As if the McLaren F1 supercar wasn’t extreme enough back in the 1990s, the British company decided the BMW-powered car could go even bigger and race in a variety of motorsport events.
That’s how the McLaren F1 GTR came to life, using an downgraded version of the S70/2 V12 engine developed by the Motorsport division of BMW at their request. That’s right, it had to be restricted, to make less power so that the competition would be fair for the other cars on the track.
Initially, the 6-liter engine developed by the Bavarians made 618 HP and 650 Nm (480 lb-ft) of torque, revving up to 7,500 RPM. In 1995, that power had to be taken down to 600 HP. Therefore, an air restrictor was installed on the GTR to limit its ‘madness’. However, the racing model was lighter on its feet than the road-going car, making it faster and more nimble overall.
The car you’re about to see is a 1996 model that belongs to BMW North America. Back in the day it was used to race cars like the Ferrari F50 GT and the Porsche 911 GT1 and was assisted throughout its endeavors by the Motorsport division of BMW that was also involved in various events with their own F1s.
Getting back to the GTR, we should also mention that the 1996 version was the fastest of the GTRs, reaching a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph) on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans, being even faster than the 1996 Porsche GT1.
That’s the car you’re watching in the video below, being driven by Justin Bell on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car course. The sound it absolutely incredible. Check it out!
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