I've been a McLaren fan ever since, during one vacation in Hong Kong, my Dad bought me an issue of Road & Track Magazine that had a cover shot and feature test of 3 of the great supercars of the 20th Century - the Ferrari F40, the Porsche 959, and most significantly, a McLaren F1. Though I can't recall its' chassis # right now, it was painted in what is now called Volcano Orange - and I'd never seen anything quite like it. I was only 14, the age when most boys are still going oooh and aaah over NOS and Lambo doors and 800Bhp Skyline GT-Rs, so it warped my mind a bit when I first read the F1's performance and technical specs, and words like 'immediate throttle response' and 'synapse-quick handling reactions'. The central driving position seemed so out-of-this-world yet just right at the same time.
That was how my love for McLaren cars was kindled, and it only grew through further experiences. I later discovered a car encyclopedia in my school library that listed all the F1 variants in it, and that was how I discovered the F1 GTR, F1 LM, and the Longtails, and what made each one so special and unique even in the rarefied world of supercars.
It's been a whirlwind ride ever since. Getting my copy of Driving Ambition, and discovering all the stories behind the F1's gestation and #01R's win at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. Studying and researching them all over the Internet, happily drinking in details like the changes made to F1s like #014 and #018 and #040 and #073, what the various LMs and road-converted GTRs went through and the lives they led and still lead, the record-breaking sale of #065. Starting to collect F1 models and memorabilia..
And that has brought me here today, to the 12C and P1.
It is, as they say, a very exciting and thrilling time to be a McLaren fanatic and enthusiast.
ADW