Pursuit of Perfection: The McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 is, in many ways, a crowning achievement for BMW engine development. While BMW wasn’t Maclaren’s first choice for drivetrain suitors (that honor goes to Honda who simply couldn’t deliver the figures Gordan Murrey requested), the match turned out to be a perfect one. The BMW M Division created an engine that had its roots in that original inline six found in the M1 and subsequent iterations found in the M5 and M6. Even the four cylinder found in the E30 could lay some claim to a family relation to the mightly 6.0L V12 that was eventually delivered to McLaren. Yes the engine came in a little overweight in production trim, but then again it produced 627 hp and featured technology that was beyond bleeding edge for the time. Of course the performance figures say all that needs to be said; 0-60 in 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 240 + mph.

But that’s just one part of the story with the F1. And while it’s not a true BMW, it is a distant relation that is an important part of the history of the marque. So with that in mind we present to you the four part series on the making of the McLaren F1 and its 1995 assault on LeMans simply titled Pursuit of Perfection. The other three videos are after the jump.

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