There are fast cars and then there are fast cars, this is the latter.

Today’s car is part two of what looks to be a 30 part series of photographs of cars that I love. One thing that you will probably notice that they have in common is that they are fast, loud and rare. Many of the cars in the series are one of a kind and or specific race cars. Today’s is no exception.

As a high schooler, I remember watching Le Mans at my parent’s house and thinking how insane it would be in the presence of the speed and noise of the cars as they screamed down the back straight even when rain made visibility minimal. In car footage from the cars made it very apparent, even at a young age, that I did not have the guts it took to race at that level, but damn did I enjoy watching it.

McLaren F1

One of the big hitters at the 1998 race was the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail. It was an insane development of an already insane car, achieving the fastest speed ever recorded on the Mulsanne straight of 236.7 mph.

However, pure technical specs aside, I loved it because I thought it was a piece of aerodynamic art. Even if it never raced, I would have still been on my list of cars to photograph sheerly because of it’s beauty. The aggressive angles, an excess of vents, and the centrally mounted cockpit made it an design in symmetry and texture that would stun even the casual car enthusiast.

photographed by Blair Bunting

Along with the Michael Schumacher Ferrari F1 from a couple weeks back, this car represents a return to true passion in photography. It has always been my dream to photograph the cars I loved and I hope that in time the collection will show many the beauty of the history of racing through my eyes. The aim is to compliment the form that is in front of the camera while not upstaging the art from its designer in any way. With the angles and surfaces that these cars present, it makes for a true test in lighting skill. However, when you get it right, the picture of the car shows the soul of its heritage.