A unique driving experience
The philosophy behind the McLaren F1 road car was simple: to build the finest driver's car ever made.
This meant that every traditional car design convention had to be rethought. Visibility, and control over the F1’s record-breaking performance were fundamental to the car’s driveability. After all, we weren’t building a race car; we were creating a 240.1mph sports car that could be driven by people with no racing experience, on a busy motorway or through a town centre. The driver had to be in total control. So, the first drawing on our F1 designs was of a person.
Putting the driver in the centre
We created a unique driving position for the F1, to give the driver a greater sense of control over the vehicle. The 3-seat layout, with a central driving position, has similar advantages to those of a single-seater racing car: the driver enjoys unrivalled forward visibility, with almost no obstructions. The view of the road is clear and commanding. This packaging and unique layout also has the benefit of creating space for two passengers.
Made to measure
The F1 cockpit was made-to-measure for each driver: the customer was invited into the McLaren workshop to have the cockpit tailored around him or her, in an F1 mock-up. This fitting included careful consideration of steering wheel positioning and adjustability range. All the controls and switchgear were placed to ensure that the driver had everything immediately to hand, on the road and on the racetrack.