The 1906 Car: A Marvel of Aerodynamics and Design

As I gaze upon this vintage car, I am struck by its sleek design and aerodynamic features. The water on the surface seems to bead up and roll off, revealing the intricate details of the glasswork. It's a testament to the innovative spirit of the early 20th century, where designers were pushing the boundaries of speed and style. This particular car is a prime example, with its streamlined body and curved lines that seem almost futuristic for its time.

The aerodynamics of this vehicle are truly impressive. The designers have achieved a remarkable level of efficiency, allowing the car to cut through the air with ease. It's fascinating to see how every detail, from the windshield wipers to the door handles, is carefully crafted to reduce drag and maximize speed. This attention to detail was a hallmark of early 20th-century design, where manufacturers were willing to experiment and take risks in pursuit of innovation.

One of the most striking features of this car is its interior. The leather surfaces are beautifully appointed, with just two small pieces on the dashboard and a tiny door pocket serving as the only other leather-wrapped element. It's a subtle touch that belies the car's incredible performance capabilities. When I imagine driving this car in the rain, I picture it gliding effortlessly down the road, its aerodynamic shape cutting through the water with ease.

Of course, not all cars from this era were designed with aerodynamics in mind. In fact, many of them were more about form following function, with designers prioritizing style over substance. But this particular car is a notable exception, with its streamlined body and attention to detail making it one of the most impressive examples of early 20th-century design.

As I ponder the design choices behind this car, I'm struck by the similarities between its aerodynamic features and those found in modern supercars. The McLaren P1, for example, is a hypercar that shares many of these same design principles. While it's certainly more powerful than our vintage friend, both cars demonstrate the importance of aerodynamics in achieving speed and efficiency.

Speaking of which, I'm curious about the next-generation McLaren car. Will it be called the P2? Only time will tell, but I suspect that the company's designers are already hard at work on a new model that will push the boundaries of innovation and style even further. For now, though, I can appreciate the beauty and sophistication of this vintage car, which seems to embody the very spirit of McLaren's design philosophy.

The Power of Aerodynamics: A McLaren Perspective

When it comes to speed, there's no denying that aerodynamics plays a crucial role. In fact, many modern supercars rely heavily on clever design features to cut through the air and achieve incredible acceleration. Take the McLaren P1, for example, which is renowned for its exceptional handling and responsiveness.

But what sets this car apart from others in its class? For one thing, its innovative aerodynamics are truly remarkable. The designers have achieved a level of efficiency that's simply stunning, allowing the car to accelerate with incredible force while maintaining an astonishingly low center of gravity. And yet, despite its incredible performance capabilities, the P1 is also remarkably comfortable – a testament to McLaren's commitment to creating cars that are both exciting and refined.

As I watch this car in action, I'm struck by its sheer visceral power. It's like nothing else on four wheels, with an acceleration that's almost impossible to believe. And yet, despite its incredible speed, the P1 is also remarkably quiet – a testament to McLaren's innovative use of hybrid technology to reduce noise and improve overall efficiency.

One of the most impressive features of this car is its ability to balance power and comfort. Whether I'm driving on a winding mountain road or cruising down the highway, the P1 feels effortlessly responsive and engaging. It's like nothing else out there, with a level of handling that's simply unparalleled.

Of course, as exciting as the P1 is, it's also surprisingly comfortable. The leather surfaces are beautifully appointed, with just two small pieces on the dashboard and a tiny door pocket serving as the only other leather-wrapped element. It's a subtle touch that belies the car's incredible performance capabilities – and one that makes it feel like a genuinely grown-up supercar.

McLaren: A Legacy of Innovation and Style

As I reflect on my time with this vintage car, I'm struck by the similarities between its design principles and those found in modern McLaren models. From the aerodynamic features to the attention to detail, it's clear that this company has a deep understanding of what makes cars truly great.

For generations, McLaren has been pushing the boundaries of innovation and style, always striving to create cars that are both exciting and refined. And yet, despite its long history and tradition of excellence, the company remains committed to using the latest technology and design techniques to stay ahead of the curve.

One of my favorite things about McLaren is its emphasis on aerodynamics. From the sleek lines of its sports cars to the innovative features of its hypercars, the company has always been willing to take risks and experiment in pursuit of speed and efficiency. And it's this same spirit of innovation that drives me to appreciate the beauty and sophistication of this vintage car – a testament to McLaren's enduring legacy as a leader in the world of motorsports.

In conclusion, my time with this 1906 car has been truly unforgettable. Its aerodynamic features, attention to detail, and overall design make it one of the most impressive examples of early 20th-century design. And yet, despite its incredible age, the car still feels remarkably modern – a testament to McLaren's commitment to innovation and style that will continue to inspire generations of car enthusiasts for years to come.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enforeign this thing this thing is just extremely smooth extremely quick you'd almost think it was all-wheel drive in some ways the way that it does the acceleration yeah it's really really quite fast welcome to the episode of Jay Leno's garage today we're being visited once again by Automotive royalty this is the McLaren speedtail uh just take a look at this thing it's pretty amazing car to see in person I've seen it in magazines and of course and in videos but it's not till you see it in person you realize just what a clean design it is and the design is really what stands out I mean technically horsepower wise all of that is pretty amazing too right now I'm just focusing on the design because this is what aerodynamics is all about this car does an excess of 250 miles an hour I think it's this in the Bugatti Chiron uh could probably swap which one is the fastest they're pretty close but I think this is probably more aerodynamic just look how smooth it is I mean and the way this tapers off here at the end if you were going to Art Center in Pasadena The Design Center there to study this is probably one of the designs you would be studying in fact the man who designed this went there but we'll find all that out in just a minute let me bring in uh the gentleman behind getting us this car here today uh Paris Mullen Paris come on in your director of special projects at McLaren with McLaren Beverly Hills okay okay now this is a little bit different this is not a production car this is the pre-production model correct correct okay so a customer bought it but you guys had it done in this color right yeah when uh when we were approached by McLaren for being kind of the number one dealer in the world um this was kind of awarded to us they said that Albert which it's code named as was going to be turned into a full production spec car so the the the chassis the kind of the the heart and bones of the car from the Prototype were going to remain in it but they're going to do all the all the finishing touches on it and so um yeah we decided to do it in the same Livery that Albert was in so it's to commemorate great the original F1 yeah correct correct yeah so the color Fades from Bueno gray which is the color that McLaren won Le Mans in 1995 and it fades to the same silver that the Prototype uh F1 was shown in Monaco magnesium silver and obviously it's an all-carbon fiber body yep okay and I I don't know how you just that you see this sliver of what is that maybe a tenth of an inch yeah uh boy that's pretty amazing all the arrow lines are actually exposed carbon that somebody had to hand mask off each one before they did the paint fade and then assuming this is not Earl shy we didn't send it down no no no this is this is a McLaren Special Operations at their finest right here yeah this seems like MI5 and the FBI and everybody else I mean this is really a spell I can't imagine how much work was involved 12 weeks 12 weeks just to do the paint okay we're great the wife comes in I like the color yeah yeah it's back to the drawing board no it well it certainly emphasizes the speed you know yeah and just the way it tapers off here what is the coefficient of drag on this do you know uh 0.278 I believe well which ironically is the same as my 1938 tatcha which is I guess we haven't come a long ways I guess well no but the thing is see in the old days they traveled at 40 or 50 miles an hour so aerodynamics was 40 50 miles an hour yeah I don't think this has a tremendous amount of downforce which it would probably be down to 0.00 something if you didn't have downforce so that's what sort of keeps it on the road so it's amazing how much science and engineering goes even here these are well they're not rear view mirrors but rear view cameras when you started those come out okay and that that interrupts the flow of air as well those go away so when you put it in velocity mode when you're trying to achieve this 250 miles per hour those actually go in and really the only thing that starts to create drag uh is the ailerons in the rear that are actually flexible right and so those will come up and actually put more down for us on the rear to keep it stable as the car starts to move around at above 200. are those wheel covers am I is that yeah those are wheel covers yeah okay there's static they're stationary so they have a special mechanism that basically allows the wheel to spin and those stay in place I see and how how do you how do you even get those off is there a special tool there I'm sure there is I've never had to take one off but pretty amazing now what is this weigh 3 500 pounds okay now somebody might say 3 500 pounds that seems heavy but you got to remember this is not meant to be a track car it's meant to be a luxury it's got the nice interior leather it's got air conditioning it has all plus all the safety equipment you need for a road car just all of those things I mean if you've got rid of a lot of that it'd probably be under three thousand pounds yeah unlike some of the other McLarens which are just like the Senna and some of the just very race inspires guys this is meant to be if you're going to try to get from here to San Francisco in 20 minutes this is what with three people yeah and Luggage yeah that's right that's right yeah that was always like the original F1 he's got the two luggage compartments honey because when Gordon designed that he designed it not to be a track car not to even win Le Mans just to be a fast Road car and it was so good it was later modified and then one Le Mans that's probably the last car you could drive to Le Mans win the race and drive home again then so this is kind of an homage to that they built 106 of these correct mirror is the exact number of f1s that they built as well so yeah I mean I like this because at some point you really can't you're not going to go 250 anywhere I mean no it's really a place you can unless he lived next to the Bonneville Salt Flats right or something like that and then it's all filled with salt yeah and then you're really screwed but I mean as a design exercise as theater on Wheels it's it it really is unbelievable because it just looks like the future it does you know whenever you watch those even things from the from the 40s they have this sort of streamlined shape to it you know a very mid-century modern we're going to Jetson's space now this is a hybrid correct correct but you can't run on pure EV no no it's only so the hybrid system is there to assist the engine correct okay so when you when you step on the gas the hybrid system spins the transmission allows them engine to spin faster that eliminates that millisecond of with turbines you put your foot the engine it's torque filled basically right and and gets it up gets it that thousand horsepower that it needs to reach that 250 mile an hour top speed right right so okay and it's paddle shifters yes uh dual clutch obviously seven speed yep okay yeah so it it's standard McLaren on that front yeah yeah well I always say McLaren's my favorite car company because a it's new for the whole of the 20th century had car companies going out of business yeah then you come to New Millennium and suddenly have new companies Tesla McLaren just a lot of companies coming along which is exciting to see because it's hate to see everything go down to just three or four multinational companies it breeds competition you're getting the best out of everything exactly and and McLaren seems to be doing very well in that regard so it's it's exciting it's exciting and this is never meant to be a race car or a track car purely a high-speed laundry almost like if you wanted the the fastest Rolls-Royce it's basically sort of in that in that vein of thinking yeah no Comfort was definitely a factor in it yeah look at the rear end of this thing this is it is like a Bonneville Salt Flat Car that whole it does look like a elongated Bodywork and when you see them from the back it just looks like you know like like you're following some Star Wars yeah oh yeah no it looks like from outer space no this is something I didn't think was possible these are L rounds back here they they Flex they give you downforce yeah up to five inches that will actually Bend without any damage and yet I can't see where it it folds I mean you think it'd be like a coat hanger after you bend it 50 times yeah I think it would be an impression no but this car is a couple years old and it's been used and driven and I don't see that so it's pretty amazing which means the paint also has to be flexible as well doesn't it yeah there's an additive that has to be in there so that it doesn't crack yeah that that's unbelievable uh let's so let's see what it looks like from the back here uh there's a button on this side oh there we go oh it's actually pretty deep isn't it yeah if you were delivering basketball you could go you could get two or three three in there but yep okay let's load that up again this does not open at all no no okay it can but with a lot of tools how does one service this does this is that carefully does this come off or you do everything from the bottom yeah no so so all this body work is removable um and and we've been heaven so you got to take this WOW depends on what you have to do underneath the car I mean there is an under tray that could be removed but no I mean if you need to start working up top here right um basically this whole clam shell comes off and then that piece can be removed as well to work on it okay let me give you a little bottle of touch up yeah I wouldn't even know where to start now are these is that a one for gas one a charging port is that what that is figure it out one's for gas and one's for oil oh okay so does this have a plug-in it does but the element plugs into the wall and then this car actually just drives over top of it so it's induction charging oh okay okay basically like what you have in the console or your car you put your phone in correct yeah and to something how do you know when you're right over it there's a on the screen as you're pulling over it kind of guides you and almost like imagine like a mid-air refueling gotcha okay and you just leave it on that all the time well let's open the doors let's see just foreign okay well look it's a very nice interior yeah now this is the Prototype the finished cars have some things that this one doesn't and vice versa or no so in in terms of of you know technology and all the things that are into it uh they're all the same um the difference is uh the the badge behind the headrest instead of having one of uh however many of 106 it just says Albert right and then behind the headrest there's a special logo that's woven into the back of the seat and obviously it's a three-seater you sit in the middle yep because when you sit in the center it is so nice to drive because you're in the center of the road yeah you know I drive so many mono cars I love my Ford GT but there's this a-pillar here and I I always feel like there's a kid on a bicycle right here right there so I always have to go I'm driving I just have to do it it doesn't sound like a lot of work but when you're driving you're just constantly checking because we've got this blind with this there's no blind spot everything is behind you yep your a-pillars are way back here doesn't even have an a pill I guess it would be an apron it does because you've got so much glass class I mean all around you if you look everywhere it it's glass I like the McLaren theme of Simplicity I don't have a hundred buttons on the steering wheel nope I get a little annoyed at that where's the white oh here's the wiper you know and all that kind of stuff zero buttons on the wheel just the paddles and then there's the stocks allow you to drive exactly does anything in the front open yeah yeah absolutely yeah let me see oh here it is here I got it right here let's see and it's at the opposite side there you go so if you want to take a toothbrush preferably not electric yeah that's all right yeah but then you've got more luggage isn't it more luggage but then you've got another one is that a little compartment there so it's usually there I left it off here so this one's empty but what is behind here and it's more of a tribute than anything but usually it is the gold tool kit oh just like the titanium nitride one that's with your F1 yeah you know even though nobody's gonna work on a speed tail with hand tools yeah let me get my screwdriver hang on a minute so that's usually what's kept underneath there but okay it's in safe keeping I'm sure you know what it costs to replace one actually they're impossible to replace right so those are actually kept in a safe very now that's funny and this here is that this is just this is yeah just underneath there and then you've got the behind here oh you got another little yep the other little compartment so extinguisher and uh and just a kit right okay and this is actually pretty deep too I mean you could get a weekend bag in there there's actually speed tail luggage not a three-day weekend no no no yeah short short weekend they get the speed uh speedtail bag okay yep cool all right very nice all right cool very good okay bring that down oh yep um actually another kind of nice touch if you look at all the modern McLarens yeah the way they're badges it's all monochromatic and only the F1 had the red pinstripe around it and they did it just for this car as we said before an homage to the to the F1 oh there's where it says you see it says prototype right there so so this being the first one would probably make it certainly the most valuable one of 106 correct and well this sits outside the 106 so this would be oh that's right you know depending on how you look at it's either the car zero or car 107. now all speed Tails have been spoken for correct correct and delivered there are none uh currently for sale so nope unless you got somebody needs some fast cash and wants to flip it right because I'm sure that every collector will have one of these that can afford it so it's uh it's impressive and it really is a classic design study you know the Countach looks like the 80s you know it does at any point was this looks like the Future No Matter What area you're in yeah and this is real aerodynamics you know a Prius very uh sometimes it's hard to make aerodynamics attractive it is you know because true aerodynamics is not that attractive you go it looks kind of weird right like a Prius is a nice car but it doesn't excite you you know to get it to have this kind of shape and this kind of flow and still be an exciting automobile it takes some some real talents it takes a team yeah it really does it really does well can we take it for a ride absolutely okay so I guess we just kind of I'll walk right into this here we go I'm surprised I never built it as a Comfort version of a P1 I know have a P1 sport oh P1 touring yeah that actually would be very cool how many McLaren's a year you moved through Beverly Hills depends on because you know obviously it depends on what they've got out at the time but typically 120. I think the highest we hit was like 150 or 160. it was crazy I was back when they had a bunch of different variants of the 570 and 720. now with artura you know kind of not really being delivered we only have GT uh and then we have like you know kind of a trickle the coupled 720s well I like that 720 that is a nice that's a great car nice handling car fast I'm surprised you don't have one of those well I got a P1 yeah that's true yeah you're right when given the option that's probably what you'd rather drive yeah you know I said do it while we were talking my favorite thing about the F1 is that the a-pillars are behind you yeah but this one the a pillows are actually in front of you having having not sat in it before I just assumed it was the same yeah but it's not well I could definitely say you do feel the effects of the aerodynamic oh yeah because you don't slow down obviously you slow down right momentum and normal things but it does really slip through the air yeah it's extremely smooth and it's quiet yeah you know if you open the windows you'll hear it drumming but once you seal the windows and you have the air conditioner on I mean it's a loud car but you don't hear anything you know because you just and when I take my foot off the gas you know I still remain at just about to go through the air you're going to lose a certain amount yeah you know when the Stanley Brothers with the Stanley Steamer when they set their record of 127 miles an hour in 1906. there were aerodynamics but they were fluid dynamics yeah what they did was they went to a Boatyard and they pulled boats to the water with one of those poles let you know how many pounds you're pulling yeah and then they went to every Canoe Company in New England and when they got to the Lakeview Canoe Company their canoes required the least amount of coal to pull them through the water so they put two canoes one on top of the other with the engine in the inside and that was their Dynamics it allowed them to go 127 miles no way yeah with a steam car in 1906 you know and it's so funny because it's you know it's referred to as cfd computational fluid dynamics right so yeah but it's kind of cool wow 1906. that's and I imagine driving this in the rain would be interesting because the water would just bead off right yeah you can see it all too with all this glass you just rush over well you know it's so funny because so many cars look the way they do just to look the way they do correct I mean I like this one because it looks this way because it's a way it has to look to achieve that level of aerodynamics so there's a purpose to it as opposed to just function over for them yeah like a test looks cool but it's obviously right but that's its sole purpose yeah that's just in the pool yeah yeah this actually is cool quieter than the P1 yeah certainly more comfortable but the P1 is meant to be also a track car so it's not really fair yeah a lot of rooms and the sheer visceral force of the P1 is what's really exciting yeah because this is actually more horsepower what a thousand what 20 25 uh yeah yeah 1036 so yeah slightly more than the B1 1036 and the P1 is really 903 yeah but it's more Geared for for a talk and oh yeah I mean you look at the P1 The only leather surfaces are the seats right there's like two two pieces on the dash and a little door pocket it's just so how many times have you had three people in your F1 oh we do it quite a bit actually it's fun yeah yeah it takes two other people out you know but I'll tell you the difference in the P1 if I'm in it and the phone rings I press the active button which cuts the hybrid yep and that's really the only time I can have the conversation and talk yeah with this oh it's fine this is really a long distance you know ultimate touring you know touring touring teardrop I guess touring teardrop I like that but I mean I think this is a car that you will see at Pebble Beach in the year 21-21 you know yeah because oh here's what they did back in the day to be aerodynamic yeah I mean I believe this is so aerodynamic I probably wouldn't meet a lot of safety standards yeah that's a good point that's one of my two favorite years for car design 1932 and 1966 because by 32 cars are here to stay yeah and they were so desperate they'd 16 cylinders 12 cylinders yeah straight AIDS via they had every every kind of dream situation and every kind of design that they thought would sell and then 66 at least in America was the ass last year of pure design week yeah like you couldn't bring a mirror in past a certain date with the headlights and all that kind of stuff the Golden Era of car design yeah yeah because it was just all designed yeah even a Ferrari GTO looks aerodynamic but yeah it's really not yeah no this is a it's impressive and it's a looker boy I wonder the next gen will be called McLaren P2 yeah it's funny I mean we should have started seeing that car soon is that what's going to be called I don't know I don't know but well right now it's I think it's p18 is with the that's internal that's not yeah what they would call it but yeah no I am curious what they're gonna call it but it's uh it looks really impressive from the stuff that I've seen this gathers speed quickly it does yes the P1 is all right it's like the ground this thing is like a panther just absolutely it's just extremely smooth extremely quick you'd almost think it was all-wheel drive in some ways the way that it does the acceleration yeah it's really really quite fast it's kind of like the pink one with a velvet glove on yes yes that's actually a great way of putting it it is like a grown-up version of a B1 yes a little more mature yeah a little more comfortable a little quieter yes of a Bruiser right a little more gentrified yeah still knock you out but yeah Paris thanks for bringing this by absolutely my pleasure really appreciate it thank McLaren I asked for this a long time ago if they had one around and the gentleman was kind of that Mother's brow is you know it's impressive it's it's it's it's it's stunning to look at scientifically does exactly what it's supposed to do the aerodynamics are very cool that foldable paint it's just amazing to me the way the it doesn't crack I don't even know how that works yeah but uh very good yeah you can see it it feels very much like a McLaren if if you are not a uh I think any McLaren owner would feel very comfortable in this except to be going a little bit faster yeah\n"