When the World's Fastest Road Car Went Racing

The mid 1990s saw the re-birth of GT class racing. The BPR Global GT series (later the FIA GT Championship) was launched in 1994, and saw everyone from Ferrari and Porsche, and even Venturi battle it out on race tracks around the world. Only a couple of years prior to the launch of BPR Global GT however, McLaren had launched the greatest supercar ever made, and so of course, it went racing. This is the story of the McLaren F1 GTR.
#mclaren #lemans #racing

[@rhyswilliams4893]

Epic video but small correction Ron Dennis didn't have anything to do with the actual design of the car. He's just gave Murray Mclaren backing

[@automobilistic]

You're right, my mistake. I should have said Peter Stevens instead of Ron Dennis

[@alexairconditioning1581]

Gordon murray didnt design the F1 it was steve nichols and someone else who I forget. There is a video about this.

[@rhyswilliams4893]

@@alexairconditioning1581 he was cheif designer and came up with the original concept, Stevens was a huge part and did the engineering side of it and Paul Rouche worked the engine.

[@patrickparisienne1917]

@@alexairconditioning1581 Steve Nichols was not involved in the F1 road car, he was in the Formula 1 design team, and drew the famous MP 4/4

[@workspilot.]

@@rhyswilliams4893 you make it seem like you seen a Mclaren F1 GTR in person. I seen one only at the museum.

[@samacw]

McLaren won Le Mans with a road car. Everyone else then poured into GT1 with prototypes and it couldn't really keep up. Still an awesome record.

[@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo]

Not really it fought a good fight in 1997 in GT1.... Schnitzer were point leaders until the championship race. Steve sopers car cought on fire thus giving it to Mercedes...... That's pretty impressive for a car that old and against prototypes...... Goes to show you how good the F1 was......

[@Aladinscave]

It’s a road car build like a race car that went racing so not really surprised at it’s success on the track as a “road car” to be fair. It was also insanely expensive and still is even more so today, for it’s price tag it had to be fantastic. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@samacw]

@@Aladinscave the thing is, it was probably the first hypercar. The EB110 and XJ220 were great, but didn't have that futuristic level of excellence. They were a step ahead of the F40 or 959 whereas the McLaren was a generation ahead.

[@invertedv12powerhouse77]

@@Aladinscave wrong. Cars at that price tag aren't always the most impressive in all aspects.

[@replynotificationsdisabled]

And a c7 gt3 is a road car.

[@SaraSpruce]

If I remember correctly, Mercedes actually secretly used an F1-GTR chassis as a test mule while developing the CLK-GTR, and after development concluded, the chassis was converted into a road legal F1-GTR that is on the road today.

[@Spherz]

Yup, CLK-F1 test mule, only a few spy-shots exist They actually crashed the mule and it was converted to a road car after

[@automobilistic]

They did! I talked about that in my video about the CLK-GTR/CLR. You can understand why haha

[@SaraSpruce]

@@automobilistic Ah, I'll have to check that video out! This is the first video of yours I've seen.

[@giovinodelante9658]

Probably the only YT Channel that really tells EVERY part of the story when talking about cars. Truly underrated.

[@navalhistoryhub3748]

Never a truer word said! Phenomenal channel.

[@DAVIDJAMES12691]

Spot on, this is the exact amount of detail I enjoy when learning about automotive history. This dude’s channel is incredible, deserves more eyes on it.

[@DroneStrike1776]

Hagerty - Jason Camissa has entered chat

[@TheFurryInShambles]

The UenoClinic sponsored Mclaren F1 is the best car Polyphony ever added in Gran Turismo 6.

[@theamalgamut8871]

Look at that amount of GTs from different brands on the track... Those were the days..

[@kenxiong6830]

The last place the McLaren F1 raced was in the JGTC in Japan. It was a beautiful car that was still competitive

[@MidnightMechanic]

The McLaren was F1 inspired, then the F50 released that Ferrari claimed was as close to driving an F1 car. Former McLaren engineers at Caparo then said hold my protractor, and built an actual F1 car for the road, that was actually too light for its own good, as the only weight it had was in downforce.

[@Happy-wb8gi]

yet the engine was German! easy when someone else builds the heart!

[@rexthewolf3149]

@@Happy-wb8gi because Honda, mclaren’s f1 engine provider at the time didn’t want to build a brand new engine for a limited production car. Mclaren didn’t start to build engines for their cars until the actual road car business was formed in 2010

[@Happy-wb8gi]

@@rexthewolf3149 bro, you seriously don't see my point! Regardless of Honda or what Mclaren could or could not do at the time.e of F1, The F1 is not a pure Mclaren, its heart is German. At tge end, all Mclaren done was build the body!

[@rexthewolf3149]

@@Happy-wb8gi You don’t have a point. Your judging the f1 by the standards of today. McLaren in the 80s wasn’t an engine manufacturer. The F1 just like their Race cars were collaborative effort. It doesn’t diminish the “purity”. It’s more a testament to how much they have changed that now they can build things with needing to have someone else build an engine. Except for their f1 cars.

[@dovydasandriejus3964]

@@Happy-wb8gi the engine is nothing without the body

[@lmc333]

I am here on this channel for all the Gran Turismo songs playing in the background LOL 😂

[@camraceranimation]

This Gran Turismo music takes this to another level

[@nakazatotakeshi4286]

That one Ueno Clinic sponsored McLaren F1 still the best sponsor I've ever seen

[@connor6984]

Love the soundtrack… GT4 vibes

[@marctownsend5711]

I was at the Donnington round featured heavily in this video and you have to appreciate how exciting it was. Two years earlier GT racing was Harriers and 935 replicas and now we had F1s, XJ 220s, F40s etc…. GT racing never looked back.

[@Ikcatcher]

I really appreciate you always using Gran Turismo music for your videos, really gives it a more classy presentation

[@snaillio]

I first discovered this car in Need For Speed High Stakes. I have dreamed of this car ever since. Just to see a gtr Longtail is a bucket list item for me. Shout out to any Kiwis watching this, always thought of McLaren as a company from NZ. Bruce's spirt lives on❤️

[@Anon24052]

Same story for me, it’s a real beaut

[@micktaylorwolfcreekmechanical]

Bruce McLaren, Jack Brabham and Dan Gurney all raced as team mates and the only men to win races at the highest level in cars they built themselves

[@amphilbey]

Love it such a good era of GT racing and my first Le Mans in 95 - hours of rain was a massive help to the F1 but what a great noise - never quite the same with hybrids and diesels last ten years

[@roberthamilton4300]

Love the Gran Turismo 4 style backing track!

[@matbodhi2794]

Perfect Background Music ... Just Perfect

[@xarups]

Ohhh these Gran Turismo soundtrack brings me memories!

[@duomaxwell5807]

Love the gran turismo music ...nice touch

[@TivonSanders]

Having Gran Turismo menu music play in the background is icing on the cake of the video. Good stuff, mate.

[@kizmetmars]

This channel is everything I like in racing: cars from GT3-4 and endurance racing.

[@jthompson6189]

Easily my favorite car in GT7, absolutely incredible

[@BOABModels]

I always found it interesting that they went with a BMW V12 considering they had used a Honda V12 in the early '90s and McLaren F1 cars have never used BMW engines. Great video! 👍

[@matthewlok3020]

You may want to look up his video on the road car for how come McLaren ended up using BMW engine

[@Orcawhale1]

Because Gordon Murray had worked with BMW before at Brabham, and Honda didn't want to build a brand new engine for a limited production run car.

[@BOABModels]

@@Orcawhale1 ah, yes that makes sense. I'll have to watch the original F1 video too.

[@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo]

@@Orcawhale1 there was an article in motorsports magazine in 1999 that stated Honda couldn't, didn't not have the tech to make a engine in Gordans demands.... Gordan asked as a personal favor to Honda but they still didn't do it.....

[@Orcawhale1]

@@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo Which don't make any sort of sense. Because Honda were litterally making a V12 for the Mclaren racing team.

[@driver1307]

Can we all agree that this guy deserves more than 1million subscribers 🙌

[@DJI85]

Great history and lore backed with the GT2 tunes in the background!

[@CLoading]

Ahhh a video on my favourite car!! Well done countreefus! Underrated channel for real

[@automobilistic]

Thank you!

[@ivanmcallister8546]

Beautiful reign . Miss them terribly.

[@sharpemang]

I'm so addicted to this channel and the gran turismo music in the background! Subscribed!!!

[@brianclementi9605]

I love the Gran Turismo music❤

[@SkodaYetiFan]

Sucks that McLaren aren't planning on entering a LMH or LMDH in WEC, would've loved to see a proper successor to the F1. Especially since they've entered or have committed an entry into every other racing series there is. Also sad to see the current state of McLaren racing in F1, it's nothing but a sad ruin of a once great team, these days they are just Williams with a lot more money.

[@Dochartach]

just imagine... using something like the Mclaren Senna as a base for HyperCar regs

[@surrealtom]

@@Dochartach Senna was originally designed to take on Le Mans, and I'd love to see some private team enter a Senna GTR in the mix. Probably not gonna happen though :/

[@traviswalker8933]

They already made a 'spiritual successor' to the F1 and it wasn't good.

[@surrealtom]

@@traviswalker8933 the P1 is very good though, although not F1 level good. Or are you talking about the stupid Speedtail thing?

[@SkodaYetiFan]

@@Dochartach Won't be any match to the actual purpose built machines that will run in the LMH category tho.

[@a92gsxdsm]

Woot woot!! Another countreefus video!! I love lemans and endurance racing. As long as you keep making them, I will keep coming back. I like many many others absolutely love this car!! Cheers mate!!

[@simopics]

Absolutely loved this video! Thank you for adding the speed in km/h in the video!

[@automobilistic]

Glad you liked it! And you're very welcome haha

[@christycullen2355]

I've been binge watching all ypur back catalogue. Great content.

[@whatthafuckisthis]

ahhhhh, Gran turismo 2 as music background, a man of culture, btw, great content, subscribed

[@ruthlessone3k]

Let's just take a moment to recognize that this design is nearly 30 yrs old, yet still looks, sounds, and performs in modern hypercar territory.

[@ShiningJudgment666]

It still holds the highest top speed of any naturally aspirated car so it's got its place there still.

[@Spherz]

Great to finally see some of your new videos taking off👍👍 Another great one!

[@automobilistic]

Thanks Spherz!

[@rul9362]

Amazing video, one of the few channels that provide this type of information

[@aarondavies8486]

A lot of these videos show alot of the cars at Donington as a kid at school I could hear them all day Friday then Saturday and Sunday I would be there watching them

[@7ndrew]

7:43 Oh boy just look at that footage... F1 GTR, CLK-GTR, Panoz GTR-1, 911 GT1... 1997 must have been a great time to be alive

[@dayotobiusa]

GT background music always gets me. The level of the info and production of the video sealed the deal. Great job, you've got a subscriber out of me.

[@dvilduck1]

Just descovered the channel and powering thru the content. Love that the videos are short and not drawn out. Good work !

[@reds005]

Love your channel, extremely informative 👍🏼

[@Tyrell297]

After binging many videos recently, I have determined this channel to be criminally under-watched for how great these videos are

[@Spherz]

have been watching for probably half a year, unbelievable how many of these only capped at around 1000-2000 views

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Would have been awesome to see one in the JGTC or Super GT as it is known today. Phenomenal videos better made than other channels run by publications. Keep up the good work.

[@Eelgnotsa]

Group C ruled way out of competitors starting in 91.. diverse configuration was part of the great competition to allow manufactures to run their technologies like Mazda rotary, etc.

[@mtnmoo]

Very very underrated video. Nice work!

[@t_casadio1164]

best car channel in youtube

[@PenguinSpies]

Love this guy as well as hunters moon. Great to see well researched story based car KZbinrs popping up on the algorithm

[@christianbuczko1481]

Its amazing they were raced when you see the price for one today. They were the best and few cars even come close today.

[@abbeyhall4624]

cool, nicely informative, thank you for this.

[@high_gearz9117]

This guy’s voice is perfect for this. Another great video as well. Please continue to do these they are amazing.

[@agelistrator]

thank you for another amazing video, in this case for my favourite car

[@automobilistic]

You're very welcome!

[@v88box21]

This was a great video about this.

[@indopleaser]

this has been good KZbin Channel

[@malone005]

Dude your channel its a gem of motorsport and a beautiful tribute to GT1 group Keep the good work PS: please do a episode about the Callaway LM-GT thanks

[@automobilistic]

Glad you're enjoying the videos! I'll add that to the list

[@sheldoncooper8199]

This Car is among THE BEST in Group 3 in Gran Turismo 7. its like 970 Kg and has insane HP

[@xXCOR3Xx]

i saw mclaren f1 gtr FINA wrapped at lime rock park when i was a little kid one of the reasons i like cars today

[@Tron_Funkin_Blow]

I completely tuned out so I could listen to the Gran Turismo 3 menu music in the background

[@thebucketofawesomeness8700]

This is awesome, loving the series and next please do one on the DBR9 😁

[@automobilistic]

I am thinking of covering some more modern racing cars, the DBR9 is definitely a good one! I saw one at Silverstone Classic earlier this year - what a sound!

[@7ndrew]

@@automobilistic You should do a video on the BMW M3 GTR as well! It's "prototype" nature in the 2001 ALMS season with that V8 engine resulted not only in a championship, but the creation of one of the rarest street-legal BMWs' as well, which was the first street-legal V8 M3, only for BMW to pull out next season for not meeting updated homologation requirements. It's quite a story!

[@thebucketofawesomeness8700]

@@automobilistic oh it’s an incredible noise, I saw them race in period and they were brutes but beautiful, 2x GT1 class winners at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008 (was there for the win in ‘08 in the iconic gulf livery) GT1 world championship, Sebring 12 hours and many more taking Aston back to endurance racing, where they should have stayed lol

[@mechanicandi1064]

The F1 longtail is my favorite 🔥🔥🔥😳

[@thestarlightalchemist7333]

Honestly, my favourite non-road going McLarens are the JGTC championship winning GTR shorttails, which were driven by future racing stars David Brabham and Ralph Schumacher among others.

[@nishikant7859]

New sub here man. Epic videos you have been posting. If you could please make a video on Carrera GT, it would be so nice.

[@tico7583]

Nossa já iria partir pro GRAN Turismo agorinha e recebi a sua notificação 👏 depois deste aperitivo até irei para um endurance GT 💕agora com esta máquina dos anos 97🚀💕# La Sarthe🏁🏁

[@AWaveNotSoSynth]

Buddy, you’re so underrated, I want you to do a podcast it would be awesome, keep up the great work

[@automobilistic]

Thanks! I've never thought about doing a podcast, I'll think about it...

[@Ch3fRubenator]

Banger of a video

[@thebossisheretostay]

Hispano-Suiza HS21-GTS Prototype or Mazda Furai could have videos. Whilst never raced it could be interesting

[@Z4N7]

Possible candidate for future video could be Elise GT1.

[@jaytoppo1670]

great car on Assetto Corsa in a proper full on motion simulator as well. I partake almost every day :)

[@favJ-qq2ef]

the fact it held the speed record for 15 years is fucking nuts alone, we will never see this again i dont think

[@TougeTime]

Cultured background music

[@mathewbsaenz]

I'm liking this trend of car KZbinrs doing documentaries and adding in either Gran Turismo 2 or Ridge Racer R4 BGM in their videos. I get to jam out and learn!

[@EFFIGY1]

masterpiece

[@Christoffski]

The F1 was always a road car adapted into a racer. It's amazing it did so well. Still nearly beat the Mercedes for a championship.

[@craigykart]

"The McLaren F1 was McLaren's first road car" --- "The 1970 M6GT -- am I a joke to you?"

[@exsappermadman25055]

Gordon Murray is a fucking genius and it just so happened that the F1 was a beast in Les Mans..... Red faces all round in Europe....

[@oConshien]

awesome

[@corvetteZ3r]

Nice gran turismo 3 music!!!!!!

[@JSDudeca]

What are your thoughts on the T.50s racing at the next lemans. I hope that a class open up to allow such a light car.

[@050224011]

Great vid - why does the background music sound familiar?

[@automobilistic]

its all from the Gran Turismo racing game series

[@sheldoncooper8199]

Goddamn i Love 1990 ies Racing.

[@barryjohnson5288]

The 911 GT1 and the CLK GTR kicked it's ass though.

[@sleepracer5124]

such a beautiful car, my dream car as a kid for sure (probably thanks to NFS2)

[@Scramblerkidd]

Mclaren M6GT was the first street car produced

[@benanderson95]

Possibly the best sounding engine ever.

[@chimchim2_]

The music used in these videos sounds like something from an old Gran Turismo menu or Sega game.

[@rockinaether]

i know gran turismo 3 music from anywhere nice touch

[@traviswalker8933]

1:09 Ron Dennis only gave approval for the F1 project as he was the CEO of McLaren. He didn't have a hand in designing the car. Gordon Murray was leading the design team and Peter Stevens was working on the car under his direction.

[@automobilistic]

I have pinned a comment correcting the mistake

[@NangNangEE]

Why I keep spotting Jaguar's black race car more appealing? ^^ hehe

[@DaveyPTY]

My favourite race car of all times, my favourite F1 GTR's are: Kokusai Kaihatsu, Team LARK F1 GTR's and Team LARK F1 GTR Longtail that sadly crashed on Le Mans 1997😔

[@NeoGeo822]

Imagine if the Ferrari F50 GT was in these races it might compete against the Mclaren more than any other car.

[@dartschiprince]

Greatly 😍

[@kinger41]

It's really interesting seeing how long privateer teams use outdated cars. I mean, look how far the Porsche 962 went.

[@larquefausse3623]

Having a good customer support helps keep a racing category or series afloat.

[@mohammadalfattal2902]

Now we need CLK GTR, the F1 killer

[@automobilistic]

I covered the CLK GTR in my video about the CLR and why mercedes abandoned le mans :)

[@ControlAllDa1337]

One of the best cars ever made imo

[@VcArena]

I would love to know the music you are using in the video especially the first song

[@Gravengaard]

Gran Turismo 4 music 💗

[@cirian75]

The F1 was a genuine road car turned race car, the Porsche GT1 was a 911 front grafted onto the rear of a 962 group C car, a road car in name only, the CLK was another "not really an road car"

[@BrotherJP333SP]

Reliability aside, I wonder if the wet gave the GT1s an advantage in '95 due to the WSC and LMP2 cars being open cockpit.

[@larquefausse3623]

I think you missed the part when the McLaren F1 GTR won the All-Japan/JGTC title in 1996. To this day it remains the only non-Japanese car to win the top class championship.

[@automobilistic]

I did mention this briefly at 5:56 , and I believe the McLaren F1 was actually the second non-Japanese car to win JGTC, after the Porsche 911 GT2 in 1995, though the driver's championship was still won by a Nissan driver in 1995 if I'm remembering correctly