Thumbnails just aren't good enough (take 2)

[Peloton25]

I was going to ressurect the original thread with the same title, but didn't realize quite how old it was. Most of the images in it were either attached on the old forum photo hosting method and are no longer accessible or were remotely hosted and have become red X's now which is frustrating for the new folks. I figured it was best if I just start a new thread.

Here's a pair of chassis #028 taken in 2004 in the Santa Ynez Valley in California based on the webpage these images used to live on. The search engine I was using was only able to supply thumbnails and the Internet Archive wasn't much help with the content that used to exist. The site is now offline.



Here are three images of the elusive TagHeuer F1:



Here are some images that came from an article in Auto Motor & Sport of GTR #11R from May 2003. I'd love to see scans of the printed copy.









Along with these images was text from the article reprinted in Swedish. I ran it through Google's translator and was fairly successful producing an English version for us all to enjoy.

Stanley Dickens has run the råaste version of McLaren's legendary sports car. 1 012 kg and 600 horsepower!

Text: Stanley Dickens
Foto: Stefano Cassati

There are few cars that immediately grab hold of me and makes me feel as part of the vehicle.

This is such a car. McLaren F1 GTR. Some vehicles of this kind have to contend with. It's like going up in a boxing ring and face an unusually difficult opponents. Even before it has to be spit up and chased in a blast of self-confidence. It is, nevertheless, a little jittery and, once seated at the wheel is to quickly show who has the command.

Is it not true that it intended, it is easy to become a victim. It becomes slagpåse instead of the strikes. Or, if we take us back to reality, you become passengers instead of drivers.

Now, I have never been in a boxing ring and I have not meant to step up in one, either. But I have not got many intractable cars in many challenging racetracks.

The yellow McLaren is no such car in spite of that, when you read the specifications, could well be so. It has fantastic performance, but this one feels itself immediately welcome and will turn out, even one with the car. It looks at first glance, the right-natured. Even at this young age, it has a fairly classic look. Not directly beautiful, but rather tough. I think it reminds a bit on the 60-talsbilar of a similar type, such as the Ford GT40.

Gordon Murray would probably not like the comparison because he has a very special relationship to this car. Gordon had an idea. He wanted to create the world's most perfect sportvagn for gatubruk. No obstacles would have come in the way in any respect. He convinced Ron Dennis of McLaren and assured themselves of an unlimited budget for the project. And I can assure you that it shows - the smallest detail.

I will not get into any history around the car because there is a risk that you, dear readers, already knows a lot. Unless you have been able to read about another McLaren, which I test drove a few years and a heaven mass numbers ago.

It was also an experience, but by no means as strong as this. For this car is a GTR, and in the case of such an extreme car as a McLaren F1, so you can imagine what three letters can do. GTR is a racing version that are lighter, stronger and harder - to put it simply.

It is a brilliant clear our winter day in Milan. The sun does what it can to heat up the surroundings that during the night have been white by frost. It takes its time but ahead lunchtime reaches the thermometer in all cases up to a twelve, thirteen degrees.

It is beautiful. Not a cloud shadowing the blue sky and in a semicircle embedded Milan in the snow-covered mountains.

We find ourselves at a testing ground just outside the city. There is no real race circuit, far too slow and bob for this type of vehicle. Here are many car tester and, not least speed tests that occur on a long road that is not connected to themselves stretch legislation.

McLaren are parked in a garage in what could be likened to a terminal. I got up to at the miracle and opens the door. The Italians who work at the track and on the connecting horse farm are curious and gathered outside the garage. They are accustomed to see the extreme and unusual sport wagons here, but one of the old man explains in stumbling English that someone McLaren, he has not seen before.

See is one thing but to hear is another. The fact is that the sound of the 12-cylinder BMW engine is something very special. I knew the effects of it and was preparing my little show carefully. First bother me in the middle seat. As is well known, 3-car-seat, everything to get as ideal weight as possible.

The driver sits addition, a little later than any passengers as a vehicle for social interaction, this is unlikely. However, it is relatively spacious in the cockpit. As you are sitting on the ground feel it is really at home. I must point out that, for it is really a perfect job. Everything is where it should and driving can not be better. The tools are transparent and the digra amount of buttons and controls are a little confusing at first, but they quickly become a habit to manage.

It sounds like a pistol shots when the 12 cylinders running patter of concrete garage and one of the old man takes on the head. If I do not misinterpret my game so he says "Mamma Mia." My assistant gently rolls out the car and I let it go at idle for a while to get the heat from the package. The sound is like music, a sparkling, crystal clear, sharp singing.

Now's where things get a little temp in the oil and I gently rolls off onto the wire. It feels that it is cold and I realize that it will take time before I get a grip on the wide tires. I know only too well what happens when more than 600 horses fouling in cold tyres. This is definitely not something that we want to bring into the rack! I am struck by how easy everything is, slider, gearbox, clutch, brakes. Everything is so incredibly well done and balanced. It is perfect harmony and it fits in there as a driver as a natural cog in a clock clean machinery. Fenomenalt.

I'll run a 5-6 yards, then go into the depot. Most of the old habit and only match that everything is in order. No one strange smoke, no punctures or any other elemental as shortcomings. Everything seems to be in good shape and I draw on my helmet for causing a bit for a few yards.

The track is, as I have said is not ideal for the car even though it smoothly make it through the short bolder and affront. Although it is both hard put dampers and springs, so it feels a little soft in the curves. But it is still only good in view of the soft tyres and orbit nature. It is always a little slip of this type of plant and then run it is pleased with a slightly softer set-up.

In the far part of the track are the two very slow affront and a lot with the real "Mickey Mouse-curves." Cars are easy run and I'm getting healthy weight shift resulting in brake and acceleration. I can get good with the weight of until the wagon during braking so that the car guide fine at the turn. Then run the rest of the enormous impact and to balance the whole package with the gas. It is fun but would not work so well in the long term. I wonder a little bit of how I would like to change things if it were serious, but forget it quickly in the enjoyment of just have to play.

After the really slow part follows a lot of long, fairly fast curves where the first is during acceleration from tvåan gear. It is interesting, not least because you have to get in trean middle of the curve and it is not easy. Here is significantly higher speed and balance with the gas. In the next curve, it is even faster and I may make a so-called short-shift to fyran. This means that the switch goes on a bit earlier than normal. But it does not do anything with this engine, because it feeds on with the unbridled forces, no matter what speed you are on. As most, it is not any faster than about 230 km / hour. The fairest experience of all is to have the sound just behind when you go down through the gearbox. It becomes all too charmed by milling and patter. It sounds exactly as it should do if a real racer. The whole run the hinterland their letter is clearly addictive.

A few moments later, when the sun is on the way down over the beautiful peaks to the west, it is time to try speed is the lot. I am satisfied with banåkningen although I would have run a few hours.

Now spans I access bältena a little extra. Some of the supporters think I should be able to top the car in the three-kilometer long route. I know it is impossible.

The car is capable of making at least 360 with the current bestyckningen, but it goes a long way to piece the way for it to be possible. I use a påfartsväg to get up a little momentum and the beginning accelerates the violent. It feels like it could go 400 instead of 300. But, as always, there will be a barrier around 300 km / h. There is always something happening with the cars at that stage, a kind of inertia that must be crossed.

It's the same with traction. It worked so far created, made really at the tip up in the speed here. Anyone who believes that it is a pleasure to drive more than 300 should receive a warning. It may be that, but there are not many cars that can deliver that feeling.

We succeed in all cases be a bit over 300 and it feels very good in a McLaren. But it would be probably also the very moment if it did not, at that price.

There were also these two photo captions:

Extreme. It has only built 107 pieces McLaren F1, and of these, only 28 pieces of relief contest version, called GTR. The mass is 41/59 and get supercars are as entertaining to drive. But racing cars restrictions styper effect from gatbilens 668 to 600, and in combination with high bakvinge reduces the top speed from 360 to 340 km / h…

Quality. Stanley Dickens at one of the very best car he has ever run, which is not saying little. Quality feeling impressive in every detail. Constructor Gordon Murray asked BMW construct an engine after the tough specifications. But the finished engine was found to be 23 kg too heavy. Gordon went through the roof, but accepted in the end because he got 46 hp more than ordered!

Back to the original purpose of the thread - here's a nice shot of XP3 I'd like to see larger:



Feel free to continue to use this thread for a similar purpose as the last one was if there are any pics you might be looking for. I am sure I will have a few more in the coming weeks as I continue to find stuff like these.

>8^)
ER

[hurstg01]

So you are after bigger pics / higher res of these shots?...and for others to add similar requests

If so, good idea

[Thorst13]

I actually have that issue of Auto Motor & Sport.

[Peloton25]

Any chance you could scan the article Thorst? I haven't come across a hard copy in my searches on Ebay yet. Thanks!


Back to the thumbnails - I was rather surprised when I found this pair. I thought I knew all the liveries that had ever been featured on GTRs over the years and here, it would appear, is somewhat of a Presentation livery on a longtail GTR much like they did the previous year with a short tailed GTR. It's not a whole lot different than what ended up on the cars, but noteworthy nonetheless for someone like myself.



In looking through my folders of FINA longtail GTR images I could not find any others exactly like this, so at this point all I am left with are these small pictures. Does anyone have something larger, even if not these exact pictures, that I have not seen? I sure hope so!

>8^)
ER

[hurstg01]

Nope, not in mine either....

[Le Man]

Originally Posted by Peloton25

Back to the thumbnails - I was rather surprised when I found this pair. I thought I knew all the liveries that had ever been featured on GTRs over the years and here, it would appear, is somewhat of a Presentation livery on a longtail GTR much like they did the previous year with a short tailed GTR. It's not a whole lot different than what ended up on the cars, but noteworthy nonetheless for someone like myself.



>8^)
ER

You have seen this livery before, but as moving pictures . Check the DVD I gave you, Monza 97 test day. But the two pics above are from the Brands Hatch shakedown. I have some pics (I think) will scan them soon.

[Peloton25]

You may be right... I must have been distracted by the sound.

My collection of F1 stuff is packed away, but I will try to locate the DVD to watch again soon. Stationary pictures would be great too if you find them.

>8^)
ER

[Le Man]

Here you go, no stationary pics I,m afraid.

Took me a while to find them, I hope the effort has been worthwhile, sorry about the quality, but the print in Autosport is sub standard.



Second pic is ripe for photoshop.

These two testing pics, first location unknown, (looks like Brands to me). Second pic Monza.



I may be wrong about the DVD, after looking at that Monza pic but hey, its worth looking at again, just for the action.

[Peloton25]

Thanks Martin - those are perfect!

I took some time to clean up the one with the page split - it's not perfect, but significantly better.



>8^)
ER

[Le Man]

Originally Posted by Peloton25

Thanks Martin - those are perfect!

I took some time to clean up the one with the page split - it's not perfect, but significantly better.



>8^)
ER

Very good Erik

I suppose, you would like to see some Gulf Davidoff launch/test pics as well?

[hurstg01]

Originally Posted by Le Man

I suppose, you would like to see some Gulf Davidoff launch/test pics as well?

oh go on then, if you have to

[Thorst13]

Originally Posted by Peloton25

Any chance you could scan the article Thorst? I haven't come across a hard copy in my searches on Ebay yet. Thanks!


>8^)
ER

Sure Erik, give a few days to locate where I've put it.

[Le Man]

Has anybody got a high res version of this pic? I have enlarged it from a magazine article, which was printed not much bigger than a thumbnail. I like the content and composition

(clickable)

[Le Man]

Originally Posted by hurstg01

oh go on then, if you have to

One for now,

(clickable)

I,ll put the others in the GTR Article thread.

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by Le Man

Has anybody got a high res version of this pic? I have enlarged it from a magazine article, which was printed not much bigger than a thumbnail. I like the content and composition

(clickable)

Have not seen that one myself before at any resolution. Very cool though!

>8^)
ER