As much as he obviously loves the car, an insurance check for two plus million quid would allow him to have a Veyron, an Enzo, and a new MP4-12C. If the car is not rebuildable because McLaren refuses to make a new chassis, and no one can really repair or make a replacement CF chassis, the car is toast. Simple as that really.
It might be worth rebuilding, and Mr. Bean might even want it to be rebuilt. The question is whether Mclaren will offer to replace the chassis with a brand new one. I don't think they will. It would be tantamount to building a 65th roadcar, and I think they would find it distasteful. Although the engine might be considered the center-piece, if anything is considered to be "the car," it's the carbon monocoque the driver sits in. The vin plate is there to identify the chassis, the chassis isn't there to house the vin plate.
Disagree. They would be building a replacement chassis, and they could mark it as so. So yes the chassis indentifies the car, no debate there, but McLaren could give it the same VIN number or a VIN number that has replacement for nnn written on the chassis tag. Easily done. Pete
The VIN is the identifier of the car. The chassis is one of the components of that car. For example if you crash a Lotus Elise (which isn't the most expensive car in the world) and damage the chassis it cannot be repaired but can be replaced. It gets the same VIN number as the original and the damaged one is destroyed (they cut off the corner with the VIN stamped in it). In addition the chassis of an F1 is carbon fibre which can be repaired. We'll have to wait for McLaren to inspect it but I'd put money on it being repaired.
I thought the issue wasn't whether McLaren would/could repair the chassis, the problem was getting a replacement engine, if the one torn from the car isn't useable. I've read that there are no spares and BMW has stated they won't make any more.
Why wouldn't BMW make whole replacement engines? It's a valuable car and they can make more any time?
You guys should quit surmising and just ask Peleton25 about repairs, replacement, etc. He knows more than all of us put together. And probably all of FChat put together.
Ferrari will build a new chassis with the same VIN: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140746195&postcount=3 Interesting. Pete
I seem to recall on the list of chassis numbers there was one spare one built for repairs. There used to be a spare engine in the london showroom which was then moved to the display area at the Woking workshop.
Just saw today that the insurance company have paied £910.000 for the repair of the car. In other words. The most expensive car repair in the UK ever. *LOL* Rowan Atkinson's McLaren car repair costs insurers almost £1 million - Telegraph
Excellent to read that it has been repaired: Whoever wrote that article though needs to use a spell checker ... span, WTF ... spun! Pete
