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2005 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren
At each end
of the car are conical crash members made of 25,000
carbon-fiber filaments wound from 48 reels using techniques
developed by the textile industry. As exhibits from crash
tests proved, these crash members provide remarkable
absorption and resistance to impact damage.
The
composite body is palpably stiff to the car’s occupants, never
emitting a squeak or groan on the worst surfaces, despite a
suspension on the firm side. Those A-pillar-mounted gullwing
doors—opening to 107 degrees and attracting hordes of
onlookers—would undoubtedly betray deficiencies in the
structure if there were any.
The inside
of the SLR is as exotic as the Batmobile exterior, with
carbon-fiber seat shells covered in fine leather and a cockpit
built of contrasting colors and textures. To start the SLR,
you turn the stubby key, flip a cover at the top of the gear
selector, and thumb the button that hides there to bring the
5.4-liter V-8 rumbling to life.
Mercedes’
strongest five-speed automatic (with manual override) still
required internal reinforcements to handle the enormous
horsepower of the SLR. It offers three levels of transmission
performance—comfort, sport, and manual. In manual mode, the
box shifts only in response to the wheel-mounted buttons or a
side swipe at the selector, and it has an additional three
levels of response and shift speeds set by yet another rotary
knob.
We like that
this manumatic can be made fully responsive to the driver,
turning the automatic box into something very like the
paddle-shift system in Ferraris and allowing you to hold gears
for corner entries and such. We like the electronic braking
system less. There’s an initial dead zone in the pedal travel,
and one instinctively feels for the usual hydraulic takeup
point, whereupon the giant eight-piston front calipers take a
firmer bite on the 14.6-inch ceramic discs than you’d
planned. |
McLaren F1
The
McLaren F1 is considered by many to be, quite simply,
the ultimate car. A road car as close to the performance and
technology of a Formula One car as modern science and
engineering can make it.
Driving Ambition is the definitive
history of this extraordinary vehicle, the story of how
McLaren Cars' dedicated team pursued their quest for
perfection to create the fastest road car in the
world--setting the record at 240.1 mph in 1998. The F1 is one
of the most collectible cars in the world--only 100 have been
built--and one of the most expensive, with a one million
dollar price tag.
The book has been created with the
full support and involvement of McLaren Cars, including
Ron Dennis, who has overseen the Formula One success of
McLaren, and the designer of the F1 road car, Gordon
Murray. The stunning design and photography has been enhanced
by the sue of rare and exclusive images from the McLaren
archives.
Like the F1 itself, every element of Driving
Ambition has been given the maximum attention to detail. It is
a book for anyone who has ever understood the power and the
glory of beautiful fast cars.
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