Ron Dennis, well-known and highly-regarded principal of McLaren Mercedes Formula 1, has promised his second-year driver, one Lewis Hamilton, that if Hamilton wins this year's F1 World Championship of Driving title, and, between himself and McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen, the two bring the F1 2008 Constructor's Title to the team, Hamilton will "win" one of only five McLaren F1 LM models, a bright orange job which Hamilton has apparently had his eyes on since first seeing the car in the McLaren factory in 1998, when he was but 13 years of age. No word, at least so far, on what Dennis has promised Kovalainen if these wins take place. How can Dennis make such a promise in the first place? Because he owns a minimum of 15% of McLaren Mercedes F1 ... Wonder how much of his 15% paid that nasty $100 million fine to the FIA last year?
Doubters should remember that McLaren, deeply involved in an F1 spy scandal worthy of James Bond, 
forfeited all their Constructor's Title points at the end of last season, and paid a $100 million fine (though one must wonder how close to reality that $100 million figure really is). All things being equal, if Hamilton had won the Driving title last year, McLaren might have won the Constructor's Title ... But perhaps Hamilton will be glad if he, his teammate and the team can own all the glory they win this season ... Because that'll mean he'll win his beloved McLaren F1 LM (though it's a little garish for our tastes).
Lewis Hamilton is the current and incumbent (so far this season) F1 l'enfant terrible; at least the other drivers on the F1 Circus must think he is the "wild child" of the moment, if not a magic child. He seems to have a more-than-winning way with the media, and his rookie-type errors, one of which cost him last year's World title, seemed to have appropriately humbled him, at least in front of the public. Hamilton missed-out on winning the 2007 World Driving Championship by one point ... in his rookie year in the sport, at that!
So far this season, Hamilton won the pole and the race in F1's first event of the year, in Melbourne, Land of Oz, then in Malaysia, the season's second race, he started ninth and finished fifth, while his nemesis from last season, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, started second, but finished first. That Raikkonen is the one and the same who aced Hamilton out of the series driving title in 2007 by a mere point.
But this posting is about the promise from Ron Dennis, with whom Hamilton has had a written and signed contract since 1996, when he was but 11 (Hamilton is positively reaching elder status at this point in his career, pushing as he is 22, turning 23 on July 1, 2008). Hamilton was only 13 when he's said to have fallen in love with this bright orange McLaren F1 LM supercar sitting on display at the factory in Woking, UK, not too far from Heathrow Airport.
The McLaren F1 was the fastest street-legal production car in the world from 1994 to 2005, the longest for
any street legal or production car in history. Engineered and produced by McLaren, the car features a 6.1-litre 60° BMW S70 V12 engine and was what its designers hoped would be the ultimate road car, at least for a somewhat lengthy period of time. Only 100 cars were manufactured, 64 of those were street versions, 5 were LMs, 2 were GTs and the rest were GTR racing models. Production began in 1992 and ended in 1998.
The F1 LM is estimated today to be worth around $4 million; a proud owner of one was the late Beatle, George Harrison. You might remember photos showing Harrison sitting in the center-front-mounted driver's seat, with one passenger behind and above the driver to each side. (Photo --- All 5 of the road-going McLaren F1 LM models, with the "24 Hours of LeMans" race-winner at the upper-right in the familiar "Gulf" colors).
Only five McLaren F1 LM models (LM for LeMans) were built in honor of the five McLaren F1 GTRs which won the 1994 24 Hours of LeMans.
The weight was reduced by approximately 165 pounds over that of original car, through the removal of various trim pieces and the use of optional equipment. The car also had a different transaxle, various aero modifications, specially-designed 18-inch magnesium alloy wheels and an upgraded, lightened gearbox. The F1 LM also used the same engine as the 1995 F1 GTR, however, without race-mandated restrictors to produce 680 hp. It had a top speed of 225 mph, which is less than the standard version due to added aerodynamic drag, despite identical gear ratios. The "thinner" LM, with its "added lightness," is achieved through having no interior noise suppression, no audio system, a very stripped-down base interior, no fan assisted ground effect and no dynamic rear wing. In the place of the small dynamic rear wing there is a considerably larger, fixed CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) rear wing mounted on the back of the vehicle. The fact that the idle noise level inside the car is loud enough to prevent verbal communication is the reason that the car comes with a headset, which features ear protection and a means of communication through microphone, for the occupants. The conventional instruments are replaced with a LED implementation which features more information than the former type (though the "former type," whatever it was, was probably pretty accurate and cool, too).
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