I’m sure you’ve read our article on the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50s Niki Lauda supercar posted recently, with that trademark center seating position, and I’m also confident you know where we’ve all seen that before, right? In the original McLaren F1 road car from the Nineties … with only 64 built for the streets, getting your hands on one of the latter isn’t easy, and chances are rare and far between … but Issimi has one listed for sale right now.
Photo courtesy of IssimiPersonally, I would prefer a silver metallic finished McLaren F1, just like the factory demonstrators, but with only very few changing hands at any given time, you can’t be picky when it comes to finding one of these for sale, so the red over black finished 1995 McLaren F1 listed by Issimi on their website.
Photo courtesy of IssimiWhen Gordon Murray created the McLaren F1, his intention was to create the ultimate driver’s car and with the 6.1-Liter V12 engine underneath the gold-insulated engine cover, I would say he succeeded in doing just that, this red sample is one of only 7 cars that were originally sold in the United States of America, and it has been maintained by an expert and currently is still in perfect condition despite being over 25 years old.
Photo courtesy of IssimiThe McLaren F1 set the world record for the fastest production car in 1998 with a speed of 240.1 mph, verified by the Guinness World Records, and with an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 3.7 seconds, this 25-year-old lady is still considered very fast today.
Photo courtesy of IssimiPowering the McLaren is a quad-cam, 48-valve, 6.1-litre BMW V12 engine with variable valve timing. It produces a staggering 627 bhp. The F1’s engine uses competition-inspired dry-sump lubrication. More complex than a conventional wet sump, it shaved vital inches from the oil pan, allowing the engine to be mounted lower.
Everywhere you look at the McLaren, attempts have been made to reduce weight. Like the front and rear wishbones which are machined from solid aluminum alloy; or the wheels, constructed out of magnesium alloy.
Photo courtesy of IssimiTo show off McLaren’s dedication and Formula heritage, Murray used a central driver’s seat and provided an option for two seats on either side. Like a race car, this provided the best possible view and was a good example of how uncompromising the F1 was. Additionally, the McLaren wasn’t equipped with any driving aids which meant it lacked traction control, ABS, power brakes, and power steering.
Make sure to check our extensive McLaren F1 – Ultimate guide published earlier to get an in-depth look into this amazing car, and if you are really adamant about adding this rare car to your collection, you might want to get in touch with someone at Issimi, just get ready to open that checkbook as this car will not come cheap.
Photo courtesy of IssimiJust to prepare you for the shock, Bonhams sold chassis SA9AB5AC5S1048044 at auction in 2017 for US$ 15,620,000, which is astonishing as the MSRP back in the Nineties was about $815,000, and it gets even better, in 2019 RM Sotheby’s sold chassis SA9AB5AC1R1048018, which was a little special for being one of only two cars that were converted into LM-Specs by the factory … the hammer came down at $19,805,000 including fees.
Renowned Hagerty lists the value of a ‘normal’ McLaren F1 around the $22,000,000 mark today, with special ones valued even higher … I would be really interested to learn just how much hard-earned money would need to be exchanged to park this red one on your driveway.
