So how does the McLaren feel like?

[Shaunt]

Hi guys.

I'm always hearing how the McLaren is the ultimate road, but why exactly? I know it is fast, but how does it handle, how is the braking for this beauty?

[RolandK]

The McLaren is one of strongest cars I've ever driven. The acceleration is absolutely fabulous.

You have to be very careful with the throttle. If you try to press it down too hard at 120mph the car tends to drift with the tail. That's the reason why most of the existing cars already had an accident.

4 years ago we had a big article in our newspaper. The official McLaren F1 press car from BMW had a crash with the BMW CEO. He took the car for a fun trip and wrapped it around a tree. His argument was that the car had too much power in higher speeds.

That's exactly what I said. But I really have to say that the handling and the performance of this car is unique.

Roland

[Shaunt]

Holy crap, this car is pretty damn powerful.

I never that it's 600hp would make the car wild over a 100. Damn, that is what you call power now.

I guess I'll never be able to control a beast like that, hehe.

Roland, do you know why it wasn't made with a twin turbo, or if there are any modified ones out there?

[RolandK]

Easy question:
Why make it with a Turbo when BMW manages it without one?

And BMW is known as not to be a big fan of turbo engines. And they are doing good.

Roland

[izzyloveslizzy]

Maybe turbos were an easier way to get power (as easy as it is for BMW to make N.A. engines). I think if BMW entered the business of turbos they'd conquer it just like they did the Nat. Asp. business.

[thepolarfoxqx]

bmw engines are famous for being free-reving, super-responsive, and ultra-efficent. They make more power/liter at lower revs that any one else out there. bar none. By august, I hope with only small bolt-ons, I will have 100hp/l out of my 318 at 6,000rpms. No other car manufactuerer makes engines capable of something like that, especially not that easy.

A turbo would kill the free-revving and the responsiveness. BMW does magic with deep breathing. Right now, they don't need turbos, and I don't forsee them needing them any time in the near future.

[GIR]

I've seen several BMW engines with a aftermarket turbo. They're able to kill just about any engine out there.

BMW has managed without turbo's and will manage without them for a long time. If you look at the techspecs and the dyno printouts of their cars you will know why.

Heck the only car I know that even manages to come close to BMW's efficiency is a Spyker C8 (155hp/l with a max of 620hp at 4100rpm) and that car costs 600k.

BMW is undoubtly the king of car engineers!

[thepolarfoxqx]

yeah, the spyker engine has to rev to nearly 9k to do it though. BMW has specific outputs beyond belief - and only at moderately high revs.

aftermarket turbos on M5s make beasts wil 3 seccond 0-60s, and while faster, they don't have the BMW responsiveness. BMW has stuff like gas direct injection that will keep them cranking on easy breathing for a while.

[colinsmith]

basically it all comes down to is the turbo lag, you can't have a super sports car like this and have any lag in time between throttle push and push at the wheels. At low RPM's you would not get an immediate push at the wheels when you hit the gas, and where the hell is the fun in having to wait for the power. In fact it is damn dangerous, if you need to push through a corner at 150mp/h and there is no power to do it. Your screwed! and it just isn't Gordon Murray or Bimmers style.

[thepolarfoxqx]

i take your point.

a supercharger is better, but for the most sportly driving, a naturally aspirated engine is optimal.

So often people get tempted by easy power gain though.