Senna's McLaren MP4/4

[fatboy69]

After having a quick flick through the latest issue of Top Gear i have just seen the photo on page 46 of Lewis driving out of the pit garage in the gorgeous MP4/4.

What a stunning photo. Am i the only one who had a shiver when seeing the photo the first time? If you ignore the Vodafone sticker on Lewis's crash helmet you can see Senna at the wheel.

Magnificent & cannot wait for the Top Gear film in a couple of weeks. Only gripe i have is the lack of Marlboro decals.

I understand the no tobacco advertising rules, however...... wouldnt it be nice to see it fully Marlboro liveried. Just once.

Also just watched the You-Tube footage of Lewis & Jensen in Ron's toy cupboard. They found the MP4/4...

The pair of them looked like kids in a sweet shop & appeared genuinely moved by the car's history.

How good do the older F1 cars look when compared with the current F1 cars?

The cars just look so much better so why cant we go retro & get some good looking F1 cars designed?

Turbo's, manual gearboxes, three pedals & big fat sticky slicks.... Yes please. If only.

[DJC]

fatboy69 said:

After having a quick flick through the latest issue of Top Gear i have just seen the photo on page 46 of Lewis driving out of the pit garage in the gorgeous MP4/4.

What a stunning photo. Am i the only one who had a shiver when seeing the photo the first time? If you ignore the Vodafone sticker on Lewis's crash helmet you can see Senna at the wheel.

Magnificent & cannot wait for the Top Gear film in a couple of weeks. Only gripe i have is the lack of Marlboro decals.

I understand the no tobacco advertising rules, however...... wouldnt it be nice to see it fully Marlboro liveried. Just once.

Also just watched the You-Tube footage of Lewis & Jensen in Ron's toy cupboard. They found the MP4/4...

The pair of them looked like kids in a sweet shop & appeared genuinely moved by the car's history.

How good do the older F1 cars look when compared with the current F1 cars?

The cars just look so much better so why cant we go retro & get some good looking F1 cars designed?

Turbo's, manual gearboxes, three pedals & big fat sticky slicks.... Yes please. If only.

And theres the difference between Enzo Ferrari and you. Sentiment was irrelevent and racing drivers were expendable. Personally, Im with Enzo otherwise its just maudling sentiment and that sucks.

[fatboy69]

Personal choice isnt it? Apart from Gilles, Enzo wasnt particularly close to many of his drivers. As you say, the drivers were expendable & yesterday meant sod all to Enzo.

Hence he broke up many of his cars once they were of no further use.

Ron on the other hand, for all his faults, is passionate. Hence his love of all things McLaren. & Senna.

Nothing wrong with either view i suppose. It's down to the individual.

[belleair302]

If the Top Gear piece was a documentary in its purest form then the livery could remain for BBC broadcast, but as an entertainment programme then it is no tobacco and no alcohol....although McLaren in the 1980's and mid 90's was alcohol free.

Pop up to Silverstone in ten days time or the Goodwood Revival in September to see cars in their full livery!!!

[Mazda Baiter]

fatboy69 said:

Personal choice isnt it? Apart from Gilles, Enzo wasnt particularly close to many of his drivers.

Cough Peter Collins Cough

[Mazda Baiter]

fatboy69 said:

Personal choice isnt it? Apart from Gilles, Enzo wasnt particularly close to many of his drivers.

Cough Peter Collins Cough

[williamp]

and Mike Hawthorn.

[DJC]

fatboy69 said:

Personal choice isnt it? Apart from Gilles, Enzo wasnt particularly close to many of his drivers. As you say, the drivers were expendable & yesterday meant sod all to Enzo.

Hence he broke up many of his cars once they were of no further use.

Ron on the other hand, for all his faults, is passionate. Hence his love of all things McLaren. & Senna.

Nothing wrong with either view i suppose. It's down to the individual.

And Ron for most of the 80s and 90s was hard and cold as ice. Passionate about winning and passionate about making Macca the best. An attitude forged through his time during the 60s and 70s and why Ron and Bernie have always got on so well. Both guys cut from the same cloth.

[fatboy69]

i dont see what is wrong with either Ron's attitude or that of Enzo for that matter. Winning mattered to both of them didnt it?

Anyway, somehow the gist of my original posting seems to have been lost doesnt it?

I dont want to get into a debate about individuals.

My posting was about a beautiful race car.

[custardtart]

Thanks for the post, great clip. talk about ghosts of the past seeing all those cars wrapped under plastic sheeting.

[Eric Mc]

Don't forget that in some races in period, these cars did run without the Marlborough lettering so it would still be correct to show them in the liveries they wore at (say) the 1989 British or German GPs.

How come Top Gear were able to feature the 1972 Lotus 72 in full John Player Special livery a couple of years ago> I think there is special dispensation for the showing ofr historic liveries.

I think Mc Laren keep the cars in store without the ciggie lettering so they can be flexible as to how they are painted up depending on what occasion they are taking part in. My hunch is that they didn't bother putting the full livery on for the filming.

[Simes205]

The MP4/4 (like the Ferrari 640/1) is one of the most beautiful F1 cars of the contemporary era.
I've been fortunate to see it more recently go up the hill at Goodwood where it's been demonstrated on a number of occasions.

[DrTre]

At the risk of sounding contrary for the sake of it, I prefer the MP4/5, aesthetically. Very angular, and with the airbox inlet that is missing on turbo cars, much more aggressive and more how, in my minds eye, I think a typical F1 car looks.

Best looking F1 car ever IMO.

[TXWRX]

not quite ron's collection but to anyone who hasn't been take a trip to donington, there's loads of stuff and the mclaren section is particularly impressive with cars all of which have proper race history

couple of pictures:

[Gregor Marshall]

If you go to Donington now you'll find a lot of those cars have no Marlboro advertising - McLaren remove it through their choice, not through any advertising ban.

[Park'O]

fatboy69 said:

How good do the older F1 cars look when compared with the current F1 cars?

Not good at all im afraid! If you would of said this two years ago, then i'd probably agree!

[Fire99]

Park'O said:

fatboy69 said:

How good do the older F1 cars look when compared with the current F1 cars?

Not good at all im afraid! If you would of said this two years ago, then i'd probably agree!

I'm with Fatboy on this one. The current cars with their ridiculous front wings still look like lawnmowers and with their narrow track look long and cumbersome.

The late 80's was very kind to F1 cars in asthetics.

[jeff666]

Gregor Marshall said:

If you go to Donington now you'll find a lot of those cars have no Marlboro advertising - McLaren remove it through their choice, not through any advertising ban.

I was there a couple of days ago, all the cars still had the marlboro advertising on them.

[mattikake]

Fire99 said:

Park'O said:

fatboy69 said:

How good do the older F1 cars look when compared with the current F1 cars?

Not good at all im afraid! If you would of said this two years ago, then i'd probably agree!

I'm with Fatboy on this one. The current cars with their ridiculous front wings still look like lawnmowers and with their narrow track look long and cumbersome.

The late 80's was very kind to F1 cars in asthetics.

I think current cars are ok. Take a look back at a 2008 spec car. Man, they look st. Front wing too high and narrow. Rear wing too low and flat. And a tonne of daft winglets. Before the recent rule changes F1 cars were as digusting as they had ever been by a mile.

2010 spec cars are closer to 80's in looks than a 2008 car.

Anyway, best thing about an MP4/4 is the turbo spool-up whistle. Stands out a mile at the FOS. Sounds like it's trying to suck in the entire world.

[freedman]

mattikake said:

Fire99 said:

Park'O said:

fatboy69 said:

How good do the older F1 cars look when compared with the current F1 cars?

Not good at all im afraid! If you would of said this two years ago, then i'd probably agree!

I'm with Fatboy on this one. The current cars with their ridiculous front wings still look like lawnmowers and with their narrow track look long and cumbersome.

The late 80's was very kind to F1 cars in asthetics.

I think current cars are ok. Take a look back at a 2008 spec car. Man, they look st. Front wing too high and narrow. Rear wing too low and flat. And a tonne of daft winglets. Before the recent rule changes F1 cars were as digusting as they had ever been by a mile.

2010 spec cars are closer to 80's in looks than a 2008 car.

Anyway, best thing about an MP4/4 is the turbo spool-up whistle. Stands out a mile at the FOS. Sounds like it's trying to suck in the entire world.

Worst thing about the current cars is the hideous 'IRL' fins on the engine covers