McLaren F1...almost powered by Isuzu!!
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 10:56 am
Hey guys,
I came across this article the other day:
https://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/201 ... refer=news
If you can't be bothered reading it, here's the basic rundown.
Essentially the condensed history of the mighty McLaren F1 supercar, it goes through McLaren's engine choices while they prototypes the car. They first approached their Formula One partner Honda; the Honda-powered McLaren MP4/4 racecar had won 15 of the 16 races for the 1988 F1 season after all; however Honda declined to be involved.
Apparently Isuzu were also working on their own F1 engine! And they were quick to contact McLaren and ask to be considered! However, McLaren rejected Isuzu, citing their lack of a racing pedigree as the reason.
What a shame; it's true Isuzu hadn't done a billion races compared to Honda's motorcycling and F1 heritage, but they had a lot more experience in touring cars and the DOHC GTR engine was known for being peaky and reliable, albeit 20 years old by that stage. Dammit! What a combination that would have been!
History shows that BMW's engine was amazing and it's possible the McLaren F1 may not have been the car that it was with anything lesser.
But still, an irresistible 'what-if' to consider!
Cheers,
Dave
I came across this article the other day:
https://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/201 ... refer=news
If you can't be bothered reading it, here's the basic rundown.
Essentially the condensed history of the mighty McLaren F1 supercar, it goes through McLaren's engine choices while they prototypes the car. They first approached their Formula One partner Honda; the Honda-powered McLaren MP4/4 racecar had won 15 of the 16 races for the 1988 F1 season after all; however Honda declined to be involved.
Apparently Isuzu were also working on their own F1 engine! And they were quick to contact McLaren and ask to be considered! However, McLaren rejected Isuzu, citing their lack of a racing pedigree as the reason.
What a shame; it's true Isuzu hadn't done a billion races compared to Honda's motorcycling and F1 heritage, but they had a lot more experience in touring cars and the DOHC GTR engine was known for being peaky and reliable, albeit 20 years old by that stage. Dammit! What a combination that would have been!
History shows that BMW's engine was amazing and it's possible the McLaren F1 may not have been the car that it was with anything lesser.
But still, an irresistible 'what-if' to consider!
Cheers,
Dave