British buyer pays £6.2 million for McLaren F1

Assuming you had the funds, how long would you be prepared to wait for a McLaren F1? A week? A month? How about six months?

That’s exactly what an anonymous British buyer did when he set vehicle acquisition specialists DK Engineering a challenge to find him the ultimate McLaren F1. And now – some six months after DK started the search – a gleaming red F1 has returned home from California. The price is rumoured to be around the £6.2 million mark.

20 years of the McLaren f1

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A not insignificant amount of money, but then the McLaren F1 is a hard car to come by. Only 64 road-going versions of the iconic supercar were ever built and owners are understandably reluctant to part with their prized possession.

The McLaren F1 was born in 1992 and is the work of legendary F1 designer, Gordon Murray. Powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine built by BMW M Division, it produces 627hp – enough to propel it 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds.

But that’s not all. With the rev limiter removed, it could reach a top speed of 242.96mph, making it the fastest production car in the world not just at the time but for a long period afterwards. It held the record until the arrival of the Bugatti Veyron in 2005.

If nothing else, it’s good to see a McLaren F1 returning to its rightful home in the UK. Famous owners in the past include none other than Rowan Atkinson, who had not one but two accidents at the wheel of his F1.

“Mr Bean” bought his McLaren F1 in 1997 for £640,000, but by the time of the major accident in 2011, values had risen so much that his insurer covered the £910,000 cost of the repairs.

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20 years of the McLaren f1

By motoringresearch.com