Thursday 19th January 2012

Chris Harris video: shotgun in a McLaren F1

Harris isn't driving this time but as passenger rides go the McLaren F1's a killer

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The list of attributes that make the McLaren F1 one of, perhaps the most famous sports car of the modern era probably contains references to every single area of vehicle design. Each of us has our favourite anecdote about its genesis: the crazy lightweight Kenwood disc changer, the gold-plated engine bay, the forged pedals - the unimaginable levels of OCD brilliance that forced Mr.Murray's team to make a one-off.

But the one fact that I still find fascinating about the F1 is the relationship between the road car and the race car which won Le Mans in 1995. This was a car that had to be detuned to meet the regulations, leaving it with just 600bhp to the street car's 627bhp. Otherwise, the two are pretty similar, to the point that it is perfectly possible to road register a well-known race car - one that scored a victory for Ralf Schumacher in the Japanese GT championship at Fuji - and potter about in it.

There is something intoxicating about a fully liveried, 600bhp endurance racer mixing it with the traffic. I could watch it for hours. Not sure I could sit in it for that long, but the noise, and the smells and the sense that in the mid-90s McLaren took the supercar handbook and simply threw it in the bin make the F1 the ultimate passenger experience.

Now of course you don't need me to explain anything more about this car: PH is the single best resource for the F1, thanks to Mr. Flemke and his mission to make his personal F1 the very best driving machine on the planet. So watch this, then visit that thread.

Above all, listen to the noise.

 

 

 

[Dagnut]

what a machine slightly disappointing you couldn't drive it...Sutcliff got a go in nick masons GTR..video on autocar channel

Edited by Dagnut on Wednesday 18th January 20:56

[steedy27]

That is amazing - What happened with the rozzers? I also wonder if Dick Lovett will let me have a look at it in their showroom?

Edited by steedy27 on Wednesday 18th January 20:38

[m444ttb]

Can't wait until the Swindon Advertiser see this! Harris will be on a par with the devil himself. Wish I'd been there to see it!

Edited by m444ttb on Wednesday 18th January 20:36

[Slinky1989]

Nice to see that was around my area. Shame that I didn't get to see it

But Jesus what a machine!

[m444ttb]

I'd make more effort to get to the Swindon meets if this was there

[Richie200]

Lucky, lucky boy that Chris!

[TVR500Morgan]

Surely this has the highest average PH o' meter rating ever

[obscene]

That is all.

[LuckyP]

Le Mans....

1995....

Going into the night, raining......

Were you there?????

[lazystudent]

Is that Andy74b's car!?

Either way, great video!!!

[Crunchy Nutter]

That is absolutely brilliant! Brave/stupid, take your pick, but by God is that something you'd remember forever. Good effort, Harris!

[Mini1275]

The McLaren F1 is my dream Supercar.

The way it goes, the way it looks, the way it sounds , just superb.

Great vid.

What's the story with the cops? .

[Digger]

Hope the driver didnt get into trouble with them plod for carting you sans-seatbelts.

[mrdemon]

Strange, people have been locked away for less , posting you tubes vids like that.
Must have been doing 120+ mph. I don,t get why you would post that.

[NotNormal]

lazystudent said:

Is that Andy74b's car!?

Either way, great video!!!

Certainly is, it seems he is a very trusting owner.

Good vid though

[cheddar]

mrdemon said:

Strange, people have been locked away for less , posting you tubes vids like that.
Must have been doing 120+ mph. I don,t get why you would post that.

Thought the same but difficult to quantify, it'd never stand up in court, 'sept the seatbelt bit - and that lorry might have been reversing

[anonymous-user]

mrdemon said:

Strange, people have been locked away for less , posting you tubes vids like that.
Must have been doing 120+ mph. I don,t get why you would post that.

Yes but those people are usually stupid enough to have the camera in a position where the speedo is in view, for example on the tank of a bike.

I did not see a speedo shot in this video or any mention of the speed limit being broken whatsoever.

You can't prove he was speeding just because it sounded a bit loud...

[Crimp a Length!]

Awesome, hats off to Chris feckin madman!

[Dagnut]

NinjaPower said:

Yes but those people are usually stupid enough to have the camera in a position where the speedo is in view, for example on the tank of a bike.

I did not see a speedo shot in this video or any mention of the speed limit being broken whatsoever.

You can't prove he was speeding just because it sounded a bit loud...

spot on what can they prove from that footage?

[F1GTRUeno]

lazystudent said:

Is that Andy74b's car!?

Either way, great video!!!

It is indeed.

Chassis #13R.

You've just gotta love the noise, and the lunacy to go in it without a seat/seatbelts. Fair play to CH!