Lotus philosophy of performance through low weight and simplicity. The original model was highly successful with more than 2,500 cars sold,^[2] due to its attraction as a road legal car that could be used for clubman racing.^[3] After Lotus ended production of the Seven, Caterham bought the rights to it, and today make both kits and fully assembled cars.

History

The Lotus Seven was launched in 1957, after the Lotus Eleven was in limited production. The Seven name was left over, due to a model that was abandoned by Lotus; a car that would have seen Lotus entering Formula Two with a Riley-engined single-seater in 1952 or 1953. However, the car was completed around Chapman’s chassis as a sports car by its backers and christened the Clairmonte Special.

Based on Chapman’s first series-produced Lotus 6, the Seven was powered by a 40 bhp Ford Side-valve 1,172 cc engine. It was mainly for lower budget club racing on short tracks (750 motor club).

The Lotus Seven Series 2 (S2) followed in 1960, and the Series 3 (S3) in 1968. In 1970, Lotus radically changed the shape of the car to create the slightly more conventional sized Series 4 (S4), with a squarer fibreglass shell replacing most of the aluminium bodywork. It also offered some “luxuries” as standard, such as an internal heater matrix. The S4 model was not widely welcomed, and Lotus sold few cars.

The British tax system of the time (Purchase Tax) meant the car could be supplied as a kit (known as “completely knocked down” or CKD) without attracting the tax surcharge that would apply if sold in assembled form. Tax rules specified assembly instructions could not be included, but in a typical Chapman-inspired piece of lateral thinking, there was no rule covering the inclusion of disassembly instructions. Hence all the enthusiast had to do was to follow these in reverse.

Having joined the EEC on 1 January 1973, the UK had to abolish Purchase Tax and adopt VAT instead. VAT does not allow for concessions such as “CKD”, so the tax advantage of the kit-built Lotus Seven came to an end. (Note that VAT does allow for variable rating and even zero-rating” of certain goods and services; but the Government still opted not to indulge the kit-builder).

In 1973, Lotus decided to shed fully its “British tax system”-inspired kit car image and concentrate on limited series motor racing cars. As part of this plan, it sold the rights to the Seven to its only remaining agents Caterham Cars. After a brief period producing the Series 4, including assembly of the last “kits” supplied by Lotus, Caterham introduced their version of the Series 3, and have been manufacturing and refining this car ever since as the Caterham Seven.

 Replicas

Since the design of the Lotus Seven is so simple, over 160 companies have offered replicas or Seven-type cars over the years.^[4] Such cars are often referred to as “sevenesque”^[5] or simply a “seven” or “se7en”. Sometimes they are also called clubmans. Some examples are:

Analysis of the Seven’s performance

Top speed

A Seven’s top speed greatly depends upon the body configuration, engine power and gearing. Early models with low-powered engines had difficulty exceeding 90 mph (140 km/h), although a race-prepared Seven was clocked at 127 mph (204 km/h) by Brausch Niemann through a speed-trap at the 1962 Natal Grand Prix.^[6] In addition, clamshell style wings tend to create drag and generate lift at higher speeds. Cycle guards help alleviate this tendency, and low height Brookland aeroscreens that replace the windscreen help improve top end speed.

Low speed acceleration

Nearly all Sevens, due to their extremely light weight (around 10cwt / 500 kg) have excellent acceleration, especially up to 70 mph (110 km/h), depending on power. For their time, the original late 1950s Sevens could beat most contemporary saloon cars—and by the early 1960s, with improved Ford-Cosworth engines could take on most high performance sports cars with 0–60 mph time in the low 7 seconds.

 Braking

The choice of brakes vary considerably between models and over the evolution of the car. The less powerful early models had drum brakes all round, while more powerful and later models had drums at the rear only (especially on live axle cars from the early 1960s) or discs all round. With the popularity of semi-independent (DeDion) or fully independent Rear suspension most manufacturers have opted for discs all round, as is current common practice in the automotive industry.

Physics favours small cars in braking and Sevens have excellent stopping distances, but one of the effects of light weight and powerful (non ABS) brakes is the tendency to lock up, especially at the front under strong braking. The cooling surface-to-weight ratio improves with reduced scale, while the light weight makes vacuum assistance unnecessary.

 Handling

The highest part of the car is about three feet from the road and it has a cloth top and side curtains with plastic back and side windows. The supports for the top and the windshield frame are aluminium. The lower chassis tubes are five inches from the road, while the wet sump, bell housing and one chassis tube are lower, meaning the centre of gravity is very low.

The front/rear weight distribution is nearly equal and the lack of a boot and small petrol tank assure that it remains fairly constant. It is, however, more front-heavy than more modern high performance cars.

 Suspension

In the original Seven, the front lower A-arm (or “wishbone”) of the double wishbone suspension is traditional, but for the purpose of reducing cost, the upper suspension integrated an anti-roll (anti-sway) bar into a horizontal suspension arm. This approach formed a pseudo-wishbone which was semi-independent in nature. This approach worked well with early crossply tyres, but with later radials, the configuration seriously affected its adjustability.^{[citation needed]}

A number of changes to the front suspension were tried in racing circles in the 1970-80s mostly involving using a full upper wishbone and a separate anti-rollbar, and this approach was finally adopted by most manufacturers by the early 1990s. This approach has much greater allowance for adjustment in suspension settings, especially camber.

For the rear suspension – Lotus originally used a live axle (or solid axle) rear suspension. This approach was very cost effective since most production saloon cars up to the 1980s used these components. A mixture of Ford, Austin (Rover) components were used. The disadvantage of live axles is higher unsprung weight since the springs (and shock absorber) have to carry the weight of the axle and differential, affecting handling response.

Aerodynamics

In general, un-aerodynamic cars tend to be free of adverse aerodynamic effects on handling, but the front wheel arches, of all but the Series I, cause lift at high speeds. Like the good straight line performance, the car’s nimble handling is limited in speed range. It can be argued that this is not usually important in a car intended for public roads.

While the car’s frontal area is small, the Lotus Seven has the highest drag coefficient of any known production car–ranging from 0.65 to 0.75, depending on bodywork. The introduction of the Series IV Seven improved the car’s Cd.

Additionally, the clamshell front fenders, or “wings,” develop lift. This lift creates a high-speed understeer tendency.

Steering

The rack and pinion steering provides a minimum of play and friction. The light weight assures light steering without power assistance, even with very large tyres. The ratio is quick.

 Rigidity of the frame

Like racing cars of the time and the equally respected and more expensive Mercedes-Benz 300SL coupe, it had a multi-tube space frame with high sides to allow a stiffer frame (longer lever arm). However, the Series II and other road versions had simpler frames than the more race oriented Series I.

It is a stressed skin [[12]] construction, in which the flat aluminium body panels, and especially the floor, triangulate the largely rectangular steel tubular frame structure. This gives a rigid frame with few tubes and very little body weight that does not contribute to the frame stiffness. The flat panels avoid difficulties in shaping aluminum sheet into smooth compound curves. On the down side, it does not allow “sexy” curves or streamlining.

 Mechanical details

 Engines

After the English Ford flathead (L head or side valve) with 49 hp (37 kW), a BMC series A was used, then push rod overhead valve (OHV) Fords of 1,340 cc and 1,500 cc with the intake and exhaust on the same side of the head. These were often Cosworth modified; the Cosworth 1,340 cc “Super Seven” delivered 85 bhp and the 1,500 cc “Super Seven 1500″ 105 bhp. These were later replaced by the Ford Kent engine, better known as the Ford crossflow, in 1,600 cc and 1,700 cc models designated SuperSprints; in their 1,700 cc guise, a crossflow delivers up to 135 bhp. The acceleration finally caught up to the handling when the Cosworth/Ford Twin Cam 1,600, as in the Lotus Elan, was used. There was also a model, sold in the US with a Coventry Climax engine and independent rear suspension.

 Frame and body

The Lotus Seven was designed with racing in mind, and lightness was of primary concern to Chapman. A front mounted engine driving the rear wheels (a similar layout to most cars of the day) and a very lightweight steel spaceframe was covered with unstressed aluminium panel bodywork. The body panels were mainly flat to avoid the expense of more elaborate curved bodywork, and the simple cloth lined plastic doors were hinged from the windscreen. The nose-cone and wheel arches were originally aluminium parts, but these were replaced in the later S2 and S3 models with painted or self-coloured fibreglass.

 Weight

Early Lotus Sevens weighed around 1,100 lb (10cwt/500 kg). Although the weight crept upward as production progressed, it remained remarkably low for a production car of over a litre displacement.

 Suspension

The front was by “A” arms and coil springs with an anti-roll bar serving as the front half of the top A arm. The rear had trailing arms, a triangular centre locating member and solid rear axle.

The geometry and high (relative to total) unsprung weight gave it some bump steer, which owners sometimes treated by moving the supports forward and lengthening the trailing arms.

A model that was sold in the US had independent rear suspension and a Coventry Climax engine.

 Problem areas

The series II had problems with its Standard Companion estate car (station wagon) rear axle and differential. This was later solved on the Series III with a Ford Cortina rear end.

The tubular spaceframe chassis suffered from rust, especially from the inside which would lead to its sudden and unexpected collapse.

6: Mercedes 300SL gullwing

Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Manufacturer	Mercedes-Benz
Parent company	Daimler-Benz AG
Production	1952-1953 (racing car) 1955-1963 (production car) 3,258 built[1] Coupé: 1,400 Roadster: 1,858
Predecessor	none
Successor	production car: Mercedes-Benz 230SL racing car: Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
Class	sports car
Body style(s)	2 door coupé, roadster
Layout	FR layout
Platform	Mercedes-Benz W198
Engine(s)	Mercedes 2995 cc, SOHC
Transmission(s)	4-speed manual
Wheelbase	2400 mm (94.5 in)
Length	4520 mm (178 in)
Width	1790 mm (70.5 in)
Height	1300 mm (51.1 in)
Curb weight	1093 kg (2351 lb)
Related	Mercedes-Benz 190SL

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is a two-seat, closed sports car with characteristic gull-wing doors, and later, offered as an open roadster. It was also given the name “Widowmaker” because many male drivers died when crashing their 300SLs.

Built by Daimler-Benz AG and internally numbered W198, the road version of 1952 was based (somewhat loosely) on the company’s highly successful competition-only sports car of 1950, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL (W194) which had less power, as it still had carburetors.

This model was suggested by Max Hoffman. Because it was intended for customers whose preferences were reported to Hoffman by dealers he supplied in the booming, post-war American market, it was introduced at the 1954 New York Auto Show—unlike previous models introduced at either the Frankfurt or Geneva shows. The 300SL was best known for both its distinctive gullwing or butterfly wing doors and for being the first-ever gasoline-powered car equipped with fuel injection directly into the combustion chamber. The gullwing version was available from March 1955 to 1957. In Mercedes-Benz fashion, the “300″ referred to the engine’s cylinder displacement, in this case, three liters. The “SL”, as applied to a roadster, stood for “Sport Leicht” or “Sport Light.”

More widely produced (25,881 units) and starting in 1954 was the similar-looking 190SL with a 105 hp (78 kW) 4cyl engine, available only as roadster (or with an additional hardtop, as Coupe Roadster). The 190SL, based on a shortened 180 saloon floorpan, was equivalent to today’s SLK in its market positioning when compared to the SL.^[2] Production for both the 190SL and 300SL ended in 1963 when the 230SL was introduced.

 A race car for the street

The gullwing doors, hinged at the roof and so named because the open doors resembled a bird’s outstretched wings, were implemented as such to accommodate for the car’s tubular chassis, designed by DBAG’s chief developing engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Part of the chassis passed through what would be the lower half of a standard door.

This tubular chassis was a necessity, as the original car was designed solely for racing and needed to be as light as possible due to the rather underpowered original, carbureted, engine, while still providing a high level of strength. This required the driver and any passengers to do some gymnastics to get in or out of the car, usually by sitting on and sliding across the wide door sill. A running joke was that a Japanese screen needed to be set up on the sidewalk so a lady wearing a dress could get out. A steering wheel with a tilt-away column made the process considerably easier.

It was Max Hoffman, Daimler-Benz’s official importer in the USA, who convinced DBAG management in Stuttgart that a street version of the 300SL would be a commercial success, especially in the US. Hoffman’s prediction was correct since more than 80% of the vehicle’s total production of approximately 1400 units were sold in the US, making the Gullwing the first Mercedes-Benz which sold in bulk outside its home market. The 300SL is credited for changing the company’s image in America from a manufacturer of solid, but staid, automobiles to that of a producer of sporty cars.

The body was mainly steel, except for the aluminium bonnet (hood), doors and boot (trunk) lid. The 300SL could also be ordered with an all-aluminium outer skin, saving 80 kg (176 lb), but at tremendous added cost.

First with fuel injection

The engine, canted at a fifty-degree angle to the left to allow for a lower hoodline, was the same 3.0 litre straight-6 as the regular four-door 300 but with a Bosch mechanical fuel injection system that more than doubled its power from 86 kW (115 hp) in its original carbureted trim to 180 kW (240 hp) at 6100 rpm. This new injection system, a first in any gasoline-powered car (apart from the rather small Gutbrod where the Mercedes engineers had to work after the war), allowed a top speed of up to 260 km/h (161 mph) depending on gear ratio (several options were available), making the 300SL the fastest production car of its time. The maintenance requirements were high as, unlike the current electrically powered fuel injection systems, the mechanical fuel pump would continue to inject gasoline into the engine during the interval between shutting off the ignition and the engine’s coming to a stop; this gasoline was of course not burned, and washed the oil from the cylinder walls and ended up diluting the engine’s lubricating oil, particularly if the engine was not driven hard enough nor long enough to reach a temperature high enough to evaporate it out of the oil.

Exacerbating the problem were the large oil cooler as well as the large volume of oil (10 liters), both oriented more to racing than to street driving, which virtually guaranteed that the oil would not reach a high enough temperature. In practice, many street drivers would block off airflow through the oil cooler, and the recommended oil change interval was 1,000 miles (1,600 km). The clutch was very heavy, many drivers would have a sore lower back the next day. The later roadster had an improved clutch arm helper spring which reduced the pedal force and, from March of 1963, a light alloy crankcase (209 built) ^[3].

Aerodynamics played an important role in the car’s speed. Mercedes-Benz engineers even went so far as to place horizontal “eyebrows” over the wheel openings. Given the car’s overall styling, it has been suggested that the eyebrows were added to make the car more appealing to American buyers rather than to serve any functional purpose since American cars of the period were rather flamboyant by comparison to the 300SL. Unlike many cars of the 1950s, the steering was relatively precise and the four-wheel independent suspension allowed for a reasonably comfortable ride and markedly better overall handling. However, the rear swing axle, jointed only at the differential, not at the wheels themselves, could be treacherous at high speeds or on imperfect roads due to extreme changes in camber.

In 1952, the original 300SL (model Mercedes-Benz W194) scored overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in Berne-Bremgarten, in the sportscar race of the Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring, and in Mexico’s Carrera Panamericana. It also managed second and fourth places at its first outing, the Mille Miglia in 1952.

These successes, especially those on the high speed open road races, were rather surprising as the engine then was fitted only with carburetors, producing 175 hp (130 kW), which was not only less than the competing cars by Ferrari and Jaguar, but also less than the road car of 1954. Low weight and low aerodynamic drag made the 300SL fast enough to be competitive, while reliability improved its chances of winning.

 Fitch land speed record attempt

In 2005, a 300SL coupe driven by 87 year old John Fitch, who had been a Mercedes-Benz factory racing driver in 1955, attempted to set a new land speed record for the F/GT class at Bonneville Speedway, but was thwarted by a balky fuel pump that limited top speed to 150 mph (240 km/h). After the run, the team vowed to return for a second attempt the next year. Fitch noted that he had driven these cars faster than that at night, in the rain, on the road with 60 other cars. The attempt is documented in the film Gullwing at Twilight: The Bonneville Ride of John Fitch, which was aired on PBS [1].

The 300SL today

Today, the 300SL with its unique doors and technological firsts is considered one of the most collectible Mercedes-Benz models of all time, with prices reaching well past the US$400,000 mark. In addition, Sports Car International magazine ranked the 300SL as the number 5 sports car of all time.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is inspired by these 1950s automobiles.

5: Ferrari Enzo

2: Mclaren

McLaren F1

Manufacturer	McLaren Automotive
Production	1992–1998 (100 produced)
Class	Sports car
Body style(s)	2-door 3-seat coupe
Layout	Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine(s)	60° 6.1 L V12
Transmission(s)	6-speed manual
Length	4287 mm (168.8 in)
Width	1820 mm (71.7 in)
Height	1140 mm (44.9 in)
Curb weight	1140 kg (2513 lb)[1]
Designer	Gordon Murray & Peter Stevens

The McLaren F1 was formerly the fastest street legal production car in the world, holding this record from 1994 to 2005, the longest period the record has been held by any street legal or production car in the history of automobiles. It was engineered and produced by McLaren Automotive, a subsidiary of the British McLaren Group that, among others, owns the McLaren Mercedes Formula One team. Today, it is still the fastest naturally aspirated car in the world.

The car features a 6.1-litre 60° BMW S70 V12 engine and it was conceived as an exercise in creating what its designers hoped would be considered the ultimate road car. Only 107 cars were manufactured, 64 of those were street versions (F1), 5 were LMs, 3 were longtail roadcars (GT), 5 prototypes (XP), 28 racecars (GTR), and 1 LM prototype (XP LM). Production began in 1992 and ended in 1998.^[2]

The McLaren F1 was at the time the fastest production car ever built, eclipsing the Jaguar XJ220. A standard version of the McLaren achieved a top speed of 371 km/h (231 mph) in 1994, holding this record for more than 10 years until it was finally eclipsed in 2005 by the Koenigsegg CCR.^[3]

 Design and implementation

Chief engineer Gordon Murray’s design concept was a common one among designers of high-performance cars: low weight and high power. This was achieved through use of high-tech and expensive materials like carbon fibre, titanium, gold, magnesium and kevlar. The F1 was one of the first production cars to use a carbon-fibre monocoque.

The idea was first conceived when Murray was waiting for a flight home back from the fateful Italian Grand Prix in 1988; Murray drew a sketch of a three seater supercar and proposed it to Ron Dennis, pitched as the idea of creating the ultimate road car, a concept that would be heavily influenced by the Formula One experience and technology of the company and thus reflect that skill and knowledge through the Mclaren F1.

Quote from Gordon:^[4] “During this time, we were able to visit with Ayrton Senna (the late F1 Champion) and Honda’s Tochigi Research Center. The visit related to the fact that at the time, McLaren’s F1 Grand Prix cars were using Honda engines. Although it’s true I had thought it would have been better to put a larger engine, the moment I drove the Honda NSX, all the benchmark cars—Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini—I had been using as references in the development of my car vanished from my mind. Of course the car we would create, the McLaren F1, needed to be faster than the NSX, but the NSX’s ride quality and handling would become our new design target. Being a fan of Honda engines, I later went to Honda’s Tochigi Research Center on two occasions and requested that they consider building for the McLaren F1 a 4.5 liter V10 or V12. I asked, I tried to persuade them, but in the end could not convince them to do it, and the McLaren F1 ended up equipped with a BMW engine.”

Later, a pair of Ultima MK3 kit cars, chassis numbers 12 and 13, “Albert” and “Edward”, the last two MK3s, were used as “mules” to test various components and concepts before the first cars were built. Number 12 was used to test the gearbox with a 7.4 litre Chevrolet V8 to mimic the torque of the BMW V12, plus various other components like the seats and the brakes. Number 13 was the test of the V12, plus exhaust and cooling system. When McLaren was done with the cars they destroyed both of them to keep away the specialist magazines and because they did not want the car to be associated with “kit cars”.

The car was first unveiled at a launch show, 28 May 1991, at The Sporting Club in Monaco. The production version remained the same as the original prototype (XP1) except for the wing mirror which, on the XP1, was mounted at the top of the A-pillar. This car was deemed not road legal as it had no indicators at the front; McLaren was forced to make changes on the car as a result (some cars, including Ralph Lauren’s, were sent back to McLaren and fitted with the prototype mirrors). The original wing mirrors also incorporated a pair of indicators which other car manufacturers would adopt several years later.

The car’s safety levels were first proved when during a testing in Namibia in April 1993, a test driver wearing just shorts and t-shirt hit a rock and rolled the first prototype car several times. The driver managed to escape unscathed. Later in the year, the second prototype (XP2) was especially built for crashtesting and passed with the front wheel arch untouched.

Engine

History

Gordon Murray insisted that the engine for this car be naturally aspirated to increase reliability and driver control. Turbochargers and superchargers increase power but they increase complexity and can decrease reliability as well as introducing an additional aspect of latency and loss of feedback, the ability of the driver to maintain maximum control of the engine is thus decreased. Murray initially approached Honda for an NA powerplant with 550 bhp (410 kW/560 PS), 600 mm (23.6 in) block length and a total weight of 250 kg (551 lb), it should be derived from the Formula 1 powerplant in the then-dominating McLaren/Honda cars.

When Honda refused, Isuzu, then planning an entry into Formula 1, had a 3.5 V12 engine being tested in a Lotus chassis. The company was very interested in having the engine fitted into the F1. However, the designers wanted an engine with a proven design and a racing pedigree.

In the end BMW took an interest, and the motorsport division BMW M headed by engine expert Paul Rosche^[1] designed and built Murray a custom-designed 6.1 L (6064 cc) 60-degree V12 engine, which was 14% more powerful than specified and 16 kg (35 lb) heavier – despite being based on the original specifications of 550 bhp (410 kW/560 PS), 600 mm (23.6 in) block length and total weight of 250 kilograms (550 lb).

Specifications

The final result is a custom-built 6.1 L (6064 cc) 60-degree V12 with an aluminium alloy block and head, 86 mm (3.4 in) x 87 mm (3.4 in) bore/stroke, quad overhead camshafts for maximum flexibility of control over the four valves per cylinder and a chain drive for the camshafts for maximum reliability, the engine is dry sump. At 266 kg (586 lb), the resulting engine was slightly heavier than Murray’s original maximum specification weight of 250 kg (551 lb) but was also considerably more powerful than he had specified. A common misconception is that the engine was based on BMW’s existing production 12-cylinder offering, the slow-revving and heavy M70/S2 engine used in its 7- and 8-series production cars. But in fact, the engine BMW provided to McLaren was a custom design, closer in concept to two 6-cylinder E36 M3 engines on a common block.^{[citation needed]}

The carbon fibre body panels and monocoque required significant heat insulation in the engine compartment, so Murray’s solution was to line the engine bay with a highly efficient heat-reflector: gold foil. Approximately 25 g (0.8 ounce) of gold was used in each car.^[5]

The road version used a compression ratio of 10.5:1 to produce 627 brake horsepower (467 kW)^[6] at 7400 rpm—considerably more than Murray’s specification of 550 horsepower (404 kW). Torque output of 480 ft·lb (651 N·m) at 5600 rpm.^[7] The engine has a red line and rev limiter set at 7500 rpm. Other, more highly tuned, incarnations of the F1 produced up to 691 bhp at 7500 rpm and 735 Nm of torque (updated LM engine), making a significant performance improvement. It is important to acknowledge the significance of this upgrade as there is only one other McLaren F1 roadcar with this engine.

The cam carriers, covers, oil sump, dry sump, and housings for the camshaft control are made of magnesium castings. The intake control features twelve individual butterfly valves and the exhaust system has four Inconel catalysts with individual Lambda-Sound controls. The camshafts are continuously variable for increased performance, using a system very closely based on BMW’s VANOS variable timing system for the BMW M3; it is a hydraulically-actuated phasing mechanism which retards the inlet cam relative to the exhaust cam at low revs, which reduces the valve overlap and provides for increased idle stability and increased low-speed torque. At higher RPM the valve overlap is increased by computer control to 42 degrees (compare 25 degrees on the M3) for increased airflow into the cylinders and thus increased performance.

To allow the fuel to atomise fully the engine uses two Lucas injectors per cylinder, with the first injector located close to the inlet valve – operating at low engine RPM – while the second is located higher up the inlet tract – operating at higher RPM. The dynamic transition between the two devices is controlled by the engine computer.

Each cylinder has its own miniature ignition coil. The closed-loop fuel injection is sequential. The engine has no knock sensor as the predicted combustion conditions would not cause this to be a problem. The pistons are forged in aluminium.

From 1998 to 2000, the Le Mans–winning BMW V12 LMR sports car used a similar S70/2 engine.

The engine was given a short development time, causing the BMW design team to use only trusted technology from prior design and implementation experience. The engine does not use titanium valves or connecting rods. Variable intake geometry was considered but rejected on grounds of unnecessary complication.

 Chassis

The McLaren F1 was the first production road car to use a complete carbon fibre reinforced plastic monocoque chassis structure.^[8]

 Aerodynamics

The overall drag coefficient on the standard McLaren F1 is 0.32, compared with 0.36 for the faster Bugatti Veyron, and 0.357 for the current holder of the fastest car world record (as of 2008) – the SSC Ultimate Aero TT. The vehicle’s frontal area is 1.79 and the total Cx is 0.57 respectively. Due to the fact that the machine features active aerodynamics^[9][6][5] these are the figures presented in the most streamlined configuration.

The normal McLaren F1 features no wings to produce downforce, however the design of the underbody of the Mclaren F1 exploits ground effect to improve downforce which is increased through the use of two electric fans to further decrease the pressure under the car. A “high downforce mode” can be turned on and off by the driver.

There is a small rear spoiler on the tail of the vehicle, which is dynamic, the device will adjust dynamically and automatically attempt to balance the center of gravity of the car under braking^[5] – which will be shifted forward when the brakes are applied. The spoiler increases the overall drag coefficient from 0.32 to 0.39 and is activated at speeds equal to or above 40 MPH by brake line pressure.^[10]

Suspension

Steve Randle who was the car’s dynamicist was appointed responsible for the design of the suspension system of the McLaren F1 machine.^[10] It was decided that the ride should be comfortable yet performance oriented, however not as stiff and low as that of a true track machine, as that would imply reduction in practical use and comfort as well as increasing noise and vibration, which would be a contradictory design choice in relation to the former set premise – the goal of creating the ultimate road car.

From scratch the design of the F1 vehicle had strong focus on centering the mass of the car as near the middle as possible by extensive manipulation of placement of i.a. the engine, fuel and driver, allowing for a low polar moment of inertia in yaw. The F1 has 42% of its weight at the front and 58% at the rear,^[10] this figure changes less than 1% with the fuel load.

The distance between the mass centroid of the car and the suspension roll centre were designed to be the same front and rear to avoid unwanted weight transfer effects – allowing anti roll bars to be omitted. Computer controlled dynamic suspension were considered but not applied due to the inherent increase in weight, increased complexity and loss of predictability of the vehicle.

Damper and spring specifications: 90 mm (3.5 in) bump, 80 mm (3.1 in) rebound with bounce frequency at 1.43 Hz at front and 1.80 Hz at the rear,^[10] despite being sports oriented these figures imply the rather soft ride and will inherently decrease track performance, but again, the Mclaren F1 is not in concept nor implementation a track machine. As can be seen from the Mclaren F1 LM, Mclaren F1 GTR et al the track performance potential is much higher than that in the stock F1 due to fact that car should be comfortable and usable in everyday conditions.

The suspension is a double wishbone system with an interesting design, i.a. that longitudinal wheel compliance is included without loss of wheel control, which allows the wheel to travel backwards when it hits a bump – increasing the comfort of the ride.

Castor wind-off at the front during braking is handled by Mclaren’s proprietary Ground Plane Shear Centre – the wishbones on either side in the subframe are fixed in rigid plane bearings and connected to the body by four independent bushes which are 25 times more stiff radially than axially.^[10] This solution provides for a castor wind-off measured to 1.02 degrees per G of braking deceleration. Compare the Honda NSX at 2.91 degrees per G, the Porsche 928 S at 3.60 degrees per G and the Jaguar XJ6 at 4.30 degrees per G respectively. The difference in toe and camber values are also of very small under lateral force application. Inclined Shear Axis is used at the rear of the machine provides measurements of 0.04 degrees per G of change in toe-in under braking and 0.08 degrees per G of toe-out under traction.^[10]

When developing the suspension system the facility of electro-hydraulic kinematics and compliance at Anthony Best Dynamics was employed to measure the performance of the suspension on a Jaguar XL16, a Porsche 928S and a Honda NSX to use as references.

Steering knuckles and the top wishbone/bell crank are also specially manufactured in an aluminium alloy. The wishbones are machined from a solid aluminium alloy with CNC machines.^[10]

 Tires

The McLaren F1 uses 235/45ZR17 front tires and 315/45ZR17 rear tires.^[6] These are specially designed and developed solely for the Mclaren F1 by Goodyear and Michelin. The tires are mounted on 17×9 inches and 17×11.5 inches cast magnesium wheels, protected by a tough protective paint.

Brakes

Gordon Murray attempted to utilize carbon brakes for the F1, but found the technology not mature enough at the time. The F1 features unassisted, vented and crossdrilled brake discs made by Brembo. Front size is 332 mm (13.1 in) and at the rear 305 mm (12.0 in),^[6][10] they are all four-pot, opposed piston types, made of aluminium.^[10] The rear brake calipers does not feature any handbrake functionality, however there is a mechanically actuated, fist-type caliper which is computer controlled and thus serves as a handbrake. As carbon brakes have a more simplified application envelope in pure racing environments this allows for the racing edition of the machine, the F1 GTR, to feature ceramic carbon brakes.^[1]

To increase caliper stiffness the calipers are machined from one single solid (in contrast to the more common being bolted together from two halves). Pedal travel is slightly over one inch. Activation of the rear spoiler will allow the air pressure generated at the back of the vehicle to force air into the cooling ducts located at either end of the spoiler which become uncovered upon application of it.

Servo assisted ABS brakes were ruled out as they would imply increased mass, complexity and reduced brake feel; however at the cost of increasing the required skill of the driver.

Gearbox and miscellaneous

The standard McLaren F1 has a transverse 6-speed manual gearbox with an AP carbon triple-plate clutch^[6] contained in an aluminium housing, the second generation GTR edition has a magnesium housing,^[1] both the standard edition and the ‘Mclaren F1 LM’ has the following gear ratios: 3.23:1, 2.19:1, 1.71:1, 1.39:1, 1.16:1, 0.93:1, with a final drive of 2.37:1.^[6] The gearbox is proprietary and developed by Mclaren.^[1]

The Torsen LSD (Limited Slip Differential) has a 40% lock.^[6]

The McLaren F1 has an extremely light and thin aluminium flywheel in order to decrease inertia and increase responsiveness of the system, resulting in faster gear changes and better throttle feedback.

 Equipment

Standard equipment on the stock McLaren F1 includes full cabin air conditioning, SeKurit electric defrost/demist windscreen and side glass, electric window lifts, remote central locking, Kenwood CD stereo system, cabin access release for opening panels, cabin stowage department, four lamp high performance headlight system, rear fog and reversing lights, courtesy lights in all compartments, map reading lights and a Facom titanium tool kit (stored in the car).^[11] Airbags are not present in the car.^[1]

During its pre-production stage, McLaren commissioned Kenwood to create a lightweight car audio system for the car; Kenwood, between 1992 and 1998 used the F1 to promote its products in print advertisements, calendars and brochure covers. Each car audio system was especially designed to tailor to an individual’s listening taste and radio was omitted because Murray never listened to the radio.

Every standard F1 has a modem which allows customer care to remotely fetch information from the ECU of the car in order to help aid in the event of a failure of the vehicle.^[12]

 Performance

McLaren F1 acceleration

0–60 mph (97 km/h)	3.2 s[citation needed]
0–100 mph (160 km/h)	6.3 s[citation needed]
1/4 mile	11.1 s[citation needed]

The standard McLaren F1 can reach 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 240.3 mph (386.7 km/h), restricted by the rev limiter at 7500 rpm. The F1 remains as of 2007 one of the fastest production cars ever made; as of July 2008 it is only succeeded by the Koenigsegg CCR,^[13] the Bugatti Veyron^[14] and the SSC Ultimate Aero TT.^[15] However, as stated at the head of the article, all of the superior top speed machines exploit forced aspiration to reach their respective top speeds – making the Mclaren F1 the fastest naturally aspirated production car in the world (as of July 2008).

While many car manufacturers often promote their cars in terms of raw engine power, in terms of overall performance (acceleration, braking, and agility) a car’s power-to-weight ratio is a better method of quantifying performance than the peak output of the vehicle’s powerplant. The F1 achieves 550 hp/ton (403 kW/tonne), or just 3.6 lb/hp. Compare with the Enzo Ferrari at 434 hp/ton (314 kW/tonne) (4.6 lb/hp), the SSC Ultimate Aero TT with 1003 hp/ton (747.9 kW/tonne) (2 lb/hp), and the Bugatti Veyron at 530.2 hp/ton (395 kW/tonne) (5.1 lb/hp).

Record claims

The title of “world’s fastest production road car” is constantly in contention, especially because the term “production car” is not well-defined.

The McLaren F1 has a top speed of 240.3 mph (386.7 km/h),^[16] restricted by the rev limiter at 7500 rpm. The true top speed of the Mclaren F1 was reached in April of 1998 by the five-year-old XP5 prototype. Andy Wallace (racer) piloted it down the 9 km straight at Volkswagen’s Ehra test track in Wolfsburg, Germany, setting a new world record of 243 mph (391 km/h) at 7800 rpm. As Mario Andretti noted in a comparisson test, the F1 is fully capable of pulling a seventh gear, thus with a higher gear ratio or a seventh gear the Mclaren F1 would probably be able to reach an even greater top speed (something which can also be observed by noticing that the top speed was reached at 7800 rpm while the peak power is reached at 7400 RPM). More recently, the Koenigsegg CCR recorded a speed of 241 mph (388 km/h), a record which, in turn, has been broken by the Bugatti Veyron, with a top speed of 253 mph (407 km/h), which in turn has been broken by the SSC Ultimate Aero TT with a recorded speed of 256.18 mph (412.28 km/h). All of these are considered to be production cars, and have therefore each beaten the McLaren’s record.

As a sidenote, i.a. the 962 Le Mans, Veyron, Ariel Atom, Koenigsegg CCX, Caparo T1, the turbocharged version of the Saleen S7 and the RUF Rt 12 can hit 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds or less, meaning that even while certain cars cannot break the McLaren’s top speed, they are capable of matching or beating the standard version in the 0–60 mph time.

Kit car builder DDR Motorsport builds a kit that resembles the F1, based on the Toyota MR-2 SW20 Turbo.

 Variants

Total Production

Variant	Road	Prototype	Race	Total
F1s	64	5		69
F1 LMs	5	1		6
F1 GTs	3	1		4
F1 GTR			28	28
Total	72	7	28	107

The McLaren F1 road car, of which 64 were originally sold, saw several different modifications over its production span which were badged as different models. Of the road versions, 21 are reportedly in the United States. One of the completed street cars remained in McLaren’s London showroom for a decade before being offered for sale as new in 2004. This vehicle became the 65th McLaren F1 sold. The showroom, which was on London’s luxurious Park Lane, has since closed. The company maintains a database to match up prospective sellers and buyers of the cars.

 Prototypes

Prior to the sale of the first McLaren F1s, five prototypes were built, all carrying the numbers XP1 through XP5. These cars carried minor subtle differences between each other as well as between the production road cars. XP1 was the first publicly unveiled car, and later destroyed in the accident in Namibia. XP2 was used for crash testing and also destroyed. Neither were ever painted. XP3, XP4 and XP5 were all publicity cars developed and owned by McLaren, used for publicity shots and tested by reporters. All were painted a different colour, and each was able to be distinguished by their chassis code painted on the side rocker panel. XP4 was seen by many viewers of Top Gear when reviewed by Tiff Needell in the mid 1990s, while XP5 went on to be used in McLaren’s famous top speed run.

F1 LM

McLaren F1 LM

Manufacturer	McLaren Automotive
Production	1995 5 produced (plus one prototype)
Class	Sports car
Body style(s)	2-door 3-seat coupe
Engine(s)	6.1 L V12
Curb weight	1,062 kg (2,340 lb)
Designer	Gordon Murray

Only five McLaren F1 LM (LM for Le Mans) were built in honor of the five McLaren F1 GTR’s which finished the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, including taking the overall win.^[17]

The weight was reduced by approximately 75 kg (165 lb) over that of original, through the removal of various pieces of trim and use of optional equipment. The car also had a different transaxle, various aerodynamic modifications, specially-designed 18-inch (457 mm) magnesium alloy wheels and upgraded gearbox. The F1 LM also used the same engine as the 1995 F1 GTR, however, without race-mandated restrictors to produce (680 bhp/500 kW). It had a top speed of 225 mph (362 km/h), which is less than the standard version due to added aerodynamic drag, despite identical gear ratios. The LM is 76 kg (168 lb) lighter than the stock F1 – a total mass of 1,062 kg (2,341 lb) – this is achieved through i.a. no interior noise suppression, no audio system, a very stripped down base interior, no fan assisted ground effect and no dynamic rear wing. In the place of the small dynamic rear wing there is a considerably larger, fixed CFRP rear wing mounted on the back of the vehicle. The fact that the idle noise level inside the car is loud enough to prevent verbal communication is the reason that the car comes with a headset, which features ear protection and a means of communication through microphone, for the occupants. The conventional instruments are replaced with a LCD implementation which features more information than the former type.

The LM machine has the following performance figures: a peak torque of 705.0 nm (520.0 ft·lbf) at 4500 rpm and a peak power of (680 bhp/500 kW) at 7800 rpm, it has a redline at 8500 rpm, the total weight of 1,062 kg (2,341 lb) gives the car a 110.16 bhp (82 kW/112 PS) per litre ratio.^[18]

The F1 LM is regarded to be the fastest incarnation of the McLaren F1 roadcars through the gears and in overall track performance. It has a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 2.9 seconds,^[19] 0-100 mph (161 km/h) in 5.9 seconds^[19] and was once the holder of many world records, including the 0-100-0 mph record which it completed in 11.5 seconds.^[19][20]

The F1 LMs can be identified by their Papaya orange paint. The F1 LM’s were painted in this colour in memory and tribute to Bruce McLaren, whose race colour was Papaya orange.

Although only five F1 LMs were sold, a sixth chassis exists in the form of XP1 LM, the prototype for modifications to the existing F1 to form the new F1 LM. This car is also painted Papaya Orange and is retained by McLaren. This car, reportedly worth $4 million, has been promised by McLaren CEO Ron Dennis to his driver Lewis Hamilton if he should win the 2008 and 2009 Formula One World Championship.^[21]

Of the 5 F1 LMs sold 3 are owned by The Sultan of Brunei, one of which is reportedly not painted Papaya orange, but a mixture of silver and blue

 F1 GT

The final incarnation of the roadcar, the F1 GT was meant as a homologation special. With increased competition from homologated supercars from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz in the former BPR Global GT Series and new FIA GT Championship, McLaren required extensive modification to the F1 GTR in order to remain competitive. These modifications were so vast that McLaren would be required to build a production road-legal car on which to base the new race cars.

The F1 GT featured the same extended rear bodywork as the GTRs for increased downforce, yet lacked the rear wing that had been seen on the F1 LM. The downforce generated by the longer tail was found to be sufficient to not require the wing. The front end was also similar to the racing car, with extra louvers and the wheel fenders widened to fit larger wheels. The interior was modified and a racing steering wheel was included in place of the standard unit.

The F1 GTs were built from standard F1 road car chassis, retaining their production numbers. The prototype GT, known as XPGT, was F1 chassis #056, and is still kept by McLaren. The company technically only needed to build one car and did not even have to sell it. However, demand from customers drove McLaren to build two production versions that were sold. The customer F1 GTs were chassis #054 and #058.

 Motorsports

Following its initial launch as a road car, motorsports teams convinced McLaren to build racing versions of the F1 to compete in international series. Three different versions of the race car were developed from 1995 to 1997.

Many F1 GTRs, after the cars were no longer eligible in international racing series, were converted to street use. By adding mufflers, passenger seats, adjusting the suspension for more ground clearance for public streets, and removing the air restrictors, the cars were able to be registered for road use.

 F1 GTR ‘95

Built at the request of race teams, such as those owned by Ray Bellm and Thomas Bscher, in order to compete in the BPR Global GT Series, the McLaren F1 GTR was a custom built race car which introduced a modified engine management system that increased power output — however, air-restrictors mandated by racing regulations reduced the power back to 600 hp (447 kW). The cars extensive modifications included changes to body panels, suspension, aerodynamics and the interior. The F1 GTR would go on to take its greatest achievement with 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 13th places in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, beating out custom built prototype sports cars.

In total, nine F1 GTRs would be built for 1995.

F1 GTR ‘96

To follow up on the success of the F1 GTR into 1996, McLaren further developed the ‘95 model, leading to a size increase but weight decrease. Nine more F1 GTRs were built to 1996 spec, while some 1995 cars were still campaigned by privateers. F1 GTR ‘96 chassis #14R is notable as being the first non-Japanese car to win a race in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC). The car was driven by David Brabham and John Nielsen.

F1 GTR ‘97

With the F1 GT homologated, McLaren could now develop the F1 GTR for the 1997 season. Weight was further reduced and a sequential transaxle was added. The engine was slightly destroked to 6.0L instead of the previous 6.1L. Due to the heavily modified bodywork, the F1 GTR ‘97 is often referred to as the “Longtail” thanks to the rear bodywork being extended to increase rear downforce. A total of ten F1 GTR ’97s were built.

 Models

Certain die-cast scale models of the F1 are now extremely desirable among collectors. Most of these models are now out of production. Manufacturers of McLaren F1 models include UT Models, Maisto, Minichamps/Paul’s Model Art, Guiloy and Autobarn. Models have been produced in 1:87, 1:64, 1:43, 1:24, 1:18 and 1:12. Among the most desirable of these models are the Minichamps 1:43 McLaren F1 GTR West Promotion model (which can sell for 1,000 dollars). And the UT Models 1:18 silver & dark blue McLaren F1 LMs (which each can sell for over US$400 at auction).

1: Porshe 911