Detailing cars is a dirty job, it’s hard work and can be pretty boring. Perhaps working with some of the world’s most desireable and exclusive cars makes it all worthwhile.
That seems to be the case for Richard Tipper, who recently had this 1995 McLaren F1 GTR in his possession. Yep, it’s chassis #06R and it finished the 24 hour classic on the podium in third place.
We thank Richard for sharing these pics and making the F1 look better than new.
[Source: Twitter]
Only three road going McLaren F1 GTs were ever made. This was done to homologate the F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ for racing. The car you see here is chassis #58F1GT and will be on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.
We thank McLaren for sharing these images with us and even though the ‘Longtail’ is not the most pleasing aesthetic result this is, after all, still a McLaren F1. That makes us happy and is a perfect way to end the working week.
For more on the McLaren F1 GT take a look at this entry on the McLaren website, which reads in part:
Constructed, like the rest of the bodywork, from carbon fibre, the F1 GT’s tail is clearly its most remarkable feature – but it’s by no means the only modification that was made for the 1997 season. The nose was extended to provide further aerodynamic downforce; the wheel arches were flared over the larger 18-inch alloys; and to top it all off (quite literally), the roof-mounted snorkel was enlarged to feed the 6.1-litre V12 with air. Altogether, the GT is over 600mm (two feet) longer than a standard McLaren F1 road car, as well as being over 100mm (four inches) wider.
The mighty McLaren F1 in a road test against the even mightier McLaren P1. Or is it? In some respects the end result doesn’t matter too much. For one thing you’d take either, or both, if you could. And secondly, the fun is in finding out which one is best, don’t you think?
Thank you Evo.
This is the 1995 McLaren F1 GTR, chassis #06R, and it is the inspiration for the livery of the just revealed P1 GTR. Driven by a team of Derek Bell, his son Justin Bell and Andy Wallace car #51 finished third in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans.
McLaren gave us these pics as part of the press release for the P1 GTR and we thought the mighty F1 GTR deserved a post all to itself. So here you are, don’t forget to click on each photo to load its 2560px mega image.
Sometimes true beauty is found in the most unlikely places. Mark Roberts from McLaren Automotive takes back more than two decades to tell us of his unexpected, yet important, role in the delivery of one of the world’s greatest automotive icons.
[via Motorcentral]
We love the McLaren F1. You love the McLaren F1. Everybody loves the McLaren F1!
It was recently voted the greatest supercar of all time by readers of Car magazine. That poll was part of the mag’s six decades of the supercar special. You can read more about that by following the link below, where you can see the infographic above in full, or doing the proper thing and buying the mag in print or digital versions.
[Source: Car]
Picture this: 12 McLaren F1s, six McLaren F1 GTRs, two McLaren P1s and a collection of McLaren 12Cs and 650Ss. That’s one fearsome get together, featuring some of the motoring world’s best ever creations.
Of course, despite the P1’s might, it’s the revolutionary F1s which stole the limelight at this weekend event in Italy. A couple of videos showing these cars can be seen after the break. Alas, there’s no wide open throttle runs, or even an F1 v P1 drag, but there’s still plenty for you to admire.
Turns out there was supposed to be 13 F1s in attendance, but one didn’t quite make it.
[Thanks to Aaron for the tip]
That there is, or perhaps, was a McLaren F1. You can see video of the aftermath below, which comes to us from Marchettino. His description of the crash scene reads:
This is possibly the most shocking accident I have ever witnessed. While following a McLaren F1, a driver stopped to tell me that just 1km before another F1 just had a massive crash. We ran on the site and saw a white McLaren F1 upside down in a ditch. We’re not sure about the dynamics of the crash but probably the speed let the driver lose the control of the car on the grass, flip over and crash into a tree in the ditch. The car has reported massive damages but hopefully the driver didn’t reported any injuries; the passenger reported a few minor injuries and looked shocked.
Thankfully it appears nobody was seriously hurt. That F1, though, looks pretty rooted.
[Thanks to Paul for the tip]
Henry Catchpole from Evo takes us into a motoring fantasy land with this video:
This test brings together some of the greatest analogue super cars—the ones that make you work hard as a driver, but are hugely rewarding – where we discover what they are all about, and why we love them. The McLaren F1 goes up against the Ferrari F40 and F50, Porsche Carrera GT, Noble M600, Pagani Zonda F and Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV.
There’s nothing further we can add, except to ask. Can you imagine how special, how wonderful and how life changing it would have been to experience those seven cars back to back.
[via motorcentral]
The McLaren F1 is one of the greatest cars ever made. This one, chassis 066, sold for a record price at the Pebble Beach auctions on the weekend. And that price was US$8.47 million. What global recession!
The auction was held by Gooding & Company and a quick glance over the online catalogue from the sale is truly mouth watering. Of the McLaren F1 they said:
The F1 is not the typical overweight hyper-car, nor is it a bare-bones, kidney-jarring track toy; rather it is a lithe, beautifully engineered jewel of a car that is just as capable on a closed circuit as it is on crowded city streets. Were it not for its unique center-seat layout and drop-jawed onlookers, one might easily forget that they are piloting one of the most extreme high-performance automobiles ever produced. Professional racing drivers have remarked that it is a true enthusiast’s car – lightweight, nimble, balanced, and refined.
It has been just over 20 years since the F1 was introduced to the public and more than a decade since the last example was produced. In that time there have been many attempts to overtake the McLaren. Some may have gone faster, been more audacious, had a more dramatic combination of letters and numbers in their title, yet none has ever come close to stealing the F1’s status as the king of the modern supercar.
Of chassis 066 Gooding & Company share a bit about car’s history, which started life as a daily driver for German businessman Thomas Groth. After 12 years of ownership he sold the car back to McLaren. In 2009 it was imported to a buyer in the United States and it has remained in the same hands since:
Today, 066 remains an outstandingly original example. Unlike many F1s, 066 is not known to have been damaged or repainted in its 16 years. With the exception of the factory-renewed interior and regular servicing, the major surfaces and components are believed to be original. Showing roughly 13,900 miles, the F1 has accumulated an average of 875 miles per year since new. Used as its designers had intended, 066 offers the mileage and maintenance in which one can find comfort of the car’s prowess without undue worry of enjoyment.
We wish!
[Source: Gooding & Company]
In Chris Harris’ latest video he is reporting from the passenger seat of a very desirable and very rare McLaren F1 GTR. We’re not entirely sure why he didn’t mention the owner’s name, especially as we get a clear look at the owner’s face and is easy enough to track down online.
Anyway, that matters not, we do think a ride in a 600hp/1100kg machine would be a lot of fun, even if we might need to reach for the chunder bag along the way. Yeah, you’re probably right, driving it would be much better!
More pics of Rowan Atkinson’s crashed McLaren F1 have emerged and, as you can see, they don’t make for pleasant viewing.
In some good news for the star of Blackadder and Mr Bean, he been released from hospital with no more than a broken shoulder blade. Looking at these images he can thank the strength of the McLaren’s carbon-fibre body shell for that; it could have been much worse.
Apparently Atkinson was driving home after filming for his new role in Johnny English Reborn. His agent Peter Bennett-Jones said, “He is shaken but not stirred. He will want the car repaired straight away.”
Best of luck with that.
[Source: The Sun | Thanks to Chris for the tip]