Are you one of about 100 lucky owners?
There weren't many made, but British supercar maker McLaren Automotive wants to make sure its 1990s icon - the F1 - stays preserved.
Just over 100 were built from 1993 through 1998 and their values keep climbing in the collector-car market. To maintain the vehicle's originality, the company is rolling out an official certification service.
After thoroughly going over a vehicle and drawing on factory records, McLaren will issue a certificate to owners who request the service. Certification will authenticate a vehicle's provenance, originality, service life, road/race history and condition. Owners also will get a bespoke illustrated book documenting their car's history. All 64 road cars and the 28 GTR race cars are eligible.
In conjunction with the news, McLaren unveiled a restored 1997 F1 GTR Longtail, overhauled by the automaker's Special Operations team and marking the first F1 certified car. A veteran of many endurance events, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, this F1 has been restored to “as new” condition over the past 18 months.
Using original F1 GTR parts held by the factory, the restoration returned the car to the same specification and livery it had when it ran at Le Mans in the first year it raced. After being on static display in a Japanese collection, it was sold to the current owner and brought back to the United Kingdom in 2016 before undergoing its restoration.
The new parts used in the car go further than being specific to the 1997 GTR; they are all pre-June 1997 parts, ensuring the car is exactly as it would have been in the run-up to Le Mans that year. This includes the “tall” Le Mans gearing and the blue roof identification lights - taken from an aircraft's wing and the only non-McLaren part in the entire car - with which the car was fitted for Le Mans.
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Lister LFP
In the quest to ever redefine what it means to haul in an SUV, British tuner Lister has unveiled what it is calling the world's fastest SUV - the LFP.
Starting with a Jaguar F-Pace, the sports-car maker then manages to squeeze out 670 horsepower from the vehicle's engine. The company claims it will be capable of a top speed of 200 mph and an estimated 0-60 mph time of just 3.5 seconds.
Helping with weight savings is a good deal of carbon fiber components. Full details are to be released in the coming weeks but Lister is taking orders for the lightning-quick cat, with pricing starting around $180,000.
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Ferrari 250 GTO
At its recent Monterey auction, RM Sotheby's facilitated the sale of what's deemed the most valuable car ever to be sold at auction and setting a new record.
A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO rolled across the block and when the hammer fell, it had been purchased for $48.4 million. This exceeds the previous record by more than $10 million.
There were only 36 GTOs built. This car does boast a racing pedigree, having won the 1962 Italian GT Championship.
Matt Avery's new book, “COPO Camaro, Chevelle & Nova: Chevrolet's Ultimate Muscle Cars,” is available at Amazon.com. Contact him at auto@dailyherald.com.