Flemke - Is this your McLaren? (Vol 5)

[douglas111]

Peloton25 said:

douglas111 said:

I actually prefer the first F1 shown at the launch that has the high wing mirrors and fog (?) lights next to the front air intakes. Incidentally, is that the only car with those lights?

The "Clinic Model" is the one you reference, but it was just a styling model built 9 months before the first real prototype with a proper carbon chassis was completed, so not a real car. The high mirrors were eliminated from the design almost immediately as they were not in conformance to the laws in the UK at the time. The fog lights did appear on XP1, XP2 and XP3, but the determination was made to eliminate them as the space was needed for additional cooling so they phased out during development and no production F1 features them.

douglas111 said:

What is the extra HDF kit, or HDF+ ? I assume the shark fin-like air outlets above the wheels but can't think what else.

Thzt's correct - the "Extra" in the Extra High Downforce Kit which is unique to two cars adds the ventilated topshell over the front wheels which mimics the style of vents found on the longtails.

Very interesting - Thanks ER!

[douglas111]

flemke said:

The wheels are different sizes from what was standard on the F1 road cars. This required different tyres, which was not a problem. What was and remains a problem is that the front tyre is sufficiently wider than standard that McLaren have to reduce the steering lock in order to maintain clearance. The standard f1 does not have the greatest turning circle, but with the wider wheels it becomes kind of ridiculous. Mini-roundabouts require three-point turns.

Thanks Flemke.

[PAUL500]

Interesting, I wonder what became of them as my understanding is that BMW have no more F1 engines and someone bought up the stockpile of spares a while back.

I am surprised the owners did not want to at least re use the original block in order to the keep the cars as matching numbers.

flemke said:

PAUL500 said:

A question regarding LM spec engines.

Is it a case that the original road car engine is stripped down and rebuilt to LM spec, or was the complete engine replaced? I imagine if its the latter then the owners retained the original road car engine?

IINM, it was a swap, with either BMW or McLaren retaining the original, as they do with gearboxes.

[flemke]

PAUL500 said:

Interesting, I wonder what became of them as my understanding is that BMW have no more F1 engines and someone bought up the stockpile of spares a while back.

Correct

PAUL500 said:

I am surprised the owners did not want to at least re use the original block in order to the keep the cars as matching numbers.

There never were "matching numbers" of chassis to engines or gearboxes, because McLaren made the chassis, BMW the engines and Ricardo (Ferguson) the transaxles. Each had its own serial number protocol.
There is a record of original number combinations, if you will, but nobody really cares about them.

I don't know for a fact that the owners never got their old engines back, but it was my impression that the LM engines were swapped (for a price, obviously), not bought additionally.

[flemke]

Peloton25 said:

Clearly there are differing perceptions, as one man sold it and the other suggests he won't ever part with it.

>8^)
ER

I was trying to be diplomatic in my choice of words. We're talking about differences of fact, not opinion or personal preference.

[F1GTRUeno]

The HDK always looks half-arsed compared to the LM or GTR IMO.

Because they don't add a skirt between the wheels, it raises the body between the wheels too high in relation to the lower front bumper and raises the entire stance of the car. If it had the LM/GTR skirt it'd be much better but I suspect they left that off to preserve the LM and GTR's look.

Basically it looks like you've started turning it into an LM lookalike but you've not received all the parts to make it one yet.

As flemke said, the standard F1 road car is a particularly handsome thing and is all the better for being devoid of a wing and the original front bumper looks better when paired with the side and rear of the standard car.

Edited by F1GTRUeno on Monday 6th March 01:23

[douglas111]

F1GTRUeno said:

The HDK always looks half-arsed compared to the LM or GTR IMO.

Because they don't add a skirt between the wheels, it raises the body between the wheels too high in relation to the lower front bumper and raises the entire stance of the car.[/footnote]

+1, although I didn't realise 'why' until your post.

[Ali2202]

With the acknowledgement we are in lower altitudes, what does our resident McLaren expert (and the rest of you) think of the 720S?....







I like it very much. Nostrils and all......

Edited by Ali2202 on Tuesday 7th March 19:44

[Peloton25]

I'm not an expert in anything but I'm definitely a fan of what they have come up with here and I'd freely admit if I wasn't.

I brought some of the advanced-reveal YouTube videos up on the big screen this morning after the car was launched and was positively loving it. Messed about with the online configurator too already, but haven't had a chance to settle on a final spec. If I was in the market they would have my money already.

>8^)
ER

[anniesdad]

Your passion for the marque is obvious Erik. I really hope that one day you get your McLaren.

[Rich_W]

Ali2202 said:

With the acknowledgement we are in lower altitudes, what does our resident McLaren expert (and the rest of you) think of the 720S?....







I like it very much. Nostrils and all......

Question is. If you removed the badges, could you tell it was a McLaren. I'm not sure tbh. It's not like their own car division has been around long enough to do a massive design change so early.

Honestly, the side profile shows the fronts all wrong. Nose "point" is too high and too long. Head on, those headlight recesses, clever as they no doubt are, don't do it any favours. Rear is a bit too busy but it's strongest angel IMO. #

The flippy dash is chav-tastic. Rest of the dash is not bad tbh. Rear 3/4 blindspots appear to be a thing of the past! Doors now hinge in the middle like a LaF which is better.

[douglas111]

Thanks for sharing.

It looks too busy to me. Maybe I'm just getting old.

The front is a bit different so at least they are not playing safe.

Edited by douglas111 on Tuesday 7th March 22:30

[JiggyJaggy]

First few minutes I disliked it but now it is growing on me more and more. Like yourself I preferred the cleaner lines of my MP4 but this is slowly looking better and better as proper images as featured.

[Peloton25]

Rich_W said:

Doors now hinge in the middle like a LaF which is better.

That's it - you're not allowed to post in the McLaren F1 thread anymore.

>8^)
ER

[flemke]

Peloton25 said:

Rich_W said:

Doors now hinge in the middle like a LaF which is better.

That's it - you're not allowed to post in the McLaren F1 thread anymore.

>8^)
ER

I think we should read the comment as meaning that doors that hinge from the middle are better than doors that do not hinge from the middle, not that the LaF is better than anything from McLaren, because of course it is not.

[Joe911]

720S

... not that my opinion will worry anyone, and I won't be buying for several reasons - not least being £250k short on the purchase price

Clearly a fabulous technological achievement and by all reports an decent shift up the scale in performance (not that it was in any way needed).

- the 'eyes' are just terrible
- the rotating display is a complete nonsense
- the styling seems too fussy
- from some angles with the wing up there's something MR2 or Panther Solo about it

Overall I don't totally hate the styling, it's mostly OK (except the headlights). There are some McL styling cues - but only when you look at the detail - I'd like to see it being more obviously a McL (which as someone said is a bit tricky as they've not been around that long and are still finding their feet). From a commercial perspective I'm sure the 720S will be a success - but McL seem to be desperate to trade purity for bling ... because it makes more money.

[Peloton25]

flemke said:

I think we should read the comment as meaning that doors that hinge from the middle are better than doors that do not hinge from the middle, not that the LaF is better than anything from McLaren, because of course it is not.

Sure - no issue with the LaFerrari (besides that name) but if one is going to make reference to the doors opening like something else, my point is there's a far more obvious candidate to associate it with in this situation.

>8^)
ER

[Mikeeb]

Good morning Flemke.

Quick question that I'm not sure has come up before.

It comes across that a big part of the reason for your modifications was to get rid of the overly tall/soft-walled tyres and the traits they caused. And so amongst other things you had some wheels designed/manufactured.

The LM's suspension/wheel set up would (I believe from what's been posted)get over a big proportion of this and I think give you some decent tyre options. But as you say the fronts are that much too wide messing up an already limited amount of steering lock.

If I recall correctly the LM's wheels were a standard OZ wheel. Would it not have been possible to get OZ to produce some front wheels in a more sensible width?

Is this a route that you considered? If so what prompted you to go the fresh development route you took?

Thanks

Mike

Edited by Mikeeb on Thursday 9th March 09:54

[PAUL500]

That 720 is a bit like Fatima Whitbread, you admire the strength, the work that has gone on with the engineering but oh boy its not a looker by any means is it. Way to fussy.

They need to get Peter Stevens back on board asap. Bloody hell he even made shopping car Rovers look good for a while.

With regards the HDF kit I had never put a pic of one alongside a pic of a GTR or LM to realise the differences, wow there are quite a few.

The Orange LM that Ralph Lauren owns is head and shoulders above all of them in my opinion, the ultimate looking road car, if I had the funds though mine would have a far more subtle and integrated rear wing, whilst the original is kept in storage :-)

Edited by PAUL500 on Wednesday 8th March 10:48

[anniesdad]

Peloton25 said:

Sure - no issue with the LaFerrari (besides that name) but if one is going to make reference to the doors opening like something else, my point is there's a far more obvious candidate to associate it with in this situation.

>8^)
ER

This candidate?