McLaren F1 road test (Mclaren F1)

Member Name: Orichalon

Product:	Mclaren F1
Date:	01/11/08 (124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: FAST, love the looks, good fun to drive - an uncompromised car

Disadvantages: Expensive, very rare, uncomfortable, loud

Tuesday. My phone in my pocket vibrates, signalling an incoming call. I take it out and see it's my friend (who owns all the cars I drive and very generously lets me use the more than he does!), I answer..."dude, my friend just lent me his McLaren F1 for the week to try it out as I'm thinking of buying one? Fancy a go?". Naturally, I was already out the door and driving to his house before he'd finished the call.

The car I'll be driving is a bog standard F1 (I'd love to drive an LM, and hopefully I will *one* day), but even so this is an imposing beast. It sits very low, and wide, and those ultra wide headlights really make it look mean. Even today, 11 years after it was made (this is a 1997 car) it looks modern. Just knowing what a legend this car is makes you tingle - I couldn't believe that I was about to drive a McLaren F1!

Open the doors (which open in a similar fashion to the Enzo), and it's an effort to get into the drivers seat (which, unlike a conventional car, is in the middle, with a passenger seat on either side). Inside, it's a good driving position, and although it takes a while to get used to the middle seat, once you do get used to it it's far better than a tradional driving position. Thumb the starter button and that glorious 6.1 litre V12 engine growls into life, immediately responding to the slightest touch of the throttle peddle.

Driving the car on the open road is scary (mainly because of the thought that an F1 recently went at auction for £2.3 million). You get quite a few people taking out cameras and picturing you, although the attention isn't as bad as you'd think (probably because not many really know what it is). An Enzo or Veyron (which everyone can recognise) gets far more attention.

On an open country road, this scar is really great fun. The acceleration is incredible, even by today's standards (remember, this is a car that can do 231 mph). On a (private ofc ;) ) road, I managed to get up to well over 100 mph on a relatively short straight with ease.

As you'd expect, comfort isn't great, and the car is uncomfortable over any bumps in teh road. There is very little sound proofing (if any) and so on teh motorway this is a very loud car. It does have AC though!

The engine is really what makes htis car. A 6.1 litre V12 from BMW, it produces 627 horsepower. No expensive is spared on teh car either (the heat shield is made from gold, and the chassis from carbon fibre).

Of particular note, it's more aerodynamic than teh Veyron (0.32 compared to 0.36).

Overall, then, this is a mammoth car, well deserving of its reputation. It's scary, fast, expensive, beautiful and fun all in one. If you're ever one of the lucky few who gets to drive (or even own) one, jump at the opportunity with both hands.

Summary: An excellent car worthy of its reputation

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Driving comfort: