Can it really be 20yrs since McLaren wowed everyone with the fastest, most accomplished supercar the world had ever seen?

McLaren Automotive is celebrating 20 years of the legendary McLaren F1 supercar. It is therefore quite fitting that the next chapter of this illustrious company starts writing itself in 2010 when its next supercar, the MP4-12C, is officially launched.

Back in March 1990 a team of engineers came together for the first time to execute its mandate, which was to produce the most innovative, technically advanced and revolutionary car ever built for the segment.

The result was a 4.2 metre long, 1.8m wide and 1.1m high three-seat supercar with scissor-style doors. Power came from a naturally aspirated 6-litre V12 pushing out 627bhp , designed and built specifically for the F1 by BMW.

A major innovation was the central driving position with two extra seats mounted behind it. McLaren had been the first Formula One team to use a carbon fibre chassis in 1981 and its experience with the material was manifested when the McLaren F1 employed a lightweight carbon monocoque structure. So light was the car that the two passenger doors weighed only 7 kg each, with the whole car coming in at just 1140kg.

A number of F1 variations were built over the course of its lifecycle, including a racing version called the F1 GTR which won the 1995 GT1 Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its debut. Another special version was the F1 LM of which only five were built as a celebration of the Le Mans win. The F1 LM remains the most valuable variant of the range, even though due to racing restrictions, the engine was actually less powerful with ‘just’ 600bhp.

The F1′s launch price in 1994 was £540,000 but there was a good-as-new model sold at auction in October 2008 for £2.53 million.

Though the new McLaren MP4-12C is going to be under £200,000, it’s expected to only be fractionally slower through the gears than the F1, yet undoubtedly a fair bit quicker around a circuit. As soon as it’s available to order, the MP4-12C will be in one of our Supercar Competitions, so keep an eye out!

In the mean time, have some more glorious shots of the gathering of McLaren F1s for its birthday: