Cars - McLaren Cars

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	Cars - McLaren Cars

McLaren Cars (since renamed McLaren Automotive) is an automaker founded in 1990 with the object of producing road cars based on Formula One technology. It works closely with the Team McLaren Formula One constructor and is part of the McLaren Group.

F1

McLaren Cars' first product was the McLaren F1, a sports car and also a supercar priced at £640,000 (approx. US$ 1,150,000). The F1 was a three seat coupe with the driver situated in the middle of the car. The 6064 cc V12 engine, which produces 627 bhp (461 kW), was designed and built by BMW.

Production of the original F1 began in 1992. The LM model was then introduced in 1995 and the GT model, in 1997. The GTR was built from 1995 through 1997.

Production of the McLaren F1 drew to a close in May 1998, with a total production of 100 cars, made up as follows:

F1 - 64
LM - 5
GT - 3
GTR95 - 9
GTR96 - 9
GTR97 - 10
The McLaren F1 GTR was developed from the F1 road car, and proved highly effective in the four hour GT races in 1995, its first season of racing. Le Mans 24 Hours that year was to be McLaren’s first attempt at the world’s most prestigious endurance race.

McLaren decided to update the 001 chassis – the original test car – and enter it to augment the five customer cars that had been running all season. It was this car, piloted by former Formula 1 racers JJ Lehto and Yannick Dalmas and experienced Japanese driver Masanori Sekiya that took the chequered flag after a race full of drama.

McLaren F1 GTRs finished 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 13th, not only winning the race at its first attempt, but totally dominating this most gruelling of events.

The F1 previously held the record for the fastest production car ever made, with an independently measured top speed of 240.14 mph (386.39 km/h). It has a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds. However, this has been bettered by the Bugatti Veyron 16.4.

Similar vehicles are the Ferrari Enzo and the Bugatti EB110, though plans are in the works for Cadillac's Cien & Sixteen and also Chrysler's ME Four-Twelve are concept cars which would outpace the F1.

Plans for the Cadillac's Cien & Sixteen and also Chrysler's ME Four-Twelve have unfortunately been officially shelved.

SLR

In 1999, McLaren Cars agreed to design and manufacture the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler (who also supply engines to the Team McLaren racing team under the Mercedes-Benz brand).

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for McLaren Cars ]

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