by Stephen Rivers
- Recreation Ultima kit uses a genuine McLaren F1 engine as homage to lost prototypes.
- Original Ultima Mk3s “Albert” and “Edward” tested the F1’s gearbox, brakes, and V12.
- McLaren destroyed the mules to protect secrets, but their influence shaped the F1’s legend.
Back in the early 1990s, automotive development took a lot longer than it does today. McLaren and the F1 are an excellent example of this. Before Gordon Murray’s masterpiece became the world’s fastest production car, a title it held on to until the Bugatti Veyron came along decades later, the company turned to a humble British kit car to help shape its destiny. That car was the Ultima Mk3, and two heavily modified examples, nicknamed Albert and Edward, served as test beds for everything from gearboxes to brakes. Now, one man has recreated one of these test cars, and it’s about as wild as it gets.
Two years before McLaren finalized the carbon tub chassis for the F1, it needed to test out things that could only happen from behind the wheel. That included the V12 it would use, the brakes, other components, and even the central driving position planned for the F1. To do that, it bought two Ultima Mk3s from Noble Motorsport and went to work. Chassis 12, dubbed Albert, was powered by a Chevy V8. Its sibling, chassis 13, called Edward, used a genuine BMW-designed 6.1-liter V12. When McLaren finished testing, it crushed both prototypes.
More: Gordon Murray Nails Modern McLaren F1 So Hard, Someone Bought All Five
That’s where this new iteration of Edward comes into play. Built by Lanzante with a V12 that Paul Lanzante bought directly from BMW, this is a true labor of love. Commissioned by John Stafford of Mouse Motors, the final product is about as close to the original car as it can get. Lanzante leveraged photos of the original car, classic documents, and parts sourced directly from Gordon Murray himself to get it done.
Paul says the team has been working on it for two years and that it’s been a nightmare. Not only did the company have to hack up the Ultima chassis to fit the engine, but even then, getting the exhaust and front engine mounts to work proved highly challenging. Ultimately, this car, worth around $120,000, is a masterpiece with an engine worth 10 times as much in the back of it.