McLaren F1 XP5: The Prototype That Shattered Speed Records
In the early 1990s, McLaren set out to build the ultimate road car—not necessarily the fastest. But the McLaren F1 XP5, a prototype for what would become the most legendary supercar of its era, went on to annihilate speed records and redefine performance forever.
XP5 was the last of five McLaren F1 prototypes, finished in Dark Metallic Green with a Grey interior and a Black driver's seat with Green inserts. Originally built as a test and promotional vehicle, XP5 was driven by automotive journalists worldwide, gaining a reputation for its unmatched performance, engineering, and exclusivity.
McLaren first tested the F1's potential in 1993 when XP3 hit 231 mph at Nardò, but the track's circular layout limited its true top speed.
On March 31, 1998, McLaren took XP5 to Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien Proving Ground. With Le Mans-winning driver Andy Wallace behind the wheel, XP5 set the official Guinness World Record for the fastest production car at 240.1 mph (386.4 km/h)—destroying the Jaguar XJ220's previous 217 mph record.
Though the Bugatti Veyron and others eventually surpassed the F1's top speed, XP5 remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car ever built. Even today, no modern supercar with a naturally aspirated engine has matched its performance.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
FIA Assures F1 Racing Spectacle Will Not Suffer Despite Slower Cars in 2026
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Formula One's governing body, the FIA, has confirmed that the 2026 car will be slower by one to two and a half seconds compared to the current ground effects car. However, that won't necessarily mean a compromise for fans, since the gap won't be noticeable visually. F1 enters a new era of regulations next year with new engine and chassis rules. As a result, the cars will undergo a significant overhaul in every way. To begin with, the 2026 car will feature a new power unit that will run on electric power and internal combustion, split by an equal ratio. Related: Lance Stroll Destroys 2026 F1 Regulations in Brutal Rant The sport will leave behind the current Drag Reduction System for active aerodynamics at the front and rear wings. The car will be lighter and smaller with less downforce and drag to encourage close racing. However, the changes could mean a drop in lap times, but FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has confirmed that the drop will be marginal initially, since there will be enough scope to improve them when teams have enough data for periodic upgrades. The race start during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. The race start during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, the biggest concern, Tombazis has made it clear that the drop in pace won't be anywhere close to the performance of Formula 2 cars. Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, as quoted by RacingNews365, he said: "I'm always surprised by how important this topic is to people. There have been phases throughout the history of the sport where lap times have slowed. "I don't think that's harmed the sport. You get used to it quickly. There are also differences of one and a half seconds in the field. Does that make the slower car an unattractive race car? The driver feels the one and a half seconds. From the outside, you hardly notice it." Tombazis suggested that the drop in lap times is a normal occurrence ahead of a new era of regulations. He added: "To reassure you: According to our simulations, the cars are getting between one and two and a half seconds slower per lap. But that's just the beginning, the teams will develop the cars quickly. Soon, no one will complain that the cars are too slow. We're not sinking to Formula 2 level." Addressing the topic of downforce, Tombazis admitted that with no data available from teams, one can only assess the performance when cars go out on the track, meaning some teams could face challenges initially. He said: "To be fair, I have to admit that we haven't received data from all teams about the expected downforce of their cars. So it's possible that some may be worse positioned at the beginning."
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Liam Lawson Exposes Shocking Truth Behind Red Bull F1 Demotion
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Racing Bulls Formula One driver Liam Lawson has shed light on his demotion from Red Bull after the first two races of the 2025 season, exposing how an experimental setup on his RB21 F1 car was allegedly used against him. Lawson's promotion was announced after the 2024 season, following the ousting of Sergio Perez. Red Bull finalized its decision after assessing Lawson alongside Yuki Tsunoda in the second half of last year in its junior F1 team, Racing Bulls (then VCARB). 2025 marks Lawson's first full-time season in the premier class of racing, but things took a drastic turn after Red Bull demoted him to Racing Bulls, swapping him for Yuki Tsunoda. The team took this major decision after the Grands Prix in Australia and China, where Lawson secured a DNF and P12. Red Bull's challengers have been reportedly tailored to suit Max Verstappen, and as a result, most of his teammates have often found it hard to adapt to the car. Lawson feels he wasn't given enough time to get used to the car, and highlighted that the team's preparation fell short of what a rookie driver would normally receive. Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App RB looks on from the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App RB looks on from the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, made matters worse for him were the car's reliability issues. When he agreed to try a different setup on the RB21 in China, thinking it would help him understand the car better, Red Bull used his performance in the race as the basis for his demotion. Speaking to RacingNews365, Lawson said: "If you look at how other teams have approached bringing a young driver in and you look at the test days, the time in the seat, the amount of testing that, for example, Kimi [Antonelli], has done in the past before racing this year - we didn't do any of that. "It was two weekends on two tracks I'd never raced at, one of them being a sprint weekend. They weren't smooth weekends. We had issues in Bahrain [testing] with reliability, we had issues in Melbourne with reliability." He added: "In China, we took a shot in the dark with the set-up to try and learn something. For me, I was under the understanding it was to help me develop for the future, to have an understanding of the car. "So I was happy to drive with this sort of set-up. That performance was then used to demote me from the team, basically." Red Bull has been facing problems with its car since mid-2024. In the current season, Verstappen's performance continues to suffer since the team is unable to get the car in the right working window. Tsunoda, who replaced Lawson, has also experienced a drop in performance since his promotion. While Lawson admitted that the car had issues, he wasn't happy with his own performance either, which prompted him to look back and analyze if he could have done something differently. He added: "There were a few things over that time that made it not smooth. It wasn't a clean couple of weekends. And by my own standards, they weren't good enough. I was obviously trying as hard as I could, and I was trying to get up to speed as quickly as I could. "As much as I look back now and go, 'What could I have done to do that better?', there are obviously things you look back in hindsight and go, 'I wish that I'd done this differently to try and help me'. "If I knew I was going to get two races, I would have probably done things slightly differently. But I didn't at the time. I was maybe a bit naive, but I thought I was going to get longer and have time to learn."
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Will Buxton Has a Bold Answer On Alex Palou's F1 Title Chances
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Commentator and former F1 TV host Will Buxton gave his take on IndyCar Champion Alex Palou's chances in Formula 1. Buxton is a long-time F1 paddock member who started as a reporter and eventually became a TV presenter for the sport's digital streaming platform. He featured prominently on Netflix's Drive to Survive (DTS), playing a key role in the show becoming so popular and the sport growing stateside. On DTS, he narrated the dramatic elements of the sport and gave context to specific events, helping new fans learn about the racing series. Alex Palou, driver of the #10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, poses for a photo during the winner's photo shoot for the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway... Alex Palou, driver of the #10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, poses for a photo during the winner's photo shoot for the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. More Photo byBefore the start of the 2025 F1 season, Buxton announced his departure from the broadcast team and revealed his new role at Fox with IndyCar. He is the lead play-by-play voice for the American racing series - this season, he has observed the greatness of the driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, Alex Palou. The Spanish sensation secured his fourth IndyCar championship, cementing his status as one of the most dominant racers in the competition's history. On Sunday, after Palou captured another title, Buxton was asked the following question on X by another user: "How does an Indy car driver compare to an F1 driver on a skill level? I suppose it's a hard question to answer but why wouldn't Palou pursue that path on his current trajectory? I'm just trying to understand if F1 is completely out of reach for him and what pushes a driver one way or the other," the person asked. As an expert in both racing series, Buxton is especially able to dissect Palou's chances in F1, and he responded with his take: "Palou is, hands down, one of the best open-wheel drivers in the world right now. Could he win in F1? Absolutely. With the right car. Would he get the right car though? Unless it's a top 4 team in F1, why walk away from making history in a championship he loves?," Buxton wrote in a post. Palou is, hands down, one of the best open wheel drivers in the world right now. Could he win in F1? Absolutely. With the right car. Would he get the right car though? Unless it's a top 4 team in F1, why walk away from making history in a championship he loves? — Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) August 10, 2025 How close was Alex Palou to joining F1? Palou had signed a deal to drive with McLaren's IndyCar team, though he ended up staying with Chip Ganassi instead after winning the 2023 title. The driver claimed that McLaren promised him an F1 drive, but after the team signed Oscar Piastri, he lost confidence in landing a seat on the grid. Piastri was younger than Palou and, with Lando Norris cemented as the team's lead driver — he gave up on his F1 dream and stayed in IndyCar. Since then, he has dominated in America, though Buxton believes there is an alternative universe where Palou is fighting for a F1 title right now. "I think Palou reneged on McLaren precisely because the F1 road was closed off as soon as they signed Piastri," he wrote. "But yeah. Had Alpine been better at writing contracts, every chance Palou is leading the F1 championship and Piastri is still at Enstone." I think Palou reneged on McLaren precisely because the F1 road was closed off as soon as they signed Piastri. But yeah. Had Alpine been better at writing contracts, every chance Palou is leading the F1 championship and Piastri is still at Enstone. — Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) August 10, 2025 For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
