There has been much talk in the motoring news of late regarding top speeds. A Bugatti owner recently posted a video where he was recorded exceeding 400 km/h on a section of German autobahn (you can read more about his antics by clicking here). With that in mind, we look back at the officially sanctioned McLaren F1 top speed record run. 

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Whatllshedomister

This sub-headline is a sped up version of the famous “what’ll she do mister?” a phrase asked by many excited young petrolheads when chatting with owners of sports- or supercars. It is the same question that McLaren F1 creator Gordon Murray asked of Andy Wallace. The latter, a regular racer of the F1 racecar, was only too happy to oblige.

Click here to check out Gordon Murray’s new creation, a the spiritual successor the F1, called the GMA T.50.

McLaren used the VW Group’s Ehra Lessien proving ground in Germany for the record-setting run. The near standard car was one of McLaren’s experimental prototypes (XP). However, the team raised the rev limiter on the 6,1-litre BMW-sourced V12. (Click here to read about the rarest BMW M3 ever made.) The speeds achieved on that day, a two-way average of 386,39 km/h (240,1 mph) with a peak of 391 km/h, are still the highest ever recorded by a naturally aspirated production car. 

Read about Dakar legend Giniel de Villiers’ experience at Ehra Lessien by clicking here.

Watch the event and listen to Wallace narrate the McLaren F1 top speed run and chat about his experiences years after the fact in the video below. If you enjoy this post, please feel free to share with fellow petrolheads using the social media buttons below.