Steve Nichols New N1A Roadster Channels the Spirit of the 1960’s M1A Series
The legendary Steve Nichols who headed the design team at McLaren and was the brainchild behind the successful McLaren MP4/4 has returned to create the new N1A sports car inspired by the M1A series of the 1960s. The MP4/4 designed by Nichols, was the most successful car of all time, winning 15 out of 16 races during the 1988 F1 season driven by the legendary Ayrton Senna.
Image: Steve Nichols
Nichols spent two stints at Mclaren. The first, bringing his experience of carbon fiber to the McLaren MP4/1, working alongside John Barnard in a design department initially consisting of just three people. Nichols would later retire from F1 in 2002 but his love of racing would live on.
Image: Steve Nichols
Over the years, Nichols has dabbled in vintage racing but his passion for racing brought him back to the design team for the new N1A. The new N1A sports car is a stunning piece of sculpture. It features an aggressive stance from its ground stroking nose to its abrupt and purposeful tail. It’s wider, longer and roomier and sits on a carbon fiber and aluminum chassis. The frame is wrapped in a graphene-infused carbon fiber body with sweeping curves like the original M1A.
Image: Steve Nichols
Under the hood, the new N1A features a purpose-built mid-mounted 7-liter LS3 V8 that delivers a whopping 650 horses mated to a Graziano transmission that powers the rear wheels. The engine was hand-assembled by renowned specialists at Langford Performance Engineering.
Image: Steve Nichols
Nichols plans to build just 100 units of the N1A. To celebrate the arrival of the N1A, the first 15 cars will be numbered and badged to celebrate each individual victory of the Steve Nichols designed McLaren MP4/4 in the hands of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
