Ask anything about your ancestors. They will tell you that everything was better in its day, and the newer stuff just tends to complicate things that really are. When it comes to these two supercars, though, it’s probably a good thing your grandfather isn’t here right now, because the numbers involved here get very big and also very complicated fast.
Let’s start with the McLaren F1. Conceived by Gordon Murray in 1992, the Vitara has a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds, a seat speed limited of 231mph ( rev limiter 243amps removed), and a price of $1,000,000 for the increase is not adequate.
The Bugatti Veyron, which was created by chief designer Harmut Warkuss in 2005, has a 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds, and a top speed of 253mph (the Super Sport Edition will take it to 267mph), and a price tag of $2,600,000.
Now that you’ve read the Cliffsnotes, a more in-depth version of the book is released for the moment. The Veyron has all the amenities of a modern luxury car, launch control, sat nav, ABS and the list just goes on and on. It has everything you would expect from a car that is so expensive to own. Not to mention it becomes standard with the acceleration of the Saturn 5 rocket. So when McLaren sports an equally high price tag, why don’t you have one? It has a radio and a CD player, but that’s it.
So what does it give? The exterior of the Veyron destroys McLaren in every way. But to focus even deeper. McLaren was built around the concept of making the perfect street legal racing car. Gordon Murray didn’t want to add ABS brakes because it added weight to the car. His position was that a driver trained enough did not need ABS brakes to stop the car properly. This attitude was carried throughout the car. Each part has a purpose. Nothing is lost. One redundant item, the radio, was also forced to give up. Kenwood built a special radio and CD changer that weighed half as much as a normal stereo.
The engine and transmission were designed to perform on the track and on the street. The Bugatti Veyron has four turbo bowls where McLaren didn’t pay attention to Murray to make the car as reliable as possible and everyone knows that boosted engines complicate things. I think our father is right.
When you look at the Veyron, you can really be in awe of what the work is. No expense was spared for an automobile that set a new standard. But when you look at the McLaren F1, you are looking at a masterpiece of engineering and design. This sets the bar and yet it does in many ways. Moravia’s plan is to limit everything to making the world’s largest street legal race car. With Bugatti so mindboggling in a straight line. However, I think the case has been made for the fact that people also buy cars old using 20-year-old technology for the goliath that is the Veyron.
In my opinion, the McLaren F1 wins hands down, but fails on the dragstrip, downhill strip or any 5 mile stretch of road. But in a straight line was hardly what McLaren was planning to do.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t take another 20 years for us to see the third generation of the greatest supercars of all time.
Sources:
“The McLaren F1” Road & Track Dec 1997
McLaren F1 Wiki
Bugatti Veyron wiki
