Driving Ambition almost brought me to tears. I couldn’t believe how good it was from the moment I started reading it. There was so much to tell, so much to experience from this book. What is this story about you ask? Driving Ambition tells the story behind the invention and creation of the greatest car in the world; the Mclaren F1.
I have always held the Mclaren F1 in highest esteem as my favorite automobile, one that exhibits incredible speed and perfect driving dynamics. Though, this 263 page book on the one car I love opened my eyes, and invited me into the world of Gordon Murray. Who is Gordon Murray? In the history of supercar building, he is the guru. He was involved in projects such as the Ferrari F40, Lotus Elise, and the first all-aluminum car, the Honda NSX. But this time, Gordon Murray wanted to shatter the boundaries of supercar performance while setting a new benchmark in design. He succeeded at both with flying colors. Of course, with such an ambitious undertaking, there was no shortage of setbacks. A lot of drama went down at the Mclaren facility in London, U.K. Tense competition for design started the fire that would heat up things in the factory. After they decided on the design, they needed someone to supply the power train. BMW was the worthy suitor, who supplied Mclaren with there finest engine, ever. It was a monstrous power plant, a six point two liter, twelve cylinder engine that produced 627 horse powers at the rear wheels.
I just can’t obsess enough over how amazing this car is; from the engine to the transmission, to the electronics and the centered driving position with two seats on either side. In short fact, this beast of a car could have been used every day. It was all part of the madness behind Gordon Murray, and this book couldn’t have shown this madness any better. Gordon Murray, who wrote and still writes automotive articles, made this story surprisingly well-written. If you are a hardcore car fanatic, you MUST read this book. ( )