The McLaren F1 has been out of production for more than 25 years, yet it’s still the definitive supercar.It’s shockingly small, smaller in every dimension and about 800 pounds lighter than a current Z4. And its engine, the S70/2 6.1 liter V12 is an unbelievable piece of engineering, making 627 hp and propelling the F1 to a top speed of 240.1 mph. That record stood until the Bugatti Veyron arrived, a car that was designed to be the fastest in the world and needed 380 more horsepower to beat it. The thing about the McLaren is that it seemingly held every supercar record by mistake.
Gordon Murray didn’t design the F1 to be the fastest, quickest, or best handling supercar ever. He designed something a driver and two friends or family members could enjoy together. A lightweight three seater that was meant to be a road car. That it went racing and succeeded was an afterthought. It succeeded at everything it did and has become a legend because of all of it.
So, as you can imagine, any of the 64 roadgoing F1s are currently worth a boatload of money. One coming up for auction by RM Sotheby’s, chassis 014, has a minimum estimate of $21 million. That makes driving one on the road an incredibly risky proposition.
The Revs Institute in Florida has an F1, chassis 022. The thing about Revs is that the cars in the collection are actually used. They’re taken to tracks and car shows, shared with the world. In late 2020, Revs was kind enough to let Road & Track borrow this F1 for a test at Lime Rock Park. At the time, I was the editor of R&T, so that Revs even said yes shocked me.
McLaren F1 chassis 022 sitting in the paddock at Lime Rock Park.
Photo: Travis Okulski
I remember being shocked that it even showed up, let alone that it was moving and that staff members would get to drive it. I didn’t drive it that day–since I’d had previous experience with BMW North America’s F1 GTR, chassis 017R, I let a few staff members who never had McLaren seat time take my place. Seeing it moving, or just sitting in it standing still, formed core memories. I’m forever thankful that we were trusted with such an amazing piece of history.
Since then, F1 values have only gone up, so it has to be harder and harder to justify putting it on the road. But Revs just drove it from Naples to Miami for the Miami Concours. Right through alligator alley. It’s a pretty straightforward drive, on the highway, but it’s still a McLaren F1 on the road. Anything could happen.
