Showing posts with label Cars. Show all posts
Le Mans, France. 1955.
150 miles per hour.
84 people.
3 seconds of video footage.
At first sight, these four phrases
might appear totally unrelated. But, in fact, they are the most important stats
in probably the darkest hour of motor racing.
Le Mans 24 hours endurance
race is one of the toughest track racing motorsport events on the calendar,
with teams driving their cars flat out for a ruthless 24 hours. The event, which
takes place in Le Mans, France, was first held in 1923, and since then
had proven to be a terrific challenge for automakers and drivers alike. The
race attracted (and still attracts) all the leading car manufacturers in a test
of power, talent, technology and, importantly, mechanical and human endurance.
The 1955 race was no
exception. It attracted the likes of Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Ferrari, Aston
Martin and Maserati. Team Mercedes had a new weapon under its belt,
the 300 SLR. This ultra – lightweight racer was already
making headlines by winning Mille Miglia in the same year. However, the car had
no disc brakes, unlike the Jaguar D – type. But instead, the Merc
engineers had fitted the car with air brakes to help increase drag during
braking.
Fast – forward to lap number 35.
Pierre Levegh, a maverick
French driver, was driving the #20 Mercedes 300 SLR. He was lying behind
the leader Mike Hawthorn’s Jaguar D – type. They were approaching the pit straight. Hawthorn
was just overtaking Lance Macklin’s Austin Healey (which was a
lap behind Hawthorn) when he realized the pit signal from the crew, to have a
refuel. Suddenly, Hawthorn decided to pit and slowed down to a great extent.
His Jag had disc brakes, which slowed him down considerably faster than his
rivals, especially the Austin Healey of Macklin. Macklin’s car had drum brakes
only, and swerved across the track to avoid hitting Hawthorn since he could not
slow down as much as Hawthorn. However, he did not notice one important thing.
He, and Hawthorn, was being
chased at very high speeds by the Mercedes 300 SLRs of Levegh, and Juan Manuel Fangio, who was ranking 2nd at the time. The sudden
move by Macklin caused a puff of dust to emanate from the track. Levegh was
travelling at 150 miles per hour, and could not even imagine slowing
down enough to avoid the Austin Healey of Macklin, as Fangio too was ruthlessly
chasing him. And then, the fate played off.
Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes clipped
Macklin’s Austin, and immediately became airborne at 150 mph. The flying
Merc then hit the earthen embankment, which was separating the track and spectators.
The car somersaulted, and disintegrated, still at speed. The flying debris from
the car flew towards spectators. The bonnet and front axle rammed into helpless
spectators, while the bonnet pretty much had resembled a guillotine.
Devastated chassis and engine mounts meant that the engine block too, would fly
away. Pierre Levegh too, was thrown out of his car, and his skull was fatally
crushed.
That wasn’t all. The lightweight
Merc’s secret was Magnesium. Ruptured fuel tank was already on
fire, and it quickly engulfed the entire remaining parts of the car. The metal
content which once belonged to a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR erupted in a fireball
and burned white hot. The searing embers too fired themselves at the fateful
spectators. Macklin survived the crash even though his car was seriously
damaged, with no injuries.
The final death toll was put by
the officials as 84 people, including Pierre Levegh, and 120 more were
presumed to be injured.
The implications of the tragedy were
very high. Racing was banned in many countries, including France, Switzerland,
and in the US, many reshuffles took place. John Fitch, Levegh’s co – driver,
became an active prodigy in improving the safety standards of racing. The grandstand
and pit areas were demolished and rebuilt at Le Mans. Mercedes Benz announced
the withdrawal of factory backed racing teams, while Jaguar also pulled out of
the racing arena. Both companies would not return to sport for another 3
decades. Fangio never raced again at Le Mans. Hawthorn accused Macklin of responsibility
for the entire incident, which Macklin vehemently denied, and even pursued
legal actions. The legal battle was proceeding when Hawthorn too died in a
crash, 4 years later.
So what’s with the 3
seconds of video footage?
For so many decades, the critics
were divided in opinion as to who was to be blamed. However, the 2010 BBC
documentary, Deadliest Crash, showcased raw footage from
the crash. A portion of three seconds showed how Levegh had tried to avoid
Macklin, and was launched into air at 150mph. The footage, while being frightening,
proved that the late Mercedes driver was totally helpless as the events unfolded.
His name was finally cleared off, but still there is no absolute culprit to the
incident. Considering the way the events
occurred, the design of the racetrack, as well as the lack of a safety standard
in racing cars, can be considered as the key reasons for the fatal event.
The disaster happens to be the
worst motor racing – related disaster ever. However, it opened the eyes of
many, and made sure that such a tormenting catastrophe would never occur again.
Safety standards of tracks and racing cars, and even road cars alike have grown in leaps and bounds.
Although minor scale (relatively minor) incidents did occur afterwards, no
event in the scale of Le Mans, 1955, occurred ever again.
Probably never again. RIP Pierre Levegh and all those who lost their lives on 11th June, 1955.
Well, it was a few weeks back that the same blog posted about The Hypercar, or more aptly, the McLaren P1. And it's time for an update, because the blokes at Woking, Surrey have dropped the covers off the spec sheet, and the first official pics of the production - bound machine. Just about in time for the launch at Geneva. Time to hold your breath, folks.
Looks aggressive, mean, and clearly echoes the intent
And don't release it anytime soon, because the specs released are downright shocking, even though some don't pinpoint to concrete values. The stats are scary, VERY scary. This is not just another mean machine, this is one technological masterpiece.
Off with the powerplant, then. The P1 is set to be powered by a hybrid drivetrain featuring a 3.8 litre twin - turbo V8 gasoline engine, plus an electric motor. The engine alone develops an astonishing 727 bhp, albeit being virtually the same unit found in the MP4 - 12C, and 530 lb - ft of torque. The electric motor adds up 176 hp + 191 lb - ft. Work your math, and once the two starts working in tandem, your right foot (provided your monthly income is beyond US$ 100,000) gains exclusive rights for NINE HUNDRED and THREE brake horse power! The previous rumor of just 727 bhp of total power is in fact, the power generated from the engine alone. Imagine, nine hundred and three horses pulling your car. Pretty scary, and perfectly fitting the aura of its 'Hypercar' epithet. And you need all that 903 horses? A steering mounted button will be of assistance. The Mc blokes call it "Instant Power Assist System", and may be better remembered with the IPAS acronym. Formula - One technology makes its way to road - bound cars. Cars of P1's calibre. Don't even think of it appearing on your Corolla anytime soon.
So IPAS, 903 bhp and blah blah blah, obviously means that this Ferrari killer will be fast. Very fast, VERY FAST! Don't expect 0 - 100 mph timings as yet, but McLaren says P1 will hit 60 mph from rest in under THREE, yeah, BELOW 3 seconds, shatter the 124 mph mark in less than SEVEN seconds, and hit 300 kmph in around 17 seconds. That is fast, with a capital F, font size 100. Top speed is electronically limited to 217 mph. Why, you may ask, for such a killer machine deserves a faster top speed (the F1 had a staggering 243 mph on the record). But apparently McLaren's motif was to build a car that STAYS fast, not a car the reaches the highest possible mph value. And it may stay true to its word. The tires too are specially built for McLaren by its F1 partner Pirelli. The P - Zero Corsas are claimed to be as sticky as slicks. Akebono - built brakes (the firm which makes the braking system for McLaren's F1 cars) feature Carbon - Ceramic brakes. The discs are said to dissipate heat more effectively than the traditional metal - based ones. And they are much lighter too.
P1 looks downright stunning in the view that many will see
These stats alone are enough to leave petrolheads gasping in sheer excitement, but there's more show to go along with. The entire car body is built from carbon fiber, named as MonoCage by McLaren's engineers. P1 is as aerodynamic as a car can be, with a drag coefficient of just 0.34, along with a maximum downforce of 1320 pounds. The trick is brought together by the DRS, Drag Reduction System, which fiddles with the rear wing so badly that it reduces the drag by 23 percent. And all you need is a press of a button, mounted on the steering itself. Brake though, and the system deactivates immediately for the safety of lesser mortals.
The biggest shock is the fact that the P1 actually generates less than 200 grams of CO2 per kilometer on the combined cycle. So what's the big deal?To put the record straight, the average CO2 emission from new cars in the UK is 158 g/km, a Toyota Corolla 1.4 generates 170 g/km, and a 3 - litre diesel Toyota Land Cruiser Prado generates 225! And we are talking about a car that generates more than FIVE times the output from that diesel mill. Still frowning, environmentalist? The P1 can be solely driven on electric power for 20 km, at a speed of 30 mph. So long, Prius drivers, i-MiEVers, LEAFs, Twizys, here's a really cool green mean machine.
And, the price? For such a unique, jaw dropping automobile, there should be a fittingly horrendous pricetag. The blokes at McLaren does not disappoint in this sense either. Expect a base tag of US $ 1.15 million, plus all sorts of applicable taxes, and any costs for "personalized" options. No worries though, as it is crystal clear that anyone who pays a visit to McLaren's showrooms for something beyond window - shopping will be prepared for this. And rumor has it that all the 375 models destined for production, (note the figure - just 375) are already sold out. McLaren honed the final touches of P1 after listening to "potential" customers. Start looking for the miniature cars. That can be rare too, perhaps.
More than 1 million Dollars, more than 900 bhp, less than 3 sec to 60 mph, less than 17 sec to 300 kmph, less than 200g/km, just 375 machines, McLaren has got almost everything appropriately apportioned for the P1. Can't wait till someone from the automotive journalist fraternity drives the car and tells how he feels. One thing is certain. P1's spiritual father, F1 rewrote the automotive history like never before. And with the P1, historians shall better be ready with their notepads. Or tabs, may be.
Image source - Motor Authority
Move over Ferrari, Lamborghini,
and Bugatti! Let the show begin for McLaren P1, “The Hypercar”!
McLaren is a name that rings a
bell in almost anyone with a passing interest in automobiles, and a brand
revered by enthusiasts across the globe. Yes, it is known for seriously fast
cars, both on the racetracks and highways. British - based McLaren Automotive,
as the company is accurately known, was founded by New Zealand racer Bruce
McLaren as a racing team, pitted their first Formula One team in 1966, and celebrates its 50th year
in existence in 2013. McLaren runs the highly successful McLaren Formula One
(now Vodafone McLaren – Mercedes) team, which is one of the powerhouses in the
sport, and encompasses a massively successful history with a host of legendary
drivers winning numerous championships driving their machines. The latest of
the lineup is young driver Lewis Hamilton, who won the title in 2008.
However, there is one solid
reason behind McLaren’s fame outside the racing world, the McLaren F1. First
produced back in 1992, it held the world record for “fastest production car”
for almost one and a half decades, till the Bugatti Veyron came screaming in.
Its 0 – 60 mph time of 3.2 seconds is still horrendously fast, even well after
20 years it was first produced, and the top speed of 231 mph is again quite an
astounding feat, for a mass production supercar.
McLaren F1
However, after the F1 was
canned in 1998, McLaren Automotive did not offer any road going vehicles for
quite some time, baring the McLaren – Mercedes SLR supercar built for the German
marque. It came up with the MP4 – 12C supercar in 2009, which went into
production in 2011. However, this was more comparable with the higher – end
Porsche 911s and Ferraris of today rather than its elder brother F1, even
though its McLaren – built twin - turbo V8 generated 616 bhp (brake horse power
– the power generated by an engine in hp, without taking the losses caused by
gearbox, exhaust and other systems into account), just 11 less than the BMW
sourced V12 in F1.
Well, time to celebrate 50 years,
and McLaren does it in style. Roll on the P1. F1’s spiritual successor, P1 is
set to be the world’s BEST DRIVER’S CAR, a very ambitious title. But given the reputation
of the manufacturer, and the shots of the machine unveiled by McLaren, little
doubt can be placed in the epithet.
Benchmarked against the flagships of two equally powerful marques in
automotive industry, Porsche 918 Spyder and Ferrari F150 (the successor of Enzo),
the P1 will, without doubt, be a legendary automobile.
McLaren has teased the
machine several occasions, with the latest and the most comprehensive exterior
shoot coming from Bahrain. The exterior suggests a very aerodynamic machine, with
a futuristic styling that, surprisingly, pays little homage to F1, but borrows
a lot from MP4 – 12C. The highlight in the interior shots is the digital
instrument panel, with a digital rev counter that redlines at 9000 rpm.
Carbon fibre is spilled all over the cabin and gullwing style doors are
standard too. And beneath the sheetmetal (it’s mostly carbon fibre though) is a
hybrid powertrain producing around 720 bhp, powering all four wheels. Gear box
specs or suspension facts haven’t been leaked yet.
And not surprisingly for such an
important upcoming car, the P1 is not without controversy. One of the foremost
criticisms is the PRICE, which is estimated at FOUR times the price of a
standard MP4 – 12C priced at £ 168, 500. Calculation is homework. And for such
a staggering price, the power is seemingly not adequate for some critics (a
modest 100+ bhp over the MP4 – 12C). While there are some outlandish claims
about the pace of the machine, including a Silverstone (British racetrack) run
24 seconds, yeah, twenty four seconds faster than ANY other production
car, no official 0 – 60 mph or top speed
figures are yet unveiled by McLaren. So it still remains to be seen if the P1
does justice to the hypercar title bestowed on it, and battles it out with the
Porsche and Ferrari.
The wait, however, won’t be too
long. The car is set to make its premiere in the 83rd Geneva MotorShow, and that will kick off on the 7th of March. So fingers crossed
till then. But one thing is for certain; McLaren’s back with a BIG bang!
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