Stop everything - a McLaren F1 GTR is for sale
The most famous McLaren, with Le Mans history, the best livery - and its road converted...
Of all the cars where it can feel like there’s nothing left to say about them, the McLaren F1 must rank highest. At a time when new hypercars apparently appear every other week, claiming record-breaking this and never-before-seen that, the F1 was a genuine game-changer, a completely new dawn for the mid-engined exotic. Even the numbers are famous: 3.2 to 60mph, 6.3 to 100mph, 240.1mph can be reeled off by more enthusiasts than would admit to the fact. There’s a whole generation, if not more, for whom the McLaren F1 is The Car.
Indeed, the only thing probably left to say is just how rarely a McLaren F1 is seen at all. That’s not just in real life, either, because that’s always been pretty remarkable given how few were made. But now, with values in the tens of millions, they’re seldom seen for sale or even being shown off. They’re now prized like the finest pieces of art, away from prying eyes and traded in sealed bids, behind closed doors. Plus, well, what on earth would you replace a McLaren F1 with if it was sold? Even a modern-day Gordon Murray V12 is a different proposition.
Point being that to see a McLaren F1 in the PH classifieds, alongside every other type of car like it’s just another advert, is great to see in 2026. Obviously it’s listed at POA (there probably isn’t space on page for the zeroes needed), but it’s a real, physical car, with nice photos and a great description. It’s like finding an Arceus on Pokemon Go; here’s the special one, hidden in plain sight in Wandsworth.
Of course, every single McLaren F1 is an extremely special car; this one is particularly notable (which sounds way too polite for such a thing) as one of the 1996 Le Mans cars. Following that unexpected 1995 win for the Ueno Clinic car, BMW decided it wanted to give the 24 Hours a proper go with two F1 GTRs alongside Team Bigazzi. This is chassis 16R, raced by Steve Soper, Jacques Laffite and Marc Duez, with 17R raced in a Stars and Stripes livery and 18R held in reserve until later in the season. While GTRs finished as high as fourth, Porsche claimed the first three places, and chassis 16R came home 11th.
Still, there aren’t many of the 200,000 cars for sale on PH that can claim a Le Mans 24 Hours finish. Interestingly, 16R was retired from competition straight after the race; and while the others were kept by BMW, this one was sold to racer (and founder of F1-focused 106 Drivers Club) Ray Bellm. He was the one who commissioned Lanzante to get it road certified. After that it spent time in Australia, before returning to the UK.
Naturally, it’s been featured at all the elite automotive celebrations, and will continue to be eligible for decades. This is peak supercar, after all. It doesn’t matter if you remember the F1 or have learnt about it in the 21st century, this is without equal. Wherever it ends up next, 30 years after racing at Le Mans, 16R will undoubtedly take pride of place. And maybe, just maybe, when stars align and the weather agrees, it ventures out on the road for the ultimate road racer experience. Hardly like use is going to impact its value, after all. And there’s even service history all the way back to 1998 - always worth checking for these things on a low-volume, classic British sports car…
hypercar or not.
Especially when its sitting on those gorgeous OZ wheels.
Some time before LM 1996, I said to our son then aged 23 something like "My treat for 1996: GB F1 or LM96? I'm paying." Without hesitation he said LM96, so it was booked. This was our first of several memorable trips to LM. We both remember the general make up of the grid that year: aside from several McLaren F1s, there were several Ferrari F40s, a Honda NXS, lots of 911s of course, a Lister Storm and I think a Ferrari 333SP too. What a grid!
Travelled in my then company car, a Vauxhall Carlton 3.0 GSI 24v, fire engine red of course.
Memories are great......
R.
I recall a film of someone (Tiff, Martin Brundle maybe?) driving a GTR on the road however and it being impossibly loud in there, I wonder if owning a GTR would just make you hanker for a road car?
Would sending it to McLaren or Lanzante to have the racing interior taken out and a sound proofed road one put in be sacrilege? Is it even possible with the racing electrics? I suppose anything can be done with enough funding but with such historical cars perhaps it's more a case of whether you should instead of whether you could?
deal breaker for sure!Some time before LM 1996, I said to our son then aged 23 something like "My treat for 1996: GB F1 or LM96? I'm paying." Without hesitation he said LM96, so it was booked. This was our first of several memorable trips to LM. We both remember the general make up of the grid that year: aside from several McLaren F1s, there were several Ferrari F40s, a Honda NXS, lots of 911s of course, a Lister Storm and I think a Ferrari 333SP too. What a grid!
Travelled in my then company car, a Vauxhall Carlton 3.0 GSI 24v, fire engine red of course.
Memories are great......
R.
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