Cars

McLaren F1 LM

In 1995, the McLaren F1 GTR achieved its place in history by winning the Le Mans endurance race at the first attempt. Not only did the F1 GTR finish first, it also occupied 3rd, 4th, 5th and 13th places when the flag came down after 24 grueling hours.To celebrate this extraordinary feat, McLaren Cars created a limited edition of just five McLaren F1 LM - one for every F1 GTR which finished the race. Whilst the LM is a model in its own right, the concept was that it should be a 1995 F1 GTR, with the minimum modifications to make it usable on the road.

Thus the McLaren F1 LM runs the most powerful engine of any F1, road or race, by using an 1995 GTR engine without the air restrictors. It also features the race car aerodynamics, gearbox and 18" inch wheels. It is lower than the standard McLaren F1 so it handles better aswell. As a tribute to the memory of Bruce McLaren, every McLaren F1 LM was painted in the same Papaya Orange that was used on his contemporary Formula One and Can Am cars.

Inside the McLaren F1 LM, the driver sits in an all carbon-fiber race seat, and the passenger seats are molded into the moncoque. Its central driving position gives a racing experience much close to that of a formula 1 car. With minimal trim, the interior carbon is beautifully finished in high gloss lacquer.Its 6.1 litre V12 engine produces nearly 680 bhp (almost 55 bhp more than the standard McLaren F1) and 520 lb-ft of torque. With all that power and weighing just over 1060 (some 60 kg less than the standard McLaren F1 road car), the McLaren F1 LM is the fastest accelerating F1 of all. I can reach to 62 mph from a stand still in just 3 seconds. Its top speed of 225 mph may not be as much as the standard McLaren F1 but it provides excellent grip because of the rear spoiler which pushes the back of the McLaren F1 LM firmly into the ground. It is much more sophisticated racing car than a road car.

The McLaren F1 LM was priced at $1,307,000. So it was almost twice the price of the standard F1 but don't worry because it is twice the car. All of the 5 McLaren F1 LM have been sold and delivered to their lucky owners.

Article Published: Saturday 14th April 2007