What do you really think about the GT!?

[Thorst13]

well, another interesting question pops my mind watching your opinions.
Looks over function????
It's brutal look may not be the most "beautiful", but it's supposed to be the best McLaren according to people who know, including Gordon Murray himself!
It has a almost "too much of the goodstuff" design, and probably is the best roadcar in the world & it's only THREE of them!
A car that's both cutting edge, exclusive & "the best of it's kind".

What more can you wish for...
As said before I love all of the McLarens, but if I had the choice, a quick brainstorming would make me a GT owner!

[ArchangelGTR]

Think the GT is the best McLaren ever built.. the evolution of an elite species into a product which leap-frogged Porsche in their bid to dominate FIA GT Racing. Long and lean. Wider to take advantage of track.. longer to take advantage of aerodynamics. The most exotic of exotics.

Since I have been involved in Motorsports for most of the past 10 years... seeing cars evolve into such machines and see how McLaren put their skills to the test and actually take the ultimate car even further is a testament to the people at McLaren. They along with Mercedes and Porsche made 1997 probably the best year ever in FIA GT Racing.

The McLaren GT is the ultimate of an elite species.

[Thorst13]

Yup, sometimes I wonder as it seems like people don't understand that this is the best McLaren ever! Yes, far better than the roadcar, and even better than the LM!
The "weird" butt is it's only "weakness", but look at some other exotics with weird butts like the Pagani Zonda.
They seem to be doing quite allright....


That green GTat McLaren is simly amazing

[Cockrocket]

while i also have heared that the GT longtal is the best of the mclarens you cant help but realise that the GT in 1997 and 1998 can hammerd into the ground by the mercedes CLK GTRs, I am not fully sure but i do beleive that it did not win one race. Now (if i am correct) that could be of one of two reasons, maybe the car is not actualy as good as everyone says, or the car was as good as everyone said, just that the competition is a lot better. Although i am talking about the race car, it does affect my judgement of how good it realy is.

Despite all that though i think the burgendy i think it is , GT is gorgeouse!

[Thorst13]

I think we have to admit that the clk-gtr's was the result after McLarens dominance 95-96 causing the competitiors to sharpen their blades!
The clk-gtr's was a better ride than the McLaren gtr and still is.
They would have demolished the short tail McLaren gtr if they was put head on.
McLaren caught everyone "off guard" in 95' with their gtr's and the challengers got their act together as they had to if they were interested in winning!
In motorsport generally. it's always that "wondercar" who defines the dawn of new racing technology. (Ford gt90, Porsche 917 & 962, McLaren F1, Mercedes clk-gtr, Bentley speed8 etc.)
Today all of these would been crushed by nowadays racers in the gt1 class!
The development is so fast that 1 year old models struggle to keep up.

However, in roadcar perspective, I still think McLaren has by far the best ride!
It's so balanced in every way I can't imagine anything ever beating it!

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by Cockrocket

while i also have heared that the GT longtal is the best of the mclarens you cant help but realise that the GT in 1997 and 1998 can hammerd into the ground by the mercedes CLK GTRs, I am not fully sure but i do beleive that it did not win one race. Now (if i am correct) that could be of one of two reasons, maybe the car is not actualy as good as everyone says, or the car was as good as everyone said, just that the competition is a lot better. Although i am talking about the race car, it does affect my judgement of how good it realy is.

Despite all that though i think the burgendy i think it is , GT is gorgeouse!

Nope - I'm sorry, that's just not true...

Longtail GTRs won 5 of the 11 races of the FIA GT series in 1997. In the first race at Hockenheim it was an all McLaren F1 GTR podium. In fact, at least one McLaren F1 GTR longtail managed to place in the top three positions in every single race that season except for the final one when Lehto's car, which was in the top three, had an incident with a slower car and ended up in the gravel trap towards the end of the race. That final race was at Laguna Seca in California and I was actually there to witness the battle.

The cars were very successful that season, especially considering that their competition hadn't fully played by all the rules. When the season ended, 'Team BMW Motorsport' took second in the Team's Championship with 'Gulf Team Davidoff' placing third. Driver's JJ Lehto & Steve Soper placed second in the Driver's Championship as well.

A similar result came at LeMans in 1997 with the Gulf Team (drivers Raphanel, Gounon & Olofsson) placing 2nd overall and taking top honours in the 'GT1' class. The BMW Motorsport team (drivers Kox, Ravaglia & Helary) took 3rd overall and 2nd place in the 'GT1' class. Now while there were no CLK GTRs competing at that event, the McLarens outlasted and out performed the Porsche 911 GT1s and Nissan R390 GT1s as well as the other competitors in their class. The overall winner of that race was an LMP car.

A season later, the lone F1 GTR longtail competing in the FIA GT series still managed some respectable 5th and 6th places with an owner/driver at the wheel. At LeMans, the EMKA team of O'Rourke, Sudgen & Auberlen managed 4th place overall behind the updated 911 GT1s and an R390 GT1. It was, and is a great racing car. I think you could stand to do a bit of research.

>8^)
ER

[Thorst13]

Nice, quick overview of the longtail GTR's prestations

Thanks Peloton!

[Styledoesntscream]

Originally Posted by Cockrocket

i like the longtails very much, but i prefer road legal cars as the standard f1 and lm can be described as sexy but i dont think full on race cars can be. Besides the GTR got a much better race record. in 1995 won le mans and the fia gt series

Does this car stand in the new factory where the SLR is build?

I'll visit that next year!

Anyhow: I MUST see that car in reallife and take pics of it!

Any chance to see it?

Regards,

Patrick T.

[Styledoesntscream]

its the BEST Mac and doesnt need a wing!

I LOVE it!!!