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: The new material's strength was dramatically proven at the 1981 Italian Grand Prix, where driver John Watson survived a massive crash that likely would have been fatal in a traditional aluminum car. The Most Dominant Successor: MP4/4

: Designed by John Barnard , the MP4/1 sought to replace traditional aluminum with carbon composite to achieve higher torsional stiffness without increasing weight. g8653.mp4

Since the MP4/1 , every racing and road car produced by McLaren has featured a carbon-fiber chassis. : The new material's strength was dramatically proven

: British aerospace companies initially rejected the design's complexity. McLaren eventually partnered with Hercules Aerospace in Salt Lake City, Utah, to manufacture the first chassis using advanced autoclave facilities. : Driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost

: Powered by a Honda V6 turbo engine, it remains one of the most successful car designs in F1 history, though its exact origins are still a subject of debate between designers Gordon Murray and Steve Nichols.

: Driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost , it won 15 out of 16 races.