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Video: The raw sound of McLaren F1’s V12 is sublime

28th April 2021
Will Bibb

Nobody could resist this: the sound of a 6.1-litre V12 in the morning! Here we are, lucky enough to bear witness to the full symphony from inside the cockpit of a McLaren F1.

Riding through twisting turns, the pilot barely touches the sides of the mighty 627PS (461kW) capability as he works his way through the six-speed manual ’box.

Known as one of the most desirable road cars ever made, and a Le Mans winner to boot, this video goes some way to justify the McLaren F1’s exalted status for the uninitiated. Hidden amongst the riotous engine scream one can just hear the comments between the driver and cameraman: “It’s really astonishing how nicely it puts the power down… Yeah very smooth – impressive! It just pulls!” An understatement perhaps?

The F1 is considered amongst the fastest naturally-aspirated road cars ever made, equalling the likes of the Ferrari Enzo and Aston Martin One-77 which were designed and produced over a decade later. While only delivering a small slice of the McLaren F1’s true glory, this video is enough to get the goosebumps going

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