Extremely Rare McLaren F1 GTR Long Tail in Gulf Team Livery up for Sale

Have your heart set on a race-spec McLaren F1? Then you'll be happy to know that the last F1 GTR to leave McLarens factory has turned up for sale in Japan. From a total production of 100 units, only a mere 28 were F1 GTR race cars built for private customers competing in the FIA GT series and the 24 Heures du Mans. This particular F1 GTR is allegedly the last model of the series with chassis number #28R.

The McLaren race car belonged to the 'Gulf Team Davidoff' and it features the characteristic stretched bodywork of the so-called 'Long Tail' F1 GTR of which only ten were produced in 1997.

The 1997 F1 GTRs were developed to meet major regulation changes made for both the FIA GT Series and the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Aside from the radical aerodynamic enhancements that included a much longer nose and tail, as well as a wider rear wing, the '97 models also featured further improvements to the 600HP BMW Motorsport V12 engine, an all new sequential transmission and a weight reduction of 75kg over the '96 model resulting in a kerb weight of just 915kg or 2,017 lbs.

There's no price tag listed on the Japanese website, but you know the saying - if you have to ask...

Link: Wintel

VIDEO: $2Million McLaren F1 Spontaneously Combusts in California

Picture this: it's a beautiful day, the sun is shining and you decide to take your prized McLaren F1 for a spin after six months of storage. All is great until you notice smoke coming out of the engine bay that houses the 627HP 6.1-liter BMW-derived V12. You pull over to take a looks and the next thing you know, the car is up in flames. This story actually happened yesterday, June 1, 2009, to Irv Kessler, 53, of Minnesota, as he was driving on Airport Boulevard in Santa Rosa California. .

As you can see in the video below, the McLaren F1, which was worth an estimated $2 million but was allegedly insured for $3 million (we know what you're thinking...), was a complete loss.

Pretty sad if you consider that from a total of 100 McLaren F1s, only 72 were road cars (including five F1 LM versions and three street-legal F1 GTs). The remaining 28 were race cars built for private customers competing in the FIA GT series and the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Via: Jalopnik , Source: Pressdemocrat

Homemade McLaren F1 Replica with BMW V12 - with VIDEO

There seems to something about building replicas that turns people on. While this Polish chap has a long way to go to reach the accomplishments of Ken Imhoff who finished a Lamborghini Countach in the basement of his house, we'll keep an eye on this McLaren F1 replica project that is obviously still under development. Up until now, the Polish man has created a tube frame chassis outfitted with a fibreglass body that mimics the shape of the McLaren F1 while power comes from a BMW V12 engine of unknown origins.

The original three-seater McLaren F1 supercar featured a BMW M division built and designed 6.1-liter V12 engine with an aluminum alloy block and head that produced a hefty 627HP at 7,400 rpm and 480-lbs/ft of torque at 6,500 rpm.

Source: Tuning Forums , Via: Jalopnik