McLaren F1

In the late 1980s, engineer Gordon Murray, designer of several world-champion McLaren Formula 1 cars, dreamed of creating the ultimate road car, with no compromise at all. Unveiled in 1992, the McLaren F1 made that dream come true.

It was the first road car with a full carbon-fibre monocoque. The driver sits in the centre, flanked by two passengers set slightly back. Its naturally aspirated 6.1-litre BMW V12 produces 627 horsepower, and its engine bay is lined with gold foil, the best heat insulator. In 1998 it reached 386 km/h, a production-car speed record it would hold for several years.

In racing form, it won the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt, in 1995. With only 106 built across all versions, the McLaren F1 is today one of the most sought-after cars in the world, and a benchmark for every supercar that followed.