In the early ’90s, the fabulous McLaren F1 made its world debut. With its BMW V-12 engine and three-seat configuration, some people still considering it the ultimate supercar. In 1998, it became the fastest production car in the world, reaching 391 km/h (243 mph). The entire production run had only 106 units, each one priced well above $1 million. This was enough for McLaren to become a legend among car enthusiasts and influence a lot of supercars in the future.
And this is probably the case with the folks over at DDR Motorsport, who, according to the press release recently issued, want to offer the “affordable supercar,” a sports car with a striking resemblance to the McLaren F1. You’re going to say it’s nothing new; the Chinese clone about everything. Except in this case we’re not talking about Chinese, but about Americans — the company is based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. However, so far there were no complaints from Gordon Murray or Ron Dennis, the creators of the original F1, but this is probably because the difference between the F1 and DDR’s car is huge.
Even though the exterior of the DDR Miami GT looks a lot like the F1 (the doors’ shape and opening, the small front hood placed between the headlights and the rear part profile), compared to the original it stands no chance. First of all, there’s the pricing: the DDR Miami GT costs only $20,000. “How is this possible?” you’re going to ask. Well, it’s not like buying a car from your local dealer: You only get a car-kit, which means you’re going to have to assemble the car for yourself in the garage. And the package only features the chassis, the fiber glass body kit (no paint), the suspension system, the braking and steering systems, the cooling system and several elements in the two-seater cockpit. Yes, there’s no engine! Because the company says it prefers leaving the engine and transmission choice to the customer, its experts recommend “transplants” from cars like the Toyota MR2, Honda NSX or Chevy Corvette. So how powerful the car will be only depends on the customer’s financial resources.
In conclusion, if you own a McLaren F1, relax; this car’s no real threat and your precious F1 won’t lose a single penny from its value. Actually, to be really honest, we think the project is quite interesting but we’re not really sure how successful this American clone will be.
