The wait is over, the Greatest Supercar Ever has been revealed at The Classic & Sports Car Show. And that car is the McLaren F1. The incredible three-seater 6.1-litre V12-engined Gordon Murray-designed machine beat icons from Ferrari, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Jaguar and a host of other famous names to the title.
The news was announced at Alexandra Palace on 28th October by none other than Live Interview Stage guest John Surtees CBE, who pulled the wraps off the car to a packed crowd.
It's the climax to weeks of selection and worldwide voting, which has seen 33 supercars battle it out as part of the show's A Century of Supercars centrepiece feature, which celebrates the most pioneering supercars from the last 100 years.
The process to decide which car would be crowned began earlier this year when Classic & Sports Car's experts drew up a supercar 'long list'. Three cars from each decade of the past 100 years were chosen - then the roll call was thrown open to the public.
Supercar enthusiasts have been flocking online since June to vote for their favourite cars from 11 different eras, ranging from pre-1914 models all the way to modern machines built after 2010.
After more than 17,000 votes were cast, the McLaren F1 was the overwhelming winner, taking over 30 percent of the overall vote. With gold leaf as an engine heat shield, a three-seater layout and the ability to do 322km/h in 28 seconds, the McLaren F1 has always been regarded as one of the most incredible supercars.
The brainchild of genius engineer Gordon Murray, it was officially debuted in 1992 and shocked the world right from the start, being staggeringly light at 1,138kg - thanks in no small part to its stunning Peter Stevens-penned carbon fibre body - and hugely powerful with a bespoke BMW-designed 627bhp 6.1-litre V12.
Performance is still incredible in 2016, but in the 1990s it was way beyond other period supercars. With no driver aids at all, not even an airbag or ABS brakes, it was about as pure as it was possible to be too. And its purity is what shines through today.
