If you’re a teenage boy and you’ve clicked on this post, you’re lucky for two reasons. One: You get to grow up in an age where you can learn and have fun on the internet. That wasn’t really an option when I was your age. Two: You no longer have to thumb through your sister’s diary for kicks, then rush to hide it before she finds out. Why? Because you can read something infinitely cooler – Sam Smith’s journal about driving the legendary McLaren F1. (Ask your dad. He probably remembers it.)
The Road & Track writer recalls it in minute detail. That small, yet perfect, steering wheel. Its BMW-parts-bin window switches. Its “high-geared and fast and whiney” V12 starter sound.
Perhaps more unforgettable than the F1’s place in automotive history is this particular vehicle’s place in F1 production: #0001/0064.
OK. OK. Maybe the fact that Smith’s employer had to insure his dreamy 627-horsepower experience for “double-digit millions” stands out to him, too.
However, the F1 is not just a numbers machine. The manual steering is light and wonderful. Shifting the high-effort 6-speed manual is similar to doing the same in a Ferrari with a gated lever. Like a race car’s, the F1’s clutch rewards smoothness with smoothness in return.
You can check out the full write-up about “one of the rarest, fastest, most expensive supercars ever built” at the link below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
