Anyone who has watched the YouTube channel Jay Leno's Garage has been treated to some totally unique automobiles. The McLaren F1 stands out as one of the best in the collection.

You must hand it to Jay Leno, as he truly cares for and knows the vehicles within his car collection, inside and out. The way he lovingly reviews the primary features of each car is quite touching. You cannot help but feel his appreciation for each automobile in the collection, and in some YouTube episodes, motorcycles. It is Jay's passion for cars and his extraordinary career that have enabled him to assemble one of the greatest private collections of cars and motorcycles in the world.

This brings us to the prize in Jay's collection, the McLaren F1. It is a true race car that was built to be street legal, starting with minimally required internal components to the finishing touches of the exterior. Not a completely new idea, but once the car was delivered back in the early 1990s, there was no equal on the road. Porsche, Ferrari, and other sports cars simply could not stack up to the power and design of the F1.

What is amazing about this piece of art is that even by today's standards, it is a modern looking vehicle that is still one of the world's fastest cars on the road.

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Why The McLaren F1

First off, the McLaren F1 is an exceedingly rare automobile.  Only 107 of the F1's were manufactured. Of the 107, only 64 were made in a similar fashion to the one owned by Jay Leno. The car includes a carbon fiber body, that during the 1990s was very cutting edge for a street vehicle. It also came with a V-12 that generated 627 hp, making it the fastest car in the world at that time.

Even more intriguing, it has no power steering nor anti-lock brakes. According to Jay Leno the purpose of this was to allow the driver to truly feel the road. In true racing car fashion, the driver sits in the middle of the vehicle, making use of 2 rear view mirrors. Not only is this car low to the ground, it weighs less than a Miata. Can you imagine driving a Miata with over 600 hp? That is simply mind blowing! And for some, probably on the dangerous side of things to do.

History Of The McLaren F1

It was Bruce McLaren that founded the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing back in 1963, with the goal of building and racing cars. The first car to be created was the M1A, which was a true racing car. This initial car lead to the creation of other faster, more powerful McLaren cars. It was McLaren that set the stage for racing greatness in the late 60s and early 70s.

Flash forward around 25 years. Bruce was unfortunately no longer alive, but the company remained intact. The company came up with a radical idea, the creation of a sports car that could be driven on the open road. The McLaren F1 was built between 1993 and 1998, with the vision of creating a road car that could in theory actually win races. Imagine driving to a racetrack, winning the race, the being able to drive the car home and park it in the garage! One tidbit of information not that well known regarding the McLaren F1 is that its design was partially inspired by the Toyota Sera. Although the Sera had a small 1.5-liter engine, it sported the unique butterfly doors.

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What Is Next for Leno And McLaren?

Besides the F1, Jay Leno has collected other McLaren vehicles, including the MP4-126. Since Jay is obviously a McLaren fan, it is probably a safe bet to periodically check in on the latest addition to Jay's collection for the most recent McLaren that is available. Knowing all that, it would not be too surprising for Jay to eventually add the 2020 McLaren 720S to his impressive assortment of high-performance vehicles. With a starting price of just over 300k, the 720S is a purchase that is most likely affordable by the likes of Leno.

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