In case you missed the tribute to McLaren’s epic 1995 Victory at Le Mans, we have something special for you.
As previously stated, prior to the official start of the 2015 24-hour of Le Mans race, McLaren paraded its fleet of five F1 GTRs on Circuit de la Sarthe to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their famous victory.
Now, to honor the last street-based GT car to win the race, BMW USA prepped chassis #17R, the No38 F1 GTR, for a spin around Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to incite our senses with the McLaren F1 racing experience.
Originally built for Bigazzi Team SRL, the car competed in the 1996 Silverstone round of BPR Global GT Series (before it became the FIA GT Championship) and finished 4th. Furthermore, it came in 8th at the 1996 24-hour Le Mans Race.
The restricted BMW V12 S70/2 powering the car that often hit 330 km/h (205mph) on the Mulsanne straight, makes a terrifically good sound when driven hard around the circuit. We don’t usually hear pure-bred racing V12s nowadays and that makes the video even more special. The “bark” made by the engine while the driver heel and toes during downshifting is pure eargasm.
With 600HP on tap and weighing next to nothing, the car is lightning fast too. Just watch the video and see for yourself.