When mechanics at Sauber set about slicing a Formula One car down the centre line, they were embarking on a labour of love. The idea - hatched in late 2009 - was the brainchild of Sergio Bonagura, a former car chief for the race team.

Mechanics at the Sauber factory created the exhibit over a period of two years, investing a fair amount of their downtime and demonstrating the precision of true craftsmen and impressive attention to detail in the process. Since this was not something anyone had done before, the team had no template to follow. And yet, come spring 2012, the model was complete and the cameras were ready to roll.

On 30th May, Sauber posted the film, which lasts just over five minutes, on YouTube and less than four days later it had already notched up over one million hits. Subtitles have since been added in German, Japanese and Spanish, and its viewing figures are continuing to rise.

The team has now made available a number of high-resolution pictures of the cutaway, a BMW Sauber F1.08.

The 2008 season was the most successful yet for Sauber. At the Canadian Grand Prix that year the team celebrated its first, and so far only, F1 victory, Robert Kubica taking the win and Nick Heidfeld following him across the line to wrap up a one-two finish. In total the F1.08 recorded 11 podiums, one pole position (Kubica in Bahrain) and two fastest race laps (Heidfeld in Malaysia and Germany).

Check out our cutaway picture gallery, here.