Tag Archives: mclaren

McLaren MP4-25

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2010 McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Silverstone, U.K. | July 17, 2021

Photo – RM Sotheby’s (OBVIOUSLY)

Booo your lame watermark, RM Sotheby’s. I have no patience for that kind of old-school internet garbage. Anyway, this one-car auction will be a pretty remarkable opportunity for some well-heeled individual to acquired the first-ever F1-race-winning car driven by Lewis Hamilton to come to market.

The dude has won 98 races. 98! And that’s as of this writing… he’ll probably have a few more by the time this thing sells. But this isn’t one of the boring, show-killing Mercedes Silver Arrows, this is a McLaren. From back when Lewis actually had to try. The 2010 season was a good one. Five drivers won races, but it was kind of a toss-up as to who would win every week. Vettel won the championship with Red Bull, but Alonso was right there in a Ferrari. Hamilton was fourth in the driver’s championship, just ahead of his teammate Jenson Button.

The MP4-25 was powered by a Mercedes FO 108X 2.4-liter V8. Hamilton won three races in 2010, including the Turkish Grand Prix in this car. It is unclear what other races it competed in, as RM has yet to publish a full lot description. The pre-sale estimate here is $5,000,000-$7,000,000. It’s also unclear who is selling the car and how, if it isn’t McLaren themselves, it escaped the factory’s control. The world in which a random person propositions a major F1 team to purchase a previous season’s race-winning car is quite a different world than the one in which I spend my days. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $6,503,035.

McLaren Elva

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2020 McLaren Elva

Offered by Bonhams | Los Angeles, California | April 10, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

McLaren has gone on a spree of producing pretty out there cars of late. From the P1 to the Senna to the Speedtail and now this, the Elva. The name harkens back to the lightweight Elva racing cars of the 1950s and 60s. McLaren had a relationship with that company back in the day, too.

This new Elva features a carbon-fiber monocoque, a full carbon-fiber body, and no windshield. In place of the latter, the car has an air management system that directs air from the nose up and around the cockpit. It’s like a windshield made of air. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect James Dyson to produce. Lamely, U.S.-market cars will get a windshield and side windows.

The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 is rated at 804 horsepower. McLaren claims the Elva is the lightest car they’ve ever made. It’ll hit 60 in 2.8 seconds and tops out at 203 mph. McLaren was going to initially build 399 examples, and they later cut it back to 249. Bonhams claims this is car #45 of only 149 built. It carries a pre-sale estimate of $1,700,000-$2,100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Withdrawn.

McLaren Speedtail

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2020 McLaren Speedtail

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 22, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Ever since McLaren got back into the production car game with the 12C, people have been waiting for the “successor to the F1.” McLaren has churned out supercar after supercar but didn’t start with their “Ultimate Series” until the P1, which some consider being the F1’s successor (but not here). Deliveries of the Speedtail began in 2020, and it is considered as “more of a successor” to the F1 than the P1. But I don’t think the F1 needs a successor. Even if this car shares the F1’s three-seat, center-driver layout.

Maybe just consider this as a 21st Century take on the F1. Top speed was the target here, and although it won’t take the worldwide record for the fastest production car as the F1 did, it is still capable of 250 mph, making it McLaren’s fastest road car. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 is combined with an electric motor for a combined output of 1,306 horsepower.

This car has over $170,000 in MSO options on it and is the 36th Speedtail constructed. They are not street legal in the U.S., so this one is likely here on a Show or Display exemption.

The fact that this car is still in production does fly in the face of our “no current production cars” rule. But, the Speedtail is supposed to be limited to 106 units, matching that of the F1. When production wraps is TBD, but it will likely be in the next year or two.

This is the first Speedtail to come up for auction, and because all Speedtail owners were selected by McLaren, this is the first chance most people will have to buy one. I doubt this will ever be a $20 million classic like the F1, but time will tell. Click here for info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $3,277,500.

McLaren M8F

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1972 McLaren M8F

For Sale by Girardo & Co.

Photo – Girardo & Co.

The McLaren M8A was a Can-Am car developed by Bruce McLaren himself for the 1968 Can-Am season. The suffix kept changing all the way down to the M8F as the car’s progression developed. Can-Am, if you recall, was the most badass racing series of all time. The rules were simple: two seats, closed bodywork over the wheels, and a roll hoop. Run whatcha brung.

The M8F was developed for the 1971 season and used a lengthened chassis, an aluminum monocoque, and lower bodywork when compared to earlier cars. The car was designed around a Chevy V8, and this car featured a 7.5-liter unit accompanied by two turbochargers when new. That equated to 930 horsepower. Since being retired, that monster engine was replaced by a naturally aspirated V8.

The car competed in the Interserie Championship in 1972 and 1973. Interserie was kind of like a European Can-Am series that would go even more bonkers as time marched on. The M8F was the final iteration of Bruce McLaren‘s Can-Am creation, and this one can now be yours. See more about it here.

McLaren F1 GTR Road Car

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1996 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail

For Sale by Tom Hartley Jnr | Ashby-de-la-Zouch, U.K.

Photo – Tom Hartley Jnr

There was a time when anyone who could afford to do so could rush out and buy a McLaren F1. Now it’s kind of big news if one hits the market. After all, they only built 106 of them between road cars, race cars, and prototypes. The racing variant was the GTR, and 28 were built between 1995 and 1998. Their competition life lasted until 2005. They were that good.

What’s special about this car is that it was converted to a road car. Yes, the interior is a little sparse, but it does have the classic three-seat layout. That rear-mounted 6.0-liter BMW V12 is still there too.

This car is chassis #19R, and it was the first 1997-spec car (which technically makes it a prototype). The Longtails were only built in 1997, so this is one of 10. It was initially used as a development car, before shifting to the race track. It competed at the FIA GT race at Suzuka in 1997 before contending the 1999 JGTC season. It continued to race until 2002.

It was the first Longtail converted to a road car, which was actually done by Gordon Murray Design. It is being sold with the parts to return it to race specification, should the next owner want to. The asking price is not public, but you can be sure it’s well into the eight figures. Click here for more info.

675LT Spider

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2016 McLaren 675LT Spider

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 12, 2019

Photo – Mecum

McLaren has built a lot of cars in the last five years, including a number of limited-edition specials. But most of them are still in production (or in some vague degree of production). The 675LT is not, however. It is done.

The 675LT was a special edition coupe built between 2015 and 2017. Based on the 650S, it received slightly elongated bodywork and styling tweaks, among other improvements. The Spider variant was available in 2016 and 2017 and shared the same 666 horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8. Because of the folding hardtop, top speed is limited to just 203 mph.

Like the coupe, Only 500 examples of the Spider were built. This one is finished in vibrant Mantis Green and should bring between $275,000-$300,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $250,000.

Update: Sold, Mecum Monterey 2019, $253,000.

McLaren 675LT

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2016 McLaren 675LT

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Birmingham, U.K. | November 10-11, 2018

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

McLaren reappeared on the road car scene in 2011 with the MP4-12C. That car was replaced in 2014 with the 650S, and since then they’ve had a product introduction blitz. A new model seemingly appears every 6-8 months. The 675LT was a limited edition model built between 2015 and 2017. It’s based on the 650S, but is supposed to be a more track-focused car.

The “LT” in the name is for “Long Tail” – harkening back to those wonderful longtail McLaren F1s from the 1990s. It features a single-piece carbon fiber structure and uses even more carbon fiber in its construction than the 650S. Power is from a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 good for 666 horsepower and 205 mph.

Only 500 examples were produced, and there were apparently 500 examples of a Spider variant built between 2016 and 2017 as well. This one has been owned since new by Jay Kay of Jamiroquai and should bring between $300,000-$365,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

McLaren MP4/8A

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1993 McLaren-Cosworth MP4/8A

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 11, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

There aren’t a lot of McLaren Formula One cars in private hands. There are even fewer Monaco Grand Prix-winning, ex-Aryton Senna McLaren Formula One cars in private hands. And that’s exactly what we have here. This car, chassis MP4/8-6, was purchased by the current owner directly from McLaren in 2006.

It’s an MP4/8A (or just an MP4/8 as the “B” variant was a Lamborghini-powered test car), which was McLaren’s 1993 race car. The team’s drivers were Aryton Senna and Michael Andretti (who was replaced by Mika Hakkinen for the last three races of the season). The race history for this chassis includes:

  • 1993 Spanish Grand Prix – 2nd (with Senna)
  • 1993 Monaco Grand Prix – 1st (with Senna)
  • 1993 Canadian Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with Senna)
  • 1993 French Grand Prix – 4th (with Senna)
  • 1993 British Grand Prix –  5th (with Senna)
  • 1993 German Grand Prix – 4th (with Senna)
  • 1993 Belgian Grand Prix – 4th (with Senna)
  • 1993 Italian Grand Prix – 21st, DNF (with Senna)

This was McLaren’s first season with Ford-Cosworth power after years with Honda. This car uses a 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated Ford-Cosworth V-8. Power was about 680 horsepower, one of the lowest numbers on the grid. This chassis contains the exact same engine and transmission that was in the car when it won in Monaco.

It’s pretty amazing as a car and even more amazing that someone gets to actually own this and it isn’t a display piece in a museum. Think about it: you can own and drive a Monaco-winning McLaren that Ayrton Senna used. Sure, there are other Senna-driven cars out there, but would you rather have a Toleman or a McLaren? Exactly. This is the only car in Bonhams’ sale that doesn’t have a pre-sale estimate, which should give you a hint as to the expected price. You should check out more about this car here and you can see more from Bonhams in Monaco here.

Update: Sold $5,009,296.

March 2018 Auction Highlights

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We pick up where we left off last time, with the other half of Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro sale. This was the “Classic Car” half and this 1997 Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550 that was purchased new by Elton John was the top sale at $306,412.

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

The one-and-only Aspira supercar we previously-featured sold here for $95,851. Click here for full results.

On to Historics at Brooklands at Ascot Racecourse. The Railton we featured failed to sell, but the top sale was this 1992 Porsche 911 RS that brought $386,596. Click here for complete results.

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

Brightwells held a Classic & Vintage Cars sale on March 7th. The only car we featured, the Daimler DS420 Landaulette, sold for $13,852. The top sale was this 1975 Aston Martin V8 Series 3 for $76,190. Click here for more from Brightwells.

Photo – Brightwells

Onward to Amelia Island! We’ll start with Bonhams where two of our feature cars failed to sell: the 1899 Panhard and the Kurtis KK4000 Indy car. The overall top sale was this 2015 McLaren P1 for $1,710,000.

Photo – Bonhams

The 1912 Thomas Flyer sold for $196,000, the Kellison J4R $28,000, and the Lotus Mk VI $30,240. Click here for other results.

To finish off the first half of Amelia Island results, we have Gooding & Company. The cars with the largest estimates all failed to sell so the top seller ended up being this dusty fresh 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy for $2,530,000 (which is still some pretty big money).

Photo – Gooding & Company

Another Ferrari, the 212 Europa we featured, brought some big money too: $1,600,000. The Lion-Peugeot handily exceeded its estimate, selling for $220,000. And Frank Kurtis’ 500S sold for $112,750. Click here for everything else.

McLaren F1

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1995 McLaren F1

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 18, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

We’ll remind you that Bonhams holds the all-time Monterey Peninsula auction record (which is also the all-time auction record) for cars. This year they are giving it their all to bring in the most money on a single car – battling Gooding & Company who have a high-estimate-$16 million Porsche 917K. This car is the only other car (currently listed) that has a chance to beat that. Bonhams isn’t publicizing an estimate, but two years ago RM sold this F1 for over $13 million.

So what is it? It’s a McLaren F1 – the holy grail of supercars. The first car was delivered in 1992 – 25 years ago, which qualifies a ’92 for historic plates. The best part is this car still holds its own against every modern supercar, including McLaren’s own P1. And it does it with the basics. It’s simply the greatest.

Designed by Gordon Murray and Peter Stevens, the F1 was built by the newly-founded road car division of the McLaren Formula One Team. It’s a three seater – the driver is in the middle – and it has bufferfly doors. All modern supercars are either turbocharged, supercharged, or fitted with some crazy electric hybrid system to boost power. The F1 does it old school: it is powered by a naturally aspirated 6.1-liter BMW V-12 that makes 627 horsepower. For years after its introduction it was the fastest production car in the world with a top speed of 240 mph. It remains the fastest naturally aspirated car in the world.

There were different versions of the F1, including LM, GTR, and racecars. In total, 106 cars were built, 64 of which were road cars. This 1995 model was the first to be imported into the U.S. The F1 wasn’t quite road legal in base form, so a company called Ameritech swapped out some parts to make it fully federalized for U.S. road use. Only seven such cars were converted.

This chassis (#044) is all-original and is still in the possession of its first owner. McLaren F1s do not change hands often and they have gone way up in value in the last 10 years (I remember when they were selling for $700,000 in the late 1990s). A price of $10+ million is not out of the question for one of the greatest road cars ever built. This is an opportunity to acquire one of the best F1s in existence. You can read more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $15,620,000.