Depending on the car and the situation, many times I don’t have to see the car merely just hear it and literally a shiver crawls up my spine, my hair stands up and goose bumps begin to form. This is not an exaggeration there are a few people that have seen this actually happen to me. I have looked through disorders and can not seem to find one related to being addicted to vehicles but if there was one I would say that I have a certain level of it. I am picky when it comes to the cars I like. I don’t like a car just bc it is expensive or the most popular, or the latest must have. I like cars that perform for a reason, look a certain way and above all how they sound. Example; love the sound of the Ferrai Enzo but hate the look. Ferrari left their traditional lines behind and made an ultimate street racer but at a high cost of losing its sexy image.
But a car in the Enzo’s class that beats it on all levels hands down, is a car that only the most elite of the elite can own and enjoy The Mclaren F1 has broken several records including the most expensive street supercar (yes that is the class they fall into for insurance). With a price tag of 1 million + U.S. it better be a supercar. And it is, and then some.
Its sleek and aerodynamic body and chassis are produced exclusively of carbon fiber (one reason for its cost) giving it a low curb weight of 2513 lb (to see how light this car is the VW rabbit is ~3000lbs). This is also taking into consideration that this body houses a BMW custom built 6.1 L (6064 cc) 60-degree V12 weighing in at 585lbs. This results in a 0–60 mph time of only 3.2s and a top speed of 231 mph (370 km/h) making it the fastest street legal vehicle of all time.
But this type of pedigree does not only consist of an expensive price tag it also comes with insane up keep and insurance costs. A million dollar car isn’t something you can just get regular insurance for and neither is your regular tune up. An average of $22,000 U.S is the cost to have the vehicle serviced every 6 to 9 months, and I thought a $50 oil change was a lot for our VW.
But that is not where it stops an owner may spend up to 3 times that amount, ~$50,000, every 18 months for the detailed tune up. Oh and the average price for a fill up with today’s pump prices will run you nearly $200 U.S. And how long do you think that tank will last with that V12, 692 HP engine and a heavy foot?
The car comes with luggage that is placed in special compartments, a watch, and an entire tool box (5 tiered) and if you break down any where in the world the work is done for you as a Mclaren will fly a mechanic to you. Beats the hell out of CAA.
The owners list doesn’t consist of your local collector by any means. There are Sultans, CEOs like Ralph Lauren, Jay Leno and the like oh and Ralph and the Sultan of Brunei actually own two. So why even make a car that can’t be used to its potential on the street? I guess the best place to own one would be in parts of Europe where speed limits are none existent. A German commuter was said to be making his drive to work and home at an average -AVERAGE- speed of 200mph. No one believed this until he needed some maintenance and the modem (it comes with the previously mentioned toolbox) was attached to the car and linked up to Mclaren’s head office where the car’s data log proved that this car was driven at 200mph from point A to B and back again every single day. All those who have driven this car say that you can not explain the feeling you just have to experience it. I wish.
I can only imagine what it must feel like to climb into the centered (the driver sits in the middle as only two other passengers are on either side and slightly pushed back) driver’s seat and flick all the toggle switches for fuel pumps and so on and wait for a second and flip that final switch that says ‘Start’. The noise is so loud that the only way you can speak to your passengers in the cockpit is to use a head set with microphone, giving the car even more of the feeling of a jet plane.
But I will never try one (obviously), and probably for the best as I would end up with a ton of tickets, or worse dead. But it is definitely a technical marvel that in the very least requires some well deserved recognition for its beauty and absolute power. There were no real great videos of this car that I could find so I didn’t waste the space of posting any, but here are a few links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyNGEoNqjfc this one includes what you get when you purchase a Mclaren and the story of the German commuter.
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