McLaren - Everything You Need To Know | Up to Speed

(screaming) - In 1953, at the age of 15, Bruce McLaren single-handedly converted an Austin Ulster to racing specifications. At 22 he became the youngest Formula 1 Grand Prix winner in history. So, with all that success in 1963, he said: I'm going to start my own company and I'll call it McLaren Motor Racing. Over time, the McLaren badge would become one of the most famous and historic in all of racing. But that was it, it was a racing company. They didn't build cars for the street. But Bruce, ever the dreamer, thought they could. Tragically, in 1970, when the project was still in the prototyping stage, Bruce died doing what he loved.

Him testing a new racing car. He was 32 years old, a year younger than me. The M6GT prototype was shelved, as was the dream of the best tram in the world. Sometimes a dream can outlive the dreamer, and sometimes a company can shoot for the moon and actually hit the target. This is

everything

you

need

to

know

to get up to

speed

with McLaren. (80s chiptune music) We're at McLaren Newport Beach sitting in front of a P1 worth about $3 million. (hip-hop beat) Thanks guys. Let's go back to the story. Ron Dennis took control of the racing company in 1980 and merged it with his own Project 4 racing company.

McLaren thrived under Dennis' leadership, as his cars dominated the circuits throughout the '80s. But the decision that would launch a bold new direction for the company didn't begin in a boardroom, or even on a track. A legend was not born when Dennis, technical director Gordon Murray and shareholder Mansour Ojjeh were stranded at an airport waiting for their flight. And when they got bored they started talking about things. Crazy things. Like that old idea of ​​making a McLaren tram. It was just a conversation to pass the time. But the idea remained. (laughs) Dennis had already created a sister company to McLaren Motor Racing called McLaren Cars, and until then the company had nothing to do.

They had a formal meeting in 1990 to get a general idea of ​​a McLaren tram. It lasted 10 hours. Nobody went to the bathroom. They didn't even buy them lunch. - What about the eleven? Lunch? Afternoon tea? - Everyone agreed that if they were going to do this, absolutely nothing would be compromised. The engine would have to be naturally aspirated, because even the slightest sign of turbo lag would be unacceptable. The car would have to be light, lighter than any other supercar. It would have to be fast, not just the fastest car at launch, but the fastest car for years to come. (engine roar) To build a basically impossible engine, the British company turned to the German masters at BMW.

Using nothing more than sheer will and magic, not to mention money, BMW engineers created the kind of fantasy engine that got them into engineering in the first place. A six-point-one-liter V12 that could generate more than 600 horsepower, with no turbo in sight. Meanwhile, McLaren had to figure out how to build an engine bay that could withstand the raw heat the V12 produced. They realized that the best material to use would be (bleep) gold. You

know

, gold, gold. So what did the executives say to this ridiculous request? - Very good, great. - But believe it or not, the gold isn't even the coolest part.

McLaren's racing division had already innovated with the use of carbon fiber in Formula 1. To achieve the desired lightness, McLaren chose to use this exotic material to build the body of its new street vehicle. Making it the first production car to do so. Carbon fiber has a better strength-to-weight ratio than aluminum, plastic and steel, but it costs a fortune. So McLaren spent a fortune. Last but not least, the team decided to put the driver's seat in the middle. Because? Because that's how it is in racing cars, that's why. Still, McLaren managed to fit two passenger seats behind and flanking the driver, which meant that, on top of

everything

else, the new McLaren had three seats.

And you

need

all three seats, because if you drive an F1, you will definitely leave the party with twins. Perhaps it was no surprise that McLaren, famous for its Formula 1 cars, called its new rocket F1. And you could buy one yourself from 1993 for a bargain price of just over $1 million. Given the price, it should come as no surprise that only around 100 F1s were made. But no matter how few they were, F1 fulfilled its mission. McLaren's first road car was hailed as the greatest performance car of all time. Exactly how Bruce had always wanted. It remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car of all time.

And this (bleep) was done in 1993. Being a racing company, McLaren created a racing variant called the F1 GTR and entered it into competition. This included the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. All the other companies were getting into racing car manufacturing. The F1 GTR was just a slightly modified streetcar. Like they added a rear spoiler and racing tires. (engine revving) Nobody expected McLaren to do very well, but against all odds and helped by a rain storm and a spectacular performance by the drivers, F1 really won. This made McLaren the first company to win in Formula 1, Indy 500 and Le Mans. - Curse! - If it were possible the halo around the car would have become even brighter.

The McLaren F1 remains one of the most famous cars ever made and remains a top collector's car today. And don't forget Mr. Bean smashed one. McLaren was virtually inactive for the next 15 years. From a partnership with Mercedes, the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren emerged in 1999. A Grand Tourer with more than 600 horsepower. But in reality it was more of a Mercedes project that McLaren helped with. In 2010, a new spin-off company, McLaren Automotive, was created. A sort of spiritual successor to McLaren Cars, which had manufactured F1. Obviously people were excited, I had an erection for nine weeks. - TMI, TMI my friends. - What could the new company do to follow the example of one of the great machines of all time?

The new company's first effort was the MP4-12C. A normal supercar built to compete with the Ferrari 458. The car was fantastic, a machine of smooth performance and pinpoint precision. If anything, people criticized it for being over-engineered, lacking the soul that Ferrari and Lamborghini were famous for. That is to say. started every time. (massive applause) The 12C was not only the reintroduction of McLaren to the world's roads, but the first McLaren that even simple millionaires like me could buy. The McLaren badge had come down to earth. Until he shot back into space. Because McLaren then announced their next car, and it was just a hybrid, you know, like a Prius.

But it had a total of 900 horsepower. It is made almost entirely of carbon fiber and goes from zero to sixty in two point eight seconds. The P1 turned the book on what hybrid technology could do for cars. Combined with the P1's light weight and dynamic suspension, the result was one of the most ballistic cars ever made. (engine roaring) Finally F1 had an heir. While the P1 was busy adorning the garages of billionaires around the world, McLaren hadn't forgotten about us poor millionaires. For the 2015 model year, the 12C was replaced by the 650S, more or less an updated version of the same car.

And then they opened the floodgates. The 2016 season saw the launch of no less than three new McLarens. The 570S is an entry-level McLaren. I'm so rich. The 540C was intended for Chinese markets, but is still available elsewhere, and the 675LT is a high-end long-tail version. A Grand Tour variant, the 570GT arrived the following year, and for the 2018 season the 720S was launched as a replacement for the 650S. Clearly someone at McLaren thinks this strategy makes sense. But overall these are all great machines, tailor-made for different purposes and budgets. Assuming your bag is very big and so is mine.

Donut pays me 1 million dollars for each Up To Speed. McLaren Automotive has finally fulfilled the vision its founder had almost 50 years ago. F1 set the bar for cars forever, P1 did it again. Ron Dennis took pride in the badge, but in 2017 Dennis sold the last shares of the company and walked away. McLaren is moving into the future under new leadership. But what a start Dennis had given them. That's all you need to know to accelerate McLaren. Hit the subscribe button, the more subscribers we have, the more cool things like this we can do and we'll bring you all.

Thanks to McLaren of Newport Beach for allowing us to come here, look around and film this. This thing has two turbos. If you want to know how they work, watch this episode of Science Garage. Do you like F1? Watch my son Nolan's show. Follow me on Instagram, @JamesPumphrey. Follow Donut on Instagram, @DonutMedia. I love you. I love you. I love it.