F1 fans often complain over the hybrid V6 turbo engine’s uninspiring exhaust, and I’m one of them. Other than the soundtrack, single-seaters from the olden days have another trump card over modern F1 cars.
I am referring to the power-to-weight ratio, which is noticeably higher on the Benetton B197 from 1997 compared to Mercedes’ title-challenging W12 from 2021. Tipping the scales at 525 kilograms (1,157 pounds), the V10-engined senior citizen packs a free-breathing mill with approximately 770 horsepower and 520 Nm (384 pound-feet) of torque on tap. According to Driven Media, the math works out at a simply ludicrous 1,466 horsepower per metric ton.
By comparison, the McLaren 570GT is a different animal in every respect because the British automaker (and Formula 1 team) has developed it for driving on the street instead of the circuit. All the safety nannies and other whatnots translate to 1,495 kilograms (3,296 pounds) for the lightest specification offered, which isn’t too shabby for Macca’s base model.
Under the hood, you’ll find a force-fed V8 that displaces 3.8 liters and produces 562 horsepower plus 600 Nm (443 pound-feet) of torque. Just like the Formula 1 car, the 570GT sends the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to the rear wheels through a paddle-shift transmission although they’re very different by design (as in dual-clutch box vs. non-synchronous sequential tranny).
On the first race, the McLaren gets better off the line although it fails to keep up with the relentless acceleration of the Benetton B197 that revs much higher than the 570GT. Second time out, the Macca gets off even better while the Formula 1 car spins the rear wheels like there’s no tomorrow. In spite of this downside, the B197 covers the quarter-mile in as little as 9.1 seconds compared to 10.1 seconds for the British interloper from Woking.
The Benetton also makes easy work of the 570GT from a roll, and the braking test ends in victory for the much lighter Formula 1 car as well despite the temperamental brakes and the lack of anti-lock braking assistance.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News