The McLaren F1 is a supercar icon, but it's still a car, and it's meant to be driven. DK Engineering put together a video user's guide showing the ins and outs of this legendary supercar.
Open the door, for example, and you'll find a sticker listing McLaren's various racing achievements, including the F1's overall victory at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans and the company's Formula One championships with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Interestingly, while the car shown in the video was built in 1995, the sticker includes McLaren's GT-class win at the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In addition to showing off to your friends, that sticker is a handy reminder of where the F1's data connector is located. McLaren has had to seek out 1990s-era computers to interface with these outdated electronic systems.
The F1 also has small luggage bins ahead of its rear wheels, and McLaren provided a luggage set designed to fit in these small spaces. These compartments also hold a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and a red anodized socket wrench for the F1's single-lug wheels. F1s also have a small front compartment, but instead of cargo space, it houses fluid reservoirs and a CD changer.
McLaren F1 #063
If you're the kind of person who works on a multi-million-dollar supercar at home (F1s were delivered with a full toolbox), an engine-bay placard includes helpful information like the firing order, ignition timing, tappet clearance, and spark-plug gap. F1 identification plates, showing the chassis number, are also located in the engine bay.
Much like a race car, getting into the F1 is a multi-stage process. You sit on the car's wide sill, slide your legs over the left passenger's seat to the driver's footwell, and pull yourself into the centered driver's seat. It's best to go in from the left side to avoid snagging the shifter, and never close the door with the window open.
The F1 has an old-fashioned ignition key, with an engine-start button under a fighter-jet-style flip cover. It also has a "flyaway" handbrake, with a handle that folds down after the brake is engaged (making it easy to forget the brake is on) and a lockout switch for reverse. Audio and climate controls are on the center console, while the speedometer goes to 400 kph (248 mph), meaning you don't use most of it in normal driving.
Watch the full video for more interesting details of the McLaren F1, and imagine what it's like to own and drive one.