One of the most fabled and most sought-after supercars in the history of supercars is about to have its first offspring.
For the past 13 years, the McLaren F1 has captivated car enthusiasts the world over as one of the fastest and most acclaimed production cars in history. And now that the company has – for the very first time – decided to introduce new models in the coming years, fans of the fabled super car are waiting with baited breath for the day when the new McLarens will be unveiled.
While the cars have yet to be revealed let, alone be named, rumors have been spread that three new models are expected to be rolled out of Woking, England. One of the said models happens to be an entry-level sports car (at least for McLaren standards) that is expected to fetch a price tag of $100,000 while another model rumored to be in production is a V8 sports car that will most likely go head-to-head –to-head with the Ferrari F430s and the Lamborghini Gallardos of the world.
The last of the three models is McLaren’s new crown jewel – the direct successor of the McLaren F1.
In a piece of film that gave us goose bumps, Richard Hammond makes history by challenging the Stig to a standing mile drag race in two iconic super cars. The McLaren F1 was the car of the 1990s, offering the purest driving feel possible in a road car while the Bugatti Veyron is Ferdinand Piech’s technological 21st century no compromises super car. The results will make you think about the benefits of an instantaneously responsive naturally aspirated power plant compared to the lag of a turbo and the top end created by excessive amounts of boost.
Things get interesting at around 330 kilometers per hour. Check it out.
An extremely rare racecar is being put up for sale in Japan. This McLaren F1 GTR, which just so happens to be the last one built by the super car manufacturer. The McLaren F1’s production run only ran for 100 units, 28 of which were built for private customers to compete in FIA GT and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That would be impressive, except that chassis number 28R is one of only 10 long tail endurance racers. The extreme bodywork allowed the F1 to be stable at over 200 MPH while flying down the Mulsanne Straight.
This particular long tail McLaren F1 belonged to the “Gulf Team Davidoff” team. The racecar features radical aerodynamic enhancements that included an extended nose and lengthened tail, as well as a wider rear wing for increased down force. For 1997, the F1 also received an enhanced version of the 600 HP BMW Motorsport V12 engine and a sequential transmission as well as a weight reduction of 75 kg over the 1996 model. This resulted in a curb weight of just 915 kg or 2,017 pounds.
Maybe the guy whose McLaren burned to the ground can take some of his insurance settlement and make a play for this very unique racing spec super car.
We were informed last week of the unfortunate demise of a McLaren F1 that inexplicably burst into flames on Airport Boulevard in Santa Rosa, California after its driver reportedly took it out for a spin after leaving it in storage for the past six months.
The owner of the car, who spent a staggering $2 million, escaped without any physical injuries but it remains to be seen how he’s doing emotionally after such a traumatic experience.
Fortunately for him, his prized vehicle was insured for $3 million dollars – a cool million more than what he had to pay for it – so you could definitely say that he may not be all that upset about losing his car.
In addition to that, the burned down McLaren is now on its way to England, back to its factory where engineers will figure out if there’s anything salvageable with the supercar. For the sake of the owner, let’s just hope that the McLaren F1’s chassis remains intact.
Either way, it’s still a sickening feeling to see one of rarest cars in the world – only 100 has ever been made – meet its maker far too soon.
If you remember the McLaren F1 that was destroyed by an engine fire from the other day, we now have video of the incident to show you. The owner lost $2.5 Million worth of super car in just 10 minutes. Now, if you have the heart, check the video to see what the car looked like after the flames went out.
One unlucky Californian decided to expose his McLaren F1 to the elements and stretch the super car’s legs after sitting in storage for six months. As the owner was enjoying a cruise in his 6.0 Liter V12 BMW powered, carbon fiber bodied and F1 inspired speed bubble the driver was alerted by a fellow motorist that there was smoke coming from the McLaren’s engine bay. Within 10 minutes of pulling over to the side of the road, the entire $2 Million machine was engulfed in flames. It was a total loss. The McLaren F1’s creator, Gordon Murray, sent 106 of his babies out into the world; now there is one less.
Looking on the bright side, the F1 was insured for $3 Million. So just like when Eddie Murphy broke the Ming vase in Trading Places, the former McLaren owner has just turned a profit. But being a true car guy, he would probably rather have his baby back. However, I have to wonder if he left a rag in the engine bay when detailing the car half a year ago and just forgot to check before he went out for spin.
Wheels of Fury: Five supercars that will get you noticed – in more ways than one.
No other piece of technology offers as much ’status points’ as having a slick set of wheels to show off. You can have a state-of-the-art handheld device or a lavishly set-up home entertainment system and it’ll still pale in comparison to someone who has a car that not only catches attention, but illicit howls and whistles in the process. Consider yourself even luckier if people discreetly stand near your precious bad boy and, in true guerrilla fashion, they snap a photo of their mugs together with your car. That’s when you know you’ve got the status symbol only others can dream of.
Speaking of dreams, run down this list of five supercars that, for the most part, you’ll only find in your dreams. Don’t fret, however. These cars are readily available – if you have a deep set of pockets. But if you don’t have wealthy parents or a trust fund to dig up on, you can settle for reading about these awe-inspiring supercars and dream that one day, you’ll end up in the wheel of one of them.
The SSC Ultimate Aero is far and away the one car that will leave all others with their gas pipes hanging loose. It has a galloping 1183 horsepower, can reach 0-60 in 2.7 seconds, and it can run up to 600 kilometers per hour – faster than the previous world-record holder, the Bugatti Veyron. The SSC Ultimate Aero certainly performs like its name and it can be yours if you have $654,400 in your bank account. As we’ve said, keep dreaming.
The Bugatti Veyron is a car even the rich and famous can only have as posters on their wall. It may have been trumped by the SSC Ultimate Aero in sheer speed, but the Veyron is still hands-down the ultimate combination of speed, power, and empty bank accounts. Pumping at a top speed of over 400 kilometers per hour, the Veyron has a sleek aluminum, narrow angle W16 engine and a menacing 1001 horsepower under the hood. While it’s a safe bet that your ‘pogi points’ will jump through the roof if you have one of these, you’ll have to be ready to shell out a staggering $1.7 million to get your hands on this supercar – which incidentally, only has 300 models all over the world.
If there’s one car that can threaten the SSC Ultimate Aero as the fastest in the world, it’s the Koenigsegg CCX. Made in the land of Volvo – that’s Sweden, if you didn’t know – the CCX comes with a 90 degree V8 engine, capable of pumping as much as 900 horsepower. Just like the Ultimate Aero and the Veyron, the CCX can reach speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour, and it is widely expected that with a few more fine tunings, it could reach unimaginable speeds of up to 500 kph.
The Saleen S7 Twin Turbo is more than just a sexy name for a car. With a Twin Turbo All Aluminum V8 engine that comes with a 750 horsepower, the S7 is one car that will definitely get you noticed. Imagine yourself driving down the expressway at over 380 kilometers per hour, leaving behind every other car eating your gravel. That’s what it’ll feel like when you’re behind the wheel of an S7. Now, imagine yourself crying in your bedroom, holding your credit card bill in your hand. That $555,000 charge on your card is sitting in your garage. Get the drift?
No list is complete without the supercar of supercars. The venerable McLaren F1 may have inspired a new generation of supercars, but nothing still commands the same amount of respect as the F1. The McLaren F1 is loaded with a BMW S70/2 60 Degree V12 Engine with 627 HP, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 380 kilometers per hour. One of the first cars to ever use the carbon-fibre monocoque, the McLaren F1 was made with only the finest materials in the world. By finest we mean carbon fiber, titanium, gold, magnesium, and kevlar. No wonder it comes with a tag of $970,000. While other supercars can make varied claims on their product, there is still – and will always be – one McLaren F1
McLaren has been hinting at offering a full range of supercars for a while, but now there is some real exciting news: it’s working on a successor to the McLaren F1. When the original F1 debuted back in 1992, it was the fastest and most expensive car in the world. It’s 240 mph top speed held the production car record until the Bugatti Veyron beat it in 2005 (then the SSC Ultimate Aero beat the Veyron.)
Now a source within McLaren told Autocar, “We have just started looking at doing another F1. It is a clean sheet design.” So will the new F1 try to regain its spot at the top of the supercar mountain? All we can guess right now is that the BMW-sourced V12 in the original will be swapped out for something from McLaren’s new partner Mercedes. A likely candidate is a reworked version of the 6.3-liter V8 that’s already in service in cars like the SL63 AMG and the new E63 AMG.
Unlike the original F1, the new one will likely be more conventional. There were only 106 of the first F1s build over its seven-year life cycle, and only 64 of those were intended for road use. For McLaren to break even on this new car, it will likely have to raise the production numbers and maybe even forget about the gold engine lining.
It seems that you can put a price on winning three world champion titles. If Lewis Hamilton wins two more world championships , he’ll get his hands on a $8 million supercar. Hamilton’s boss and McLaren CEO Ron Dennis made a deal with F1’s youngest champ that will give Hamilton a ultra-rare McLaren F1 LM supercar. Hamilton told reporters in Sao Paulo on Monday morning that he will be handed the keys with his third drivers’ championship. "We made a deal, three world championships. I will definitely work as hard as I can to get to number three," he said.
The F1 LM is one of the rarest cars in the world. There were only 5 copies made, and the one in question is currently parked in the McLaren racing team’s garage.
RM Auctions sold a 1997 McLaren F1 for £2.530.000 (about $4.12 million at current rates). Although this does not come close to the all time record set by a Ferrari GTO for $28.5 million, it does set a new record for McLaren F1 prices and is about four times the origional sales price a little over a decade ago.
The McLaren F1 is powered by a BMW sourced 6.1-liter V12 engine that delivers 627 hp at 7,400 rpm. In March 1998, the F1 hit a record speed of 240.14 mph. It held this record until February 2005 when it was broken by a Koenigsegg CCR going 242.2 mph.
The F1 wasn’t the only high dollar car of the day. The auctions sold a 1965 Ferrari 250 LM Berlinetta and a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France each for a price of £2,255,000. A 1938 Horch 853 Special Roadster was sold for £1,127,500 and a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante for £660,000.
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