McLaren F1

The car is now owned by Tony Raftis and is on display at the Grand Prix and after at his showroom in Richmond Melbourne.

It's wheels have been repainted to "normal" silver after being previously the darker graphite colour.

 

A couple of my photos have already been uploaded here:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=367291&page=2&pp=15

There is also one I took on the first page of the thread.

 

sweet, didn't even know there was one of these in oz.

hmm, wonder if it had to be converted...

 

yeah the donk is in the front

 

Allan Simonsen drove it in the parade again today. This time he made some more space for himself and shot to 190km/h in 3rd in next to no time..... some lucky kids got the ride.

Allan says it feels as fast as the 550 GTS race car, but then it should.... it has pretty much the same power to weight ratio. Very impressive car...and how old are they now!!

 

poor thing was still on a leash.

 

I'm very anti "parade bashing"..... at least it was out there and not gathering dust in a showroom or storage facitlity.

Good on Tony Raftis for getting it there and giving it an airing. The F40 LM was made to look very insignificant I'm afraid........

 

I fully agree!! Many other owners choose to keep them locked up in hiding, so this is a rare treat for anyone on scene.

If you could pass along a word of thanks to Mr Raftis for sharing his F1 so publicly, I would really appreciate it.

>8^)
ER

 

no bashing going on here if that's the impression given. i've never seen one this side of my grubby paw-marked 19 inch monitor and would still drool over one sitting in overgrown weeds in some old italian guy's backyard amongst a bunch of rusty fridges from the 50's.

still sad to think of it like some zoo-kept cheetah, finally gets a chance to stretch it's legs, just warms up and it's all over.

 

I wouldn't go so far to say that about the F40 LM, it is just that we have all come to expect it. I still get excited everytime I see it.
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Wow Wow Wow...I need those LM pics .

 

It was a pretty stupid thing of Ferrarifixer to have said...probably cos the owner of the LM found a more reliable mechanic. Regardless, I've seen and heard that LM at full noise (and just plain old standing still) and it looks and sounds great in ANY company.

 

the V8's need a gaggle of hot chicks standing around them to make them seem interesting. i know if i were in a position to check out this car, i'd be like "get the hell outta the way of the car woman!".

 

the LM still has lots of presence whereas the F1 is a little boring in the styling dept, if it didn't have a 241mph top speed no-one would want it as it is plain Jane against a naked Marilyn Munro

Who cares in a bath tub ya want fun not speed !

anyway, it's just a BMW wrapped in carbon fibre with a huge pricetag

 

That has a big pricetag for a reason.

 

yeah, all the gold sloshed around the engine

I think you may be biased MM

 

It's not 'biased', it's educated.

Obviously you aren't all that familiar with the F1 if you think it's price tag is justified simply because some gold foil was used as a heat deflector around the engine bay.

>8^)
ER

 

Agreed.. its arguably the best roadcar ever made. I'm not going to argue if you think a ferrari is better with some ridiculous substantiations. The facts speak for themselves.

 

I know enough about the F1 to know the F40s beat it in a series 5 years after they went out of production....I just think it is dog ugly IMO, others think it's great, good for them.

I'd never pick the F1 over an F40 because I'm biased..I thought THAT was obvious

Although Gordon Murray had a blank cheque to design the car he fell short in the looks dept , he should have got the guy who designed the Alfa Stradale to help even if it meant losing a few mph...top speed isn't everything

 

Well at least Ferrari build there own cars......Mclaren had to go to BMW to get their motor

 

360/430/612 is built by Alcoa Industries and Pininfarina, just designed and assembled by Ferrari.

All I'm saying is that the Mclaren has awesome presence. It's sensational, AND it can be driven very easily on the road, in traffic, over kerbs, quietly, and than blitz everybody at the race track....with 3 people inside if necessary.....

and if the passengers happen to have great legs........!

The Raftis one is not a great colour...it's a bit too subtle. I'd like black or silver, but it IS an incredible car

 

Its funny how out of all the cars in the Tent on display at the GP, the mclaren was the least photographed by me...

The DB9 sitting next to it got more attention IIRC.....

I was too distracted by the F40 LM...