"Lotus elan is better than a Mc Laren F1"

[holywood3645]

When someone says the "Lotus elan is better than a Mc Laren F1", even the most loyal of you would say or think... Bollocks!
But when Gordon Murray says it then you take notice.
3.19 into interview


https://youtu.be/eqCGqooGfWc

[Grizzly]

Interesting he's not got a 7, i agree you can't get much better driving feel than an elan but the F1 was built to be some thing very different.

[Mazzini]

Is that a photo of a 7 or a Mallock on the wall? Nice to see an Elite in there as well.

[holywood3645]

However he is building a MK1 escort

https://youtu.be/nSiG7oNXC6w

https://youtu.be/zvwnmIPJ2Kw

[holywood3645]

Grizzly
I disagree, When the elan was designed and first built. It was built for exactly the same reasons an F1 was designed and built. The only difference is evolved technology engineering and time.

[The Veg]

Listening carefully, I think he was just talking about the steering.

[Chancer]

So the credit needs to go to Standard Triumph.

Apart from lock stops,( and woudn't it be cool if the Elan had the same turning circle!) what else is different?

Unless the track and wheelbase are identical to the Spitfire, or the steering arms are unique, then the Ackermann angle will be incorrect.

[tvacc]

I would have to agree if the comparison was car to car. I am sure of you own a F1, every other car just does not match up or compare to the F1. For me it was the same for the Elan when I drove my first one back in1971. And it stayed that way till I got my Elise. I feel the same way about the Elise. At least that is how it is for me.

[The Veg]

Even then the question is, are we comparing raw performance, or something more subjective? Tony, I suspect that you're thinking in terms of the latter. I'm reminded of a comparison-test I read a few years ago in which the magazine tested an Evora, a high-spec Corvette, a high-spec Porsche, and a Nissan GTR. The results were interesting: while by the numbers the Nissan was the clear winner and the Evora was dead-last, the writers all agreed that the Evora was the clear winner in terms of driver satisfaction. And driving on public roads in the real world, I think that that's the most important thing to all of us.

[tvacc]

Yes, I mean subjective enjoyment which after watching the interview I think that is what Gordon was referring to. I don't think he was talking just about the steering. Elana are clearly his favorite car.

[tvacc]

Yes, I mean subjective enjoyment which after watching the interview I think that is what Gordon was referring to. I don't think he was talking just about the steering. Elana are clearly his favorite car.

[Grizzly]

Grizzly
I disagree, When the elan was designed and first built. It was built for exactly the same reasons an F1 was designed and built. The only difference is evolved technology engineering and time.

How do you figure? The Elan was built to fund CC's racing, it was designed as a mass producible sports car. On the other hand the F1 was built to be at example of Mclaren's technology, it was built with no expense spared and arguably the first Hypercar.

So today the Elan would be say a 911 GT3 and the F1 would be a P1.

As above Murray was just trying to get his point about weight and steering feel across.

Gordon Murray, the McLaren F1 was ?an attempt to build the best engineered driver?s car ever made.?

It was an attempt that clearly succeeded? according to F1 owner and serial car collector Jay Leno, it is simply ?the Greatest Car of the 20th Century.?

[JonB]

I'd go along with that, although I've not driven one.

You do know that GM hates the boot latch? Says it was a bodge, clunky, heavy, not well engineered. So McClaren didn't get everything right..

[Chancer]

I'd go along with that, although I've not driven one.

You do know that GM hates the boot latch? Says it was a bodge, clunky, heavy, not well engineered. So McClaren didn't get everything right..

But he said it was an [b]attempt[b] to build the best engineered drivers car ever made.

the reason that he is so good is that he recognises he can always do better next time.

Or perhaps I have misunderstood you and you mean that Murrays input was the conceptual design and that Maclaren were responsable for the minor d?tails?

[Grizzly]

I'd go along with that, although I've not driven one.

You do know that GM hates the boot latch? Says it was a bodge, clunky, heavy, not well engineered. So McClaren didn't get everything right..

But he said it was an [b]attempt[b] to build the best engineered drivers car ever made.

the reason that he is so good is that he recognises he can always do better next time.

Or perhaps I have misunderstood you and you mean that Murrays input was the conceptual design and that Maclaren were responsable for the minor d?tails?

'Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior and interior of the car.' According to Wiki......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_F1

Lets face it when you put 620hp in a car weighing 1100kg with no assists it's going to be a handful.

It's going to be interesting to see what the modern day equivalent F1 teams (Mercedes and Redbull) come up with this time around, will their cars be as big a leap forward as the F1 was back in the 90's.