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Then there's the Brabham BT46 "Fan car" that actually raced in F1. Once. Before it was banned. :-)

https://youtu.be/B294RfWj1QE?si=jxYpIgwtH44at6Bq




Huh the Nick Mason credited with being a McLaren F1 owner is the drummer from Pink Floyd.


Suddenly I remember a Top Gear episode where Nick Mason drops off his F1 (maybe it was a Ferrari Enzo?) at the test track, then his personal helicopter lands on the strip, picks him up, and flies him out of the scene, all while "Money" by Pink Floyd plays in the background.


Enzo. That was a good episode.

https://youtu.be/f7jsauspMmU?si=MDEr2B1uHq4FT-oh

The interview where they talk about his book is entertaining as well.


I forgot about the book! Clarkson subtly-not-so-subtly promoting the book was such a riot. And to think that's not even close to the most ridiculous thing they did in the show's heyday.


Nick Mason has a pretty significant collection of cars. Back in the day he used to take his kids to school in his Ferrari 250 GTO. These days the car is so valuable I got the impression he has to call his insurance company to get permission to take it out on the road. Years ago he published a book called "Into the red" with some of his cars. The book had a companion CD of the engine noise made by a selection of the cars. They took each car to the track to record it.

Perhaps the most intense car he owns must be the BRM V16 which, to quote someone who saw it race back in the day "would make your ears bleed". https://youtu.be/fZMPDCNyQxE?si=e97ihEFRW7DU_UcC


...and it's current spiritual successors The McLaren F1 and now the GMA T.50 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_F1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Murray_Automotive_T.50


From a Youtube interview with Gordon Murray I saw, the T.50 has fan-enhanced diffusers, the fan ingesting the boundary layer to prevent flow separation.

It's not able to produce extra downforce at zero speed.

The McMurtry Spéirling is more akin to this, with a 1.4s 0-60mph run.


Huh, never knew that the F1 had floor suckers!


It was "voluntarily" withdrawn after one race, even though it wasn't contrary to the rules


You are correct.




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