Replies to McLaren F1 questions and comments

[polarbert]

flemke said:

frik said: polarbert said: Frik said: polarbert said: it is a true racing car for the road, i agree that we wont see anything like it, nowadays they would put a flappy paddle gearshift in that ala SLR Is this a joke? what do you mean by this? i dont understand frik??? - Gordon Murray has stated explicitly that he designed a road car not a road going race car. - Then as now a semi-auto change would not fit with the original brief (eg no brake servos or power steering). - The SLR doesn't have any paddles. I don't think polarbert was saying that in the current environment G. Murray would choose to make a different, less "pure" car (such as one with paddle shifters or clutchless shifting). Rather, he seemed to be saying that in the current environment a less pure car is the only kind that could end up being produced. His point is well taken. After all, Murray and his McLaren colleagues seem to have made a valiant effort to minimise the weight, complexity and fussiness of their latest road car, yet Mercedes ended up giving us the SLR. It is true that the F1 was meant only to be a road car. Alas.

flemke is bang on with what i meant.

i knew that it was meant to be a road car, it is true that the SLR doesn't have paddles, but it has closer to paddles, than a full manual gearbox, ie the buttons on the steering wheel for changing gear, less of a proper car like the F1 with a manual, more of a playstation type control in the sense you dont have a clutch to press or gear leaver, just the buttons, like in a game