Discover how the legendary McLaren F1 GTR stays road‑ready with meticulous, costly upkeep. Learn the process and costs—read now!
The McLaren F1 remains a benchmark in automotive engineering, a road‑legal supercar born from Gordon Murray’s pure‑driving philosophy. Among its most coveted siblings is the race‑spec F1 GTR, a machine that still turns heads more than three decades after it first roared at Le Mans.
The racing pedigree
In 1996, BMW Motorsport acquired three chassis – 16R, 17R and 18R – to contest European endurance series with Team Bigazzi. Chassis 17R finished eighth at Le Mans, piloted by Danny Sullivan, Johnny Cecotto and Nelson Piquet.
From the track to the museum
Today the 17R chassis has retired to the BMW USA Classic collection, where it appears as a static exhibit at high‑profile events such as Amelia Island and Pebble Beach. Yet, the car is not locked behind glass; it still runs a few times each year for demonstrations and occasional historic races, like the Monterey showcase a few years ago.
Preserving a legend – an insider’s view
Roundel magazine recently sat down with Tom Plucinsky, head of the Historical Vehicle Preservation department at BMW Group Classic North America. He explained that maintaining a McLaren F1 GTR is not dramatically different from caring for modern race cars, but the stakes are higher because of the car’s rarity and value.
The full restoration workflow
Every ten years the F1 GTR undergoes a complete overhaul at either the RLL facility or BMW’s North America workshop, where specialists with deep knowledge of the model work on the machine. The latest restoration involved:
- Complete disassembly and magnetic‑based cleaning of every component.
- Re‑anodising of body panels and replacement of any damaged alloy sections.
- New fuel tank installation and a full gearbox refurbishment – the gear set was stripped, polished and re‑meshed.
- Re‑assembly of the multi‑plate clutch system.
- Engine teardown for a comprehensive inspection, with new timing belts and numerous ancillary parts fitted.
The car even made a trip back to McLaren’s headquarters in Woking, England, for a passenger‑seat upgrade, while critical components such as the windshield are serviced at the official McLaren service centre in Philadelphia.
Costs that match the mystique
Maintaining a million‑dollar supercar quickly adds up. A single brake‑system overhaul can exceed USD 50,000. Replacing a seemingly minor part – the black‑painted needle‑dial from the instrument cluster – cost €750 when it was stolen a decade ago. Such figures illustrate why owners typically limit on‑track outings to one or two times per year, just enough to keep the car mechanically alive without excessive wear.
Risks, insurance and the future
Even with meticulous care, the vehicle’s value and insurance premiums remain astronomical. While minor collisions can be repaired – albeit at a cost that still sits well below the car’s market value – fire remains the greatest existential threat to any collector’s piece.
Plucinsky stressed that the goal is to keep the F1 GTR operational for as long as possible. “We hope it never becomes a purely static exhibit,” he said, “because the sound of that V12 screaming on the tarmac is part of automotive history itself.”
Owning and running a McLaren F1 GTR is a privilege that comes with enormous responsibility, but it also guarantees that one of the automotive world’s most iconic machines continues to inspire on the road, not just behind museum glass.