|McLAREN F1 - THE SUPER CAR



 It's  bold, british and beautiful - but you'll need to win the national
lottery to buy it.

 This is the awesome Mclaren F1, a car designed for power-loving punters
with a fat wallet and gold-plated cheque book...

 Capable  of  231 miles per hour, it is every bit the street racer - the
most  exclusive road-going vehicle on four wheels ever dreamed up and at
634,500 quid a shot, it is likely to stay that way!

 Just starting the car is an adventure on it's own, like a fighter pilot
firing  up  his jet, you flick up a cover and push the button underneath
as  the massive 6.1-litre BMW/McLAREN V12 engine bursts into life behind
you.   It  is fitted with three seats - one in the centre of the car for
the driver and two passenger seats set just behind.

 Rear  views  are not brilliant, as the huge dorsal air intake dominates
the  central  position,  exactly  where the driver is sitting.  It does,
however  have  two  interior mirrors twinned with the usual pair of wing
mirrors.

 Squat,  functional  or  just  beautiful - you can make up your own mind
about  the F1's shape.  But it is attractive and, if it was parked for a
few minutes, we could guarantee a crowd gathering around.  Cecil Kimber,
the  MG  sports car founder demanded that his cars should look fast even
when standing still and the F1 certainly does that...

 From  the  centre of the car, the view of the road is superb.  But it's
an unusual driving position and there are times when it feels like being
the  pilot  of  a  rocket  - all that remains is to light the blue touch
paper...

 At  any  engine  speed  in any gear, the F1 thrusts forward.  Press the
throttle  a  little  harder  than usual and the wheels spin and the back
squirms.   But the steering, heavy and uncommunicative at low speeds, is
superbly direct and correcting a slide is simple....

 At  the  same  time  it telegraphs one simple message through the wheel
rim:  " JUST DON'T PUSH IT, DICKHEAD."

 After  a  McLAREN,  there  are  on  other  cars.   It's  the supercar's
swansong.

|Now for a bit of a tech spec:-


MAX SPEED - 231mph

0-60mph   - 3.2sec

BODY      - 3 seater coupe, mid-engined

ENGINE    - aluminium-alloy, 6,064cc, V12

MAX POWER - 627bhp

GEARBOX   - transverse mounted, six speed manual

ECONOMY   - 20mpg

PRICE     - a snip at only 634,500 quid (I'll have two - in my dreams)

                         signed PANEAD/DENGUE

Late Addition - Did you all see "Bugs" on Saturday 6th May?  The F1 was
                featured as a future supercar with all the latest bits
                and bobs, with a couple of gorgeous babes driving it as
                well, the director of "Bugs" sure knows how to pull in
                the red-blooded male viewers doesn't he?