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Written by:
Steve Matchett
05/30/2007 - 07:00 PM
Charlotte, NC
1988 McClaren MP4-4 » More Photos
Over the years McLaren have produced some magnificent cars. Judging by the early successes of this year's chassis, the MP4-22 looks set to enter F1's hall of fame too. We've plenty of time to evaluate the true worth of the MP4-22 as the remainder of the 2007 season unfolds but, as McLaren continue to make headline news, I thought I'd take time out to look back at an earlier McLaren masterpiece, a car that came within a hair's breadth of accomplishing something that has never been done; something that many within the industry believe will never happen.
The perfect season: To win every race on the F1 calendar; something that is already beyond the reach of the MP4-22. Throughout the sport's fifty-eight year history it's never happened. It remains a dream. Over the years the perfect season has become Formula 1's own holy grail. Every winter the lead protagonists have prepared to try, yet, without exception, regardless of their skills and determination, their daring and their courage, all have failed to seize the ultimate prize.
While no team has yet scored the perfect season, McLaren International came so close in 1988 that their efforts have been talked of ever since. With the brilliant talents of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost behind the wheel, the team managed a magnificent tally of fifteen wins from sixteen races. Oh, so close!
The drivers gave their all but what I want to concentrate on in this feature is the car itself: the mighty turbocharged McLaren-Honda MP4-4.
As a general rule of thumb an ultra-successful race car is found through natural evolution, not radical revolution. There's no denying, however, that there are several significant differences between the MP4-3 (1987) and the MP4-4. That said, the family lineage of the 1988 McLaren can be traced back over seven generations.
Chassis:
McLaren's MP4-4 made use of a derivative of John Barnard's carbon fibre male-moulded chassis. Back in 1981, when Barnard designed this groundbreaking monocoque, it was considered a revolution. Many luminaries
The future had arrived. And while the rest of the paddock pondered how best to react (and it took some teams, including Williams, nigh-on four years to do so) McLaren International calmly went about the business of honing this masterpiece of design, season by season. It was strong, it was light, it was as ugly as sin.
The main downside to the male-moulded technique was that the 'finished' side of the monocoque was inside the car, the tub's outer face was drab and block-sided, requiring additional lightweight body panels to endow the car with its aerodynamic styling. Some saw this as a plus, certainly it allowed the team to rework their aero package without the need of an entirely new chassis.
Transmission:
Transmission housings in 1988 were manufactured from cast magnesium. They were big and they were heavy, perhaps 60kgs, twice that of today. There are three main reasons for that: the clutch was much bigger, again twice that of a contemporary design. The clutch pack from McLaren's 2007 car, the MP4-22, would nestle in the palm of your hand, four inches or so, about the size of a Big Mac.
Also, back in 1988 the gear ratios, shafts, crown wheel, pinion and other internals were much bigger than today. Material quality has soared in recent years, meaning that teeth are less likely to strip for a given reduction in size and tooth contact area. Nowadays computer aided machining can produce more intricate, delicate pieces. Delicate but not fragile.
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