McLaren – Engine Icon https://engineicon.com Latest car news and advice blog Tue, 14 Jul 2026 02:07:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://engineicon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/cropped-ME_favicon-1-32x32.png McLaren – Engine Icon https://engineicon.com 32 32 Someone Crashed a McLaren GT, So Why Not Buy the Carbon Fiber Shell and Turn It Into a Race Car Bed? https://engineicon.com/someone-crashed-a-mclaren-gt-so-why-not-buy-the-carbon-fiber-shell-and-turn-it-into-a-race-car-bed/ Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:31:49 +0000 https://engineicon.com/someone-crashed-a-mclaren-gt-so-why-not-buy-the-carbon-fiber-shell-and-turn-it-into-a-race-car-bed/

McLaren’s supercars are so good in part because they have good bones. The road-car arm of the reigning F1 constructors’ champion builds all of its cars off carbon-fiber monocoques, to which engines, suspension, and body panels are attached, race-car style. Even by itself, a bare McLaren Monocell chassis is an impressive piece of engineering. One that you can now own for much, much less than the cost of a complete car.

The monocoque from a crashed McLaren GT is being offered for sale by 417 Motoring on eBay with, at the time of writing, a reduced asking price of $2,624.99. That’s down from the original asking price of $3,499.99, although you’ll likely have to pay the $1,200 flat-rate shipping fee to get the bare shell from Missouri to wherever you are. Still, by volume at least, you’re getting a lot of car for a fraction of what it cost new (about $210,000 in its debut model year).

The seller notes that there is damage to the rear corner section, and to the front left side of the tub. And while windshield and roof glass are included, both pieces are cracked and may have to be replaced. It’s unclear if this damage is terminal, or if the GT could be resurrected with enough replacement parts. Monocell chassis are pretty tough, which is why crashed limited-edition McLarens like the Elva and Senna can still sell for six or seven figures even with salvage titles.

It may not be financially worthwhile to attempt a GT rebuild, though. Introduced for the 2020 model year, the GT is based on the 720S but with softer styling and tuning, as well as added cargo space under the engine cover, Maserati Bora-style, to fulfill the grand tourer role. But it’s still a two-seat, mid-engine supercar, so practicality increases by only a small degree. McLaren replaced it with the spicier GTS for 2024, but this is still a neither-here-nor-there car that may not have the long-term appeal of a Senna or Long Tail.

Besides, there are so many other options. This would make a sick race car bed, although your kids might outgrow it quickly. You could also convert it into a sim racing rig, taking advantage of the supercar cockpit layout in a (somewhat) more modest footprint than a rig made from a complete car.

If I had a porch, I’d hire somebody to build a frame, reinstall the cupholders, and turn this thing into a porch swing for the summer. For the winter, Senior Editor Caleb Jacobs suggested using it as a toboggan. Sounds good to me. After all, it’s been crash-tested.

Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com

Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.


Source link

]]>
McLaren will sell you a Le Mans hypercar with more power than the racecar https://engineicon.com/mclaren-will-sell-you-a-le-mans-hypercar-with-more-power-than-the-racecar/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:49:44 +0000 https://engineicon.com/mclaren-will-sell-you-a-le-mans-hypercar-with-more-power-than-the-racecar/

Last year, McLaren announced ‘Project: Endurance’, a customer partnership programme, as part of which anyone with sufficiently deep pockets can own a 2027 McLaren Le Mans Hypercar.

McLaren is entering the World Endurance Championship with an LMDh-spec machine based on a Dallara chassis. It will be powered by a twin-turbo V6 hybrid restricted to 671 hp as per the regulations.

McLaren Project Endurance Le Mans Hypercar-2

According to Which Car, the track toy sold to customers won’t be the same as the Le Mans racecar. It will be powered by the same 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. However, it won’t get hybrid assistance. With a peak output of 720 hp from the ICE alone, the customer car will have 49 hp more.

McLaren Project Endurance Le Mans Hypercar-1

Project: Endurance is a 2-year track car programme that encompasses some of the world’s best racetracks. McLaren will provide support at track events each season, enabling customers to enjoy a track session on an arrive-and-drive basis. Each owner will receive driver coaching from a race professional, with an individual pit crew and race engineers.

McLaren says customers will also have full behind-the-scenes access to the upcoming McLaren Racing LMDh programme, key team personnel and drivers. Moreover, the customers will be at the very centre of the development programme for the McLaren Le Mans Hypercar.

Source: Which Car

Source link

]]>
The McLaren F1 That Clients Fought Over Before It Was Even Built https://engineicon.com/the-mclaren-f1-that-clients-fought-over-before-it-was-even-built/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:22:45 +0000 https://engineicon.com/the-mclaren-f1-that-clients-fought-over-before-it-was-even-built/

The Number That Started Arguments

From the time it was announced, it was clear the McLaren F1 was never going to be ordinary. A stratospheric asking price of nearly a million dollars, a fixation on weight, a BMW V12 “wrapped” in gold foil, and a never-seen-before central driving position had already elevated it beyond supercar status. Only 64 road cars would be built over its production spanning from 1992 to 1998, out of a total of 106. When it came time to assign chassis numbers, one in particular became a problem.

Father of the F1, Gordon Murray, himself had to referee requests for what would be a very special build slot. A previous owner recalled Murray explaining that several clients wanted chassis 007. In the end, a VIP and close friend of McLaren shareholder Mansour Ojjeh secured the mythical number. Clearly, McLaren had a license to build, with the Bond-inspired build slot taking precedence. To ease tensions, McLaren assigned other customers chassis numbers whose digits added up to seven.


View the 2 images of this gallery on the
original article

Specification Worthy of the Badge

The VIP owner was Prince Muhammad bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz of the Saudi royal family, who took delivery in 1994 at his residence in Cologny, Geneva. The specification was as deliberate as the number. Chassis 007 is the only McLaren F1 finished in Jet Black with a 10 percent metalflake, paired with a restrained beige and brown leather interior. Only four F1 road cars were built in Black Metallic at all, and this one stands alone in its exact configuration.

The paint itself is deeper than standard black, the subtle metalflake only revealing itself under direct light. Open the dihedral doors, and the cabin continues the theme with warm, understated leather tones wrapped around the now-iconic central driving seat. In an era when many 1990s supercars leaned into bright colors and louder trims, this F1 went the opposite direction. The specification clearly resisted theatrics, in keeping with its 007 inspirations. 

Kidston


View the 2 images of this gallery on the
original article

A Life Lived Properly, Documented Thoroughly

Surprisingly, 007 remained well-used through its years in spite of its build significance. Over the course of its ownership by its next three owners, 007 racked up 27,806 miles, which is an impressive amount of mileage for a car such as the F1. Most of those miles were spirited ones at the hands of well-known collector Simon Kidston, from whose care the car is currently being sold. Since 1994, approximately $590,000 has been spent maintaining the car through McLaren’s factory channels, including a recent $50,800 service and a replacement alloy fuel tank at McLaren Special Operations.

Kidston

It has never been crashed, never fitted with the optional High Downforce Kit, and retains its original colour scheme, numbered luggage set, tool chest, and titanium tools. It is also one of the few F1 road cars to hold a factory-issued Certificate of Authenticity. For a chassis number that caused this much friction before it even existed, the remarkable part isn’t the drama. It’s that three decades later, 007 remains exactly what it should be: well-driven, meticulously documented, and very, very original.

Kidston

Source link

]]>