McLaren F1 LM: The Ultimate F1

In 1995, the McLaren F1 GTR did the unthinkable. It won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its first attempt, beating purpose-built prototypes. To celebrate, McLaren built five ultra-exclusive road cars (plus one prototype, XP1 LM) called the F1 LM.

Le Mans Specs

The LM is essentially a GTR race car with license plates.

• Weight: It weighs 1,062 kg (60 kg lighter than the standard road car).
• Engine: It uses the unrestricted GTR race engine. While the race cars were limited to 600 hp by regulations, the LM has no restrictors. It produces 680 hp.
• Gearbox: It uses a racing-spec gearbox with straight-cut gears. It whines loudly.

Aerodynamics

The LM features the GTR’s aerodynamic package.

• The Wing: A massive fixed CFRP rear wing engraved with “GTR-24 Heures du Mans Winners 1995”.
• The Splitter: A deeper front splitter and side skirts.
• Downforce: It generates significantly more downforce than the road car, sacrificing top speed (225 mph vs 240 mph) for cornering grip.

Papaya Orange

All 5 customer cars were painted in Papaya Orange to honor Bruce McLaren’s original racing livery. Inside, the car is stripped. No sound deadening. No audio system. Just carbon fiber and Alcantara. You wear headsets to talk to your passenger because the engine noise is deafening.

Value

The F1 LM is the most valuable McLaren.

• Price: None have sold publicly recently, but estimates put the value at $25 - $30 million.
• Lewis Hamilton: Lewis Hamilton famously asked Ron Dennis for the XP1 LM prototype if he won the F1 championship. Ron promised it if Lewis won 3 titles. Lewis left for Mercedes before winning the third, so the car stays in the McLaren factory lobby.