THE BENCHMARK AND THE PRETENDER-TO-ITS-THRONE

Amongst the sports cars which have stood out in the last decade, the evocative 550bhp BMW V12 engined McLaren F1 remains the standout machine for a host of reasons. Even though it is now no longer in production, McLaren affecting a cut-off after only 300 units were built, thanks to their growing links with Mercedes-Benz, this three-seater sports car penned by the brilliant Gordon Murray and styled by the equally illustrious Peter Stevens has written its name in the history books in words of gold.

McLaren intended to build this car not to take on the likes of Ferrari F40 or F50 or even the others like the Lamborghini and the Honda NSX models but kick off a whole new direction for the sports car to head into. The central driving position and the two seats on either side of the driver was as radical a concept as was the thought that this car could have a 200mph/320kmph 'cruising speed' and a top speed anywhere in excess of 250mph/400kmph.

That these sort of performance levels was no sales brochure hype was borne out when the McLaren F1 set an all time record for straightline speed when it thundered to a top speed in excess of 278mph in the hands of sports car racer Andy Wallace. The performance potential was also not lost on sports car racing teams who took the basic car and gave it some lightly breathed upon components and safety gear to storm to wins at Le Mans and also the World Supercar Championship. Today McLaren won't be able to sell you a F1 because they have stopped making it though one model resides in their exclusive Mayfair showroom in London.

If the McLaren F1's record seems to remain in tact, the Volkswagen Group is getting ready to unleash a stormer of a car in the stunning new Bugatti Veyron, a machine this magazine has referred to over the past few months. VW under Ferdinand Peich is getting into sports cars with a vengeance and even though it has bought Lamborghini, made the VW W12, put Audi and Bentley into sports car racing, it is the Bugatti Veyron with its 1000bhp and 1000Nm on tap which can usurp, nay obliterate the McLaren F1's awesome performance records. We just can't wait to see it in production.