America Meets Britain Head-On! Saleen S7 vs. McLaren F1

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JohnBM01

JohnBM01

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JMarine25
Before I begin, this is NOT a topic to flirt on McLaren. It is, however, based on a post I read from the young lady. So let's see how this one goes.

Pretend you stepped into a rich person's garage, and you find two cars enjoying the sunny afternoon, being toasted in the sunlight from a cloudless blue day (rare in Houston around this time of year). You find a Saleen S7, then you see the awesome McLaren F1. Both are certified superexotics. One is one of the best in America, and the other seemed to prove itself around the world along with winning Le Mans first time out. The Saleen S7 gives up maybe 40-50 horsepower and maybe 30-40 mph less horsepower. The McLaren seats one more person than the S7. It also costs $300,000+ more than the Saleen S7.

Personally, I like both cars. I think the Saleen S7 is the most complete supercar America has to offer to the world. And many can view the McLaren F1... but only the chosen few can own a McLaren F1. Seperate the Saleen and the McLaren by the Atlantic Ocean. Bring both to a no-holds-barred fight. Who'd win the fight? Who would bat clean up as a Home Run master? Who would throw long balls into the endzone for a touchdown? Who'd haul ass down the field scoring tries left and right like the New Zealand All-Blacks? Who can give Michael Jackson the one-way ticket to the nut house?

Reply if you dare.
 
As an all round performer, I think the F1 would have picked up the medal and be getting showered and dressed and ready for a night on the town before the S7 even crossed the line.
 
In the words of Tony Jardin: "the McLaren F1 is the best car ever made, ever, and will probably never be beaten". I'll stand by his statement.
 
Depends. You know as well as I do that a road Saleen S7 would kick the McLaren F1 road car's ass on track, but a car like the Saleen is not suited to the road. Its far to wide, far too low and far too long (try parking that in a Walmart space!).

If your going to buy a car as track-biased as a Saleen, why not just buy a Radical SR3? Or if you've got that much money, how about a Dauer 962. I mean just the fact that its undetectable to radar makes it worth every penny.
 
Party for GT4
Depends. You know as well as I do that a road Saleen S7 would kick the McLaren F1 road car's ass on track, but a car like the Saleen is not suited to the road. Its far to wide, far too low and far too long (try parking that in a Walmart space!).
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The McLaren F1 LM would dropkick the S7 into touch on the track.

mclarenf1lm95_01.jpg


Engine

Type: V12
Displacement cu in (cc): 370 (6064)
Power bhp (kW) at RPM: 680(500) / 7800
Saleen - 550 hp @ 6400 rpm

Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: 520(705) / 4500
Saleen - 525 ft.-lbs. @ 4000 RPM

Redline at RPM: 8500

Brakes & Tires
Brakes F/R: ABS, vented disc/vented disc
Tires F-R: 275/35 - 345/35 ZR18
Exterior Dimensions & Weight
Length × Width × Height in: 172 × 71.6 × 44
Weight lb (kg): 2336 (1062)

Performance
Acceleration 0-62 mph s: 3.0
Top Speed mph (km/h): 225 (362)

Weight
1062kgs
Saleen - 1250kgs
 
JohnBM01
I think the Saleen S7 is the most complete supercar America has to offer to the world.
Click to expand...

It is the most complete all-out supercar that America has to offer, but it is not complete. I have read the articles, I have read the reviews of both cars. Especially the head-on Carrera GT v. Mclaren F1 article recently in EVO. That article perfectly displays why the Macca is king. It is the best. It's just that simple. Porsche can mak a car, anybody can make a car, but it will still fall short of the purest car in the world. That's just how good it is. Just you wait for the Mclaren-only car coming out in the next years, it will be similar to the F1, unparalleled in any aspect. The Saleen team also lacked in the experience dp't while Mr. Murray was involved in the Formula One scene for ages...

In my books:

S7 :dunce:
F1 :dopey:
 
Party for GT4
Depends. You know as well as I do that a road Saleen S7 would kick the McLaren F1 road car's ass on track, but a car like the Saleen is not suited to the road. Its far to wide, far too low and far too long (try parking that in a Walmart space!).

If your going to buy a car as track-biased as a Saleen, why not just buy a Radical SR3? Or if you've got that much money, how about a Dauer 962. I mean just the fact that its undetectable to radar makes it worth every penny.
Click to expand...
Did you just make up that whole post?

"You know as well as I do that a road Saleen S7 would kick the McLaren F1 road car's ass on track," - How do we know that?

"The Dauer 962 is undetectable on radar" - Are you saying that because it has a kevlar body? What about the chassis? What about the engine? It is detectable on radar.

Saleen vs McLaren? What you have to remember is that the McLaren was designed 12 years ago. If it was designed today, it would be lighter and have better brakes.

Saleen 1250kg - F1 1140kg
Saleen 550bhp - F1 627bhp

No contest.
 
You know, comparisons like htis make me laugh. honestly, considering the Saleen S7 can almost keep up with the Mclaren, its quite sad for Mclaren owners. Why am I not so impressed with it? Because Mclaren had LIMITLESS DEVELOPMENT FUNDING on their car. they designed everything sdown to a weight, which cost likely hundreds of millions of dollars to research and create, and Saleen or any other company does not have that kind of development budget. Give Pagani, Koenigsegg, Noble, Saleen, hell almost any manufacturer that kind of funding and I guarantee you will see at least one Mclaren eater. If Mclaren had developed the F1 with the sort of funding a small company can afford, I guarantee you it would not have been nearly so perfectly engineered, and remmber it was sold at a huge loss even though it cost 890k! I dont hate Mclaren, I htink its a great car, its just htat proclaiming it the best car ever when it had a budget above any other car, it just fails to impress. Its like saying Sony makes a superior radio to my little handbuilt one from the parts bin. No ****.
 
The F1 was and still is the fastest production car in the world. No bull**** about the Dauer, yes it can go faster, and it should beat an F1 on a track but thats got a long way to go before it can be classed as a production car. I do like the Saleen S7, I think it looks quite nice and I know it can shift, but it won't stand a chance in straight line or circuit racing against the F1. What would be fairer would be, the S7 v the Carrera GT, but I think the S7 would still lose, the Carera GT is a fast ****er and it still got it's ass handed to it by the F1. The Pagani Zonda C12S is closer to the S7 and I would like to see a contest between the two.
 
live4speed
The F1 was and still is the fastest production car in the world. No bull**** about the Dauer, yes it can go faster, and it should beat an F1 on a track but thats got a long way to go before it can be classed as a production car. I do like the Saleen S7, I think it looks quite nice and I know it can shift, but it won't stand a chance in straight line or circuit racing against the F1. What would be fairer would be, the S7 v the Carrera GT, but I think the S7 would still lose, the Carera GT is a fast ****er and it still got it's ass handed to it by the F1. The Pagani Zonda C12S is closer to the S7 and I would like to see a contest between the two.
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whjat I want to SEE is a million dollar Saleen, Noble, Pagani, or Koenigsegg. IF were oging to compare two cars, at least give both of them the same development potential and budget and price. A slew of 300k cars nipping at hte heels of a 890k car is actually quite funny. Now, if a car has limitless budget and STILL fails to oust Mclaren, then Ill take back my words, and Bugatti does not count because its a luxury machine far removed from Mclarens superlight racing cockpit. Actually, Id venture to say if Bugatti ever builds a superlight non luxury Veyron, look out Mclaren.
 
Only the S7 is not nipping on the McLaren F1's heel's, like I said, the closest is the Carrera GT and that was beaten by a notable margin. Remember the F1 is over 10 years old and is still unbeaten, the Enzo came and went without a comparison, so although that migh be the closest to the F1 since the early 90's, it wasn't compared and no magazines or motoring programmes were allowed to test one other than in conditions specified by Ferrari. If McLaren made a new F1, it would cost around £600k-£700k, it would be faster than the older F1 and anyother production car you care to mention, the F1 still is the fastest production car.

I like the Veyron but latest news is the target weight is 2000kg's, far too much. Besides the Veyron isn't a supercar, a supercar is a no compromise race car for the road (or it should be), the Veyron is a super grand tourer.
 
Innotech
whjat I want to SEE is a million dollar Saleen, Noble, Pagani, or Koenigsegg. IF were oging to compare two cars, at least give both of them the same development potential and budget and price. A slew of 300k cars nipping at hte heels of a 890k car is actually quite funny. Now, if a car has limitless budget and STILL fails to oust Mclaren, then Ill take back my words, and Bugatti does not count because its a luxury machine far removed from Mclarens superlight racing cockpit. Actually, Id venture to say if Bugatti ever builds a superlight non luxury Veyron, look out Mclaren.
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Compare the F1 to the Enzo then. The F1 still comes out on top which, considering it's a 12 year old design, is amazing.

Bugatti could not make a superlight Veyron without ditching it's engine, and then it won't have the power.
 
It may not be a direct analogy, but I've always seemed to call the Saleen S7 America's McLaren. I think the S7 is a wonderful American car, even if it can't compare with most other supercars (McLaren F1 and Ferrari Enzo nonwithstanding). I've read about the S7 before. I don't know if it's powered by the the only engine that will earn you respect in America, and that is anything V8 or better. The "or better" would of course represent the Dodge Viper.

After reading some of the stats Mike provided, the only thing the F1 gives up to the S7 is torque. Remember the Viper? I think it had 40-50 less horsepower than torque. You can still get bigtime grip to the track. So from what I'm reading, the McLaren F1 owns the Saleen S7. Am I correct?
 
JohnBM01
from what I'm reading, the McLaren F1 owns the Saleen S7. Am I correct?
Click to expand...

👍

Enzo, SLR, S7, Carerra GT < McLaren F1
 
daan
Bugatti could not make a superlight Veyron without ditching it's engine, and then it won't have the power.
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It's not the engine, the engine in the Veyron is lightweight for it's size, it weighs less than the current Vipers engine. It's the rest of the car, it has far too many other bit's in it.
 
About the radar-proof Dauer. I'll quote Dauer's Press officer Joachim Gartner: 'We have not tried it yet, but on a purely theoretical basis it should work'. Apparently its because of the smooth carbonfibre body. Radar beams don't detect anything underneath it.

And, yes, Mike I said ROAD CAR because I knew about the LM, but I was comparing the pure road versions. The McLaren F1 was suspension tuned on rough, damaged roads in the UK so it has a relatively soft setup. Its lap times have been bettered in a test in EVO magazine round Goodwood by a Porsche Carrera GT, with less downforce than the Saleen.
 
Party for GT4
And, yes, Mike I said ROAD CAR because I knew about the LM, but I was comparing the pure road versions. The McLaren F1 was suspension tuned on rough, damaged roads in the UK so it has a relatively soft setup. Its lap times have been bettered in a test in EVO magazine round Goodwood by a Porsche Carrera GT, with less downforce than the Saleen.
Click to expand...

John never said anything about road cars specifically, so I presented the alternate F1 available.

I doubt whether McLaren and BMW would spend millions developing what they hoped to be the worlds greatest supercar, and then go and tune the suspension on some pot-holed back road. So unless you have driven a McLaren, I dont buy the "relatively soft suspension" story. And since when is the S7 "track-biased"? Is the Carerra GT also track-biased?
 
The Carrera GT did not batter the F1's time, the F1 was faster. A quote from the EVO article

"The Carrera GT is one of the best sports cars ever made. But the McLaren F1 is signficantley faster and more special. Which is a result that should neither suprise or offend anyone."
 
Oops. Wrong again. I'm messing everything up today. Doh. :banghead:

And the McLaren is relatively soft, and yes I've ridden in the road version. It isn't perfect. 'the McLaren steering always suffered from excessive weighting-up during cornering', 'the car is a bit more softly sprung, with higher-profile tyres'. (Quotes from EVO 068). I also said 'better' not 'batter' but I was wrong anyway. I keep on saying stupid stuff today so I think I'll shut up now and admit I'm pretty much wrong on nearly everything I've said. :dunce:

Anyway, Mike I know you were not on about the plain road F1, I just said that's what I was on about.
 
We all have days of stupiditis and say things that don't make sense. Your right that the F1 has a softer setup than whats usually used on a supercar, however different versions of the F1 had stiffer setups. It's still stiff, but not as stiff as 90% of other more modern supercars out there.
 
The F1 LM is a road car. There were 5 of them built.

The GT and the GTR were the race cars.
 
The F1 GT was a road car too, it was built to offer more high speed stability than the F1 but a higher top speed than the LM.
 
Hiya! :D :O :lol:

ooOOoo my McCutey in a fight? NOOOO fighting isnt good for the both of ya cuz someone (or property) would get hurt or ruined! :O I would definatly favor and will always favor the McLaren F1 becuz of they way it was made just so beautifully perfectly and sadly I would take even a Skyline R34 too! :O. Saleen S7 is a remarkable car also, but it doesnt take my attention so easily like a McLaren F1 and a Skyline. I am more of a person who care more about the looks of the car than the performance. But BUT the performance have to match or get close to how the car looks in my opinion of how I "like" certain cars. I am not saying that the Saleen S7 is bad, it doesnt have enough of the history and the reputation to get me interested in it compared to the McLaren F1 and the Skyline. But I could be wrong too about the Saleen S7's history and reputation. Correct me if you want! :O
 
Now HERE'S a way to defend your favorite car:
(https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1100734#post1100734) !

No, just joking around as usual. I like both cars if you ask me. I'd probably say that if I had the money and the brains, I'd get an S7 because they seem more available. But if I'm brave, McLaren F1, guard dogs next to it... oh wait, I'm scared of dogs... uh, laser-mounted gun turrets and invisible shields, the whole shebang.

So who'll win this fight? Reply on if you have more to add.
 
It's been answered, the F1 would walk all over the S7 and then piss on it's grave.
 
I know the F1 could beat the S7 in a race, LM or no LM, but I like the S7 more because of its looks. If both had the same numbers, I would choose the S7 over the McLaren. The S7 lokos sleeker, while the F1 is tall and awkward. Sorry, McLaren's Angel. The F1 is still a great looking car, but the S7 is just better looking, IMO.
 
What a worthless topic. The little Ford V8 in the Saleen would die, and get sluaghtered 3 times already while its dead by the McLaren. Now if you put a Kawasaki Ninja Againest the McLaren, now theres something.
 
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