zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
McLaren Had To Build Three F1 GTRs Because One Was Too Expensive
McLaren Had To Build Three F1 GTRs Because One Was Too Expensive-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:46

Ray Bellm ordered a McLaren F1 road car soon after the premier in 1992, but while he was racing Porsches, he realized an F1 race car could dominate everything. The problem for Ray is that McLaren wanted $1.5 million for a one-off race car.

Since Bellm didn't have that kind of money, McLaren head Ron Dennis agreed to build three cars instead if Ray found those customers. The deal was done, and the McLaren F1 GTR was born.

The 1995 cars were hardly more than stripped out road cars. They had the stock suspension components and steering racks, and while Bellm insisted that the GTRs had to remain easy to drive, comfortable for somebody as tall as 6'3" and cool enough for a 24-hour race, was so brilliant that they barely had to modify anything to end up with the fastest thing on the grid.

The F1 GTRs also had more power and more torque than any of their opponents thanks to BMW M's glorious V12.

While their relatively short wheelbase, tendency to roll and a bit of uncertainty under heavy braking made the McLarens quite a handful to drive, having the lowest center of gravity, a monster amount of torque out of the corners and the all important reliability gave them the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 13th position at Le Mans in 1995.

The rest is history, but as for the anniversary celebrations, I'm sure we'll learn more about the time .

McLaren Special Operations built another limited edition 650S, but this one is very, very special…

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
May 14, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
May 14, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
May 14, 2025
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
May 14, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
May 14, 2025
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
May 14, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved