McLaren F1 ‘LM Spec’ chassis #018 up for sale – should break £15 million

McLaren F1 ‘LM Spec’ chassis #018

McLaren F1 chassis #018, one of only two regular F1s with a retro-fitted LM spec, is up for sale at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale. Should fetch at least £15 million.

In the world of McLaren F1, the most valuable ‘modern’ hypercar, there is still a hierarchy of desirability, with the GTR cars modified for road use probably at the bottom, the original F1 LM cars sitting at the top, and the ‘regular road cars – and the few GT models – sitting in between.

The F1 LMs are virtually impossible to attain, with three of them tucked away in obscurity with the Sultan of Brunei, one in the hands of Ralph Lauren and the other in the ZAZ museum in Japan.

But there are two other F1 LMs in the world, regular F1s McLaren themselves have converted to LM spec, and, arguably, they are more desirable than the original quintet, although not as valuable.

That’s because the two F1s McLaren converted to LM spec after the original run – like this F1, chassis #018, heading for sale at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale next month – get the best of both the F1 road car and the LM ‘race’ spec in one McLaren package.

McLaren F1 ‘LM Spec’ chassis #018 interior

The original LMs were harsh and stripped-out versions of the F1 road car, noisy and uncomfortable, but quicker and, because of their rarity, more valuable.

But this F1 LM spec car, which was converted by McLaren almost two decades ago, comes with a proper road car spec interior, High Downforce Kit, upgraded Air Con, transmission cooler, extra radiators, 18″ GTR wheels, F1 LM racing engine and, although it gets the LM’s race-spec suspension, it’s dialled down to the softest setting to make it more comfortable on road.

F1 ‘LM’ #018 has done some actual mileage in its life, a bit over 13,000, but has an impeccable service record throughout its life. So how much will it go for?

The last LM conversion fetched around £11 million back in 2015, since when a regular road car – chassis #044 – fetched £12 million in 2017. We’d be amazed if this F1 didn’t fetch at least £15 million. But it should do more.