Flemke - Is this your McLaren? (Vol 5)

[dudleybloke]

flemke said:

dudleybloke said:

Any timescale on the furry dice yet F?

Its all well and good poncing about with sundry items like brakes and wheels but you realy should prioritize the essentials.

I totally agree with you, but I need to get the furry dice right.
They tell me that it's going to take another few generations to breed the chinchillas with the spots in the right places. I gather that they're having a problem with the side with 6: you know, getting the 3 dots in each row lined up correctly.

I thought you had settled on alcantara with diamonds for the spots.
But if your going to persevere with the chinchillas you might want to try genetic modification.
May as well have GM fur in a G.M car.

[E65Ross]

dudleybloke said:

I thought you had settled on alcantara with diamonds for the spots.
But if your going to persevere with the chinchillas you might want to try genetic modification.
May as well have GM fur in a G.M car.

That was so bad it was funny. Well, a bit.

[flemke]

E65Ross said:

flemke said:

E65Ross said:

chriskay said:

Good to see the tyres designed for the Enzo being used on a quality car.

As much as I prefer the McLaren F1.... The Enzo is still a quality car!

Well, yes, the Enzo does have qualities. For instance, its rear tyres are rather nice!

Engine isn't bad, is it?

Fair enough, but is there such a thing as a 6 litre V12 that is bad?

I agree that Ferrari know how to make engines. They don't necessarily know how to make a robust engine, but their engines are good whilst they last.

[flemke]

E65Ross said:

flemke said:

E65Ross said:

What is the ride quality like on the F1 on it's original wheels and tyres compared to your newer set up, and what is that like compared to a more modern sports car, such as a porsche 911.

Bet you're looking forward to getting your P1...it looks like an absolutely amazing machine.

In the original set-up, the ride is surprisingly comfortable.
The ride in my car now is fairly stiff, considerably stiffer than standard. The springs F&R are both about 10% stiffer than standard, so most of the lowering of ride quality is a result of taking a lot of compliance out of the tyres.
In relation to ride quality of a modern 911, there is quite a difference between, say, a Carrera 4 and a GT3. In terms of ride quality, my car is rather like a GT3.

My concern with the P1 is that, in the context of one's inability even to touch the sides of its potentialities on UK public roads, it may not be all that satisfying to drive on those public roads. Perhaps I shall be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for your reply. I guess something like a GT3 is probably more in line with what you'd want from a fun/weekend car, if indeed that's how you view your F1.

Interesting thoughts on the P1. Could you not argue in many ways that even the straight line performance of the F1 is too much to be regularly exploited? Doesn't stop you wanting more though, right?

I've never been in anything remotely quick in comparison to your F1....th fastest is probably a current BMW M6....which is about 8 dead to 100mph and even that felt quite bonkers! I'd love to experience something like that!

I have always said that that is the issue with the F1 - is it a GT, or is it a sports car? IMO the original tried to be both, whereas it ought to have come down on one side or the other. I want mine to be a sports car.

Wrt driving on public roads, in an F1 I have always, every minute, had a special experience. You're sitting in the middle, shifting gear every time is something that is done consciously, there is a ton of feedback coming through the unassisted steering - it's an event at any speed.
The guys at McLaren told me of their considerable effort to make the experience of driving the P1 at moderate or "normal" speeds a rewarding one. Indeed it was this promise that induced me to order a car.

[flemke]

dudleybloke said:

flemke said:

dudleybloke said:

Any timescale on the furry dice yet F?

Its all well and good poncing about with sundry items like brakes and wheels but you realy should prioritize the essentials.

I totally agree with you, but I need to get the furry dice right.
They tell me that it's going to take another few generations to breed the chinchillas with the spots in the right places. I gather that they're having a problem with the side with 6: you know, getting the 3 dots in each row lined up correctly.

I thought you had settled on alcantara with diamonds for the spots.
But if your going to persevere with the chinchillas you might want to try genetic modification.
May as well have GM fur in a G.M car.

[castex]

flemke said:

Fair enough, but is there such a thing as a 6 litre V12 that is bad?

I agree that Ferrari know how to make engines. They don't necessarily know how to make a robust engine, but their engines are good whilst they last.

Haha, fantastic! Never thought I would read such a thing.

[Monty Python]

Just found this video - makes my owner's manual look pretty c***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUfRNAuPSbw&li...

[lauda]

Monty Python said:

Just found this video - makes my owner's manual look pretty c***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUfRNAuPSbw&li...

You wouldn't want to get greasy fingerprints on that whilst trying to figure out how to change a headlamp bulb.

[E65Ross]

lauda said:

Monty Python said:

Just found this video - makes my owner's manual look pretty c***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUfRNAuPSbw&li...

You wouldn't want to get greasy fingerprints on that whilst trying to figure out how to change a headlamp bulb.

That's quite remarkable, isn't it.

[alecmets2011]

It's on Jalopnik

http://jalopnik.com/the-mclaren-f1s-owners-manual-...

Would anyone like to guess what this is worth?

http://www.collectorstudio.com/index.cfm/ID/23/ite...

[flemke]

Monty Python said:

Just found this video - makes my owner's manual look pretty c***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUfRNAuPSbw&li...

A bit of a contrast with the two parts of the P1 Owner's Manual, which are 344 pages of

[Monty Python]

flemke said:

A bit of a contrast with the two parts of the P1 Owner's Manual, which are 344 pages of

I'll gladly take them off your hands :-)

[Megaflow]

Looks like the tyres could do with some air in them at ~1:20...

[Joe911]

flemke said:

A bit of a contrast with the two parts of the P1 Owner's Manual, which are 344 pages of

A very entertaining section on driving economically ... (to be torn out and ignited by the exhaust flames)

[lauda]

flemke said:

A bit of a contrast with the two parts of the P1 Owner's Manual, which are 344 pages of

So if you have the owner's manual, do you also have the car now?

If so, what are your initial impressions?

[flemke]

lauda said:

flemke said:

A bit of a contrast with the two parts of the P1 Owner's Manual, which are 344 pages of

So if you have the owner's manual, do you also have the car now?

If so, what are your initial impressions?

Not yet; it's been PDI'd, but I should collect it next week.

My initial impression of the driver's manual is that it's about 10 times too long.
My intention when I collect the car is to tell the McLaren guys how I want the electronic gizmos set, they will set them, and then I hope to forget about them.
My initial impressions of the car are from when I drove one of the development/demonstrator cars about a year ago. It corners like it's on rails, it stops like it's got a parachute out the back, and the rate of acceleration is very similar to the F1's. Is it as pleasurable and satisfying to drive as an F1 is? Nowhere near.

[lauda]

flemke said:

Not yet; it's been PDI'd, but I should collect it next week.

My initial impression of the driver's manual is that it's about 10 times too long.
My intention when I collect the car is to tell the McLaren guys how I want the electronic gizmos set, they will set them, and then I hope to forget about them.
My initial impressions of the car are from when I drove one of the development/demonstrator cars about a year ago. It corners like it's on rails, it stops like it's got a parachute out the back, and the rate of acceleration is very similar to the F1's. Is it as pleasurable and satisfying to drive as an F1 is? Nowhere near.

Not too long to wait now then ...I can only imagine how excited I'd be if I was in your shoes. But then I guess already having an F1 might temper that a bit.

Do you hope that the P1 will be a more useable car than the F1 if it fails to match it on an emotional level?

[E65Ross]

flemke said:

Not yet; it's been PDI'd, but I should collect it next week.

My initial impression of the driver's manual is that it's about 10 times too long.
My intention when I collect the car is to tell the McLaren guys how I want the electronic gizmos set, they will set them, and then I hope to forget about them.
My initial impressions of the car are from when I drove one of the development/demonstrator cars about a year ago. It corners like it's on rails, it stops like it's got a parachute out the back, and the rate of acceleration is very similar to the F1's. Is it as pleasurable and satisfying to drive as an F1 is? Nowhere near.

Interesting thoughts, and probably what I expected. Though I am surprised you didn't say it felt quicker in acceleration than the F1. I mean, it's about 15% quicker to 100....thats fairly significant.

[flemke]

lauda said:

flemke said:

Not yet; it's been PDI'd, but I should collect it next week.

My initial impression of the driver's manual is that it's about 10 times too long.
My intention when I collect the car is to tell the McLaren guys how I want the electronic gizmos set, they will set them, and then I hope to forget about them.
My initial impressions of the car are from when I drove one of the development/demonstrator cars about a year ago. It corners like it's on rails, it stops like it's got a parachute out the back, and the rate of acceleration is very similar to the F1's. Is it as pleasurable and satisfying to drive as an F1 is? Nowhere near.

Not too long to wait now then ...I can only imagine how excited I'd be if I was in your shoes. But then I guess already having an F1 might temper that a bit.

Do you hope that the P1 will be a more useable car than the F1 if it fails to match it on an emotional level?

More useable because of things such as parking sensors, reversing camera, chassis lifting system, sat-nav, better hvac, ABS, traction control, better headlamps, "normal" clutch - all good.
Less useable because the driver does not sit in the middle and, quite important, the thing is too bloody wide.

I am looking forward to it, but I am so busy that it's not like I'll be able to drive it daily, or even weekly.

[Antony Moxey]

flemke said:

I am looking forward to it, but I am so busy that it's not like I'll be able to drive it daily, or even weekly.

More than happy to help you out on that score. If you're as busy as you say I'm prepared to travel to pick it up. We can discuss the minutae by PM if you'd prefer.