Arguably one of the greatest cars ever created, the McLaren F1 is a vehicle that had the same impact of the Bugatti Veyron. It set the production vehicle top speed record and held it for quite a bit of time.
What made this such a particularly interesting vehicle is that it was designed to be the greatest car, period. Though I'd argue it was a pretty purposeful engineering feat, it also is said to be a pretty streetworthy car — keep in mind I am NOT talking about the LMs.
Though there are plenty of areas that are fascinating when it comes to the McLaren F1, the bit everyone likes to discuss is the BMW V12 powerplant. It's a beautiful thing to look at and it sounds absolutely maniacal. Because these vehicles are so rare — less than 100 in existence — it's just about impossible to see the engine completely exposed.
But leave it to Jay Leno to take matters into his own hands, quite literally, with his resident mechanic. They just pulled out the F1's V12 from the body to give it a proper check up. I doubt other F1 owners would ever think of doing such a thing but remember this is Leno we're talking about.
A couple of highlights for the car geek in me:
- Look at that headers of this motor — beautiful!
- It features an F1 style fuel tank
That said, this is quite a sensational clip, so, give it a watch. It's not a 20-minute Leno special either...
Ever wonder what the McLaren F1's engine looks like up close when it's not in a car? Well, today's your lucky day!