McLaren MP4/4
The McLaren MP4 / 4 is a Formula 1 racing car of the team McLaren, which was used in the 1988 World Championship season. With the model developed by Steve Nichols car Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna won 15 of the 16 races of the season and drove a 15 pole positions and ten fastest race laps.
The MP4 / 4 was powered by a V6 engine of Honda with 80 ° cylinder angle and the type designation RA168E. The longitudinally mounted twin-turbo mid-engine had 1500 cc displacement. The transmission took a manually shifted six -speed gearbox from McLaren - house production. The monocoque consisting of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.
The flat design of the MP4 / 4 was based on the Brabham BT55 by Gordon Murray. The aim was to pass through the small face of the car as much air to the rear wing, and so as to generate more output. The concept had not brought at Brabham by problems with the fuel supply to the horizontally mounted 4- cylinder in-line engine of the BMW the desired success. With the V6 from Honda, there were type of construction not these difficulties.
The 1988 season was the last, in which could be driven with the turbo engines. While most other teams had already moved parts of their development resources to the construction of Saugmotorwagen for the following season, McLaren built an uncompromisingly designed for the compact turbo car, which was the basis for the dominance of the team together with the then most powerful engine in the field.