McLaren F1 specification

Well, I've fallen in love with the McLaren. It is the greatest street car I've ever driven. The McLaren is deceivingly fast, and it isn't until you approach a corner at 140 mph that you think, 'Gee whiz, maybe I'm going a bit quicker than perhaps I should be.' It drives just like a car on slick tires, without the jerkiness to it. The car is very well balanced, and the gear lever very positive. The brakes are very hard, and you have to use a lot of pedal effort. The McLaren's linear powerband is amazing. It's a serious car with a power-to-weight ratio close to that of my IMSA race car. — Steve Millen
From the photos, the McLaren F1 appears bigger than its actual size, and the car's small stature is surprising. Open the swing-up doors and it looks like a Navy fighter jet with its wings folded up. The seating positions are unique, with the driver in the center flanked by two additional seats. It's easiest to climb, or rather contort one's body, into the driver's seat from the left side where the shift lever doesn't get in the way. And once in, the sweeping view forward is amazing.
Turn the ignition key, hit the starter button, and the starter takes a few turns before the V-12 gulps in enough air to fire. Initially the engine clears its throat with a coarse note, but it smooths out quickly and settles into an unassuming idle. Depress the clutch and slide the short-throw gear shift into 1st. Give the throttle a hard tap and the powerplant immediately stands at attention. Ease out the clutch and the McLaren lunges forward.
Residing midship is an awesome BMW 6.1-liter V-12 M-powerplant, churning out a whopping 627 bhp at 7400 rpm and 479 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm. Mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, the F1 can catapult off the line to 60 mph in only 3.4 sec., and reach the quarter mile in 11.6 sec. with the speedometer needle pointing at 125.0 mph (also see our December 1997 road test).
Find a long straightaway on the track, grab the steering wheel and stomp on the throttle. Hold on! What follows is an immense acceleration rate that firmly presses my body into the seat. Sitting dead center in the car with the road rapidly sliding beneath me, I feel like I am glued at the tip of a streaking missile. Pay attention, though; the tachometer surges upward and lights up the red shift indicator at 7500 rpm before I can blink my eyes. Quick shifts to 2nd gear, to 3rd and to 4th. And wow! Suddenly I realize the F1's velvety powerband is seemingly endless. I can't help smiling. At speed, even though I can't see the fast-approaching corner, my eyes still squint hard trying to make it out, just to be safe. Before the thumping of the powerplant behind me tries to bump up my heart rate to match its pace, I look down and see myself traveling at more than 140 mph. Scary.
As swiftly as the F1 can pick up speed, the cross-drilled and vented disc brakes can haul the car down. The brake pedal controls the calipers with absolute precision. And even without ABS, the tires claw the asphalt with tremendous traction.
At corner entry, the McLaren's short nose turns toward the apex as soon as I demand it. Then the car behaves with moderate to mild understeer through the corner, and there is very little roll, helped in part by having the driver's seat near the center of gravity. Since the engine responds to throttle almost instantaneously, careful modulation of power on corner exit is easy. After that, it is just another hammer-down exhilarating ride to well past the century mark on the speedometer.
In the McLaren with Millen, the car feels surprisingly comfortable. The ride is supple. And through quick switchback turns, the F1's suspension soaks up most of the bumps and handles the corners with a nice progressive lean from one side to the other. There is nothing sudden to upset the car or its passengers. Millen comments: "The McLaren is mighty impressive. It's surprising that you can call this a road car because it's really a race car. I never thought I would drive a street vehicle so technically sophisticated. I love the smooth and broad powerband. This is the ultimate road car."
My heart rate after the ride: 125 bpm.