McLaren F1 Maintenance Stories Will Make Your Head Spin
“Even if I just store it and put no miles on it, it costs about $50,000 a year to maintain.” Ouch.
Stories about hypercar ownership are rife with examples of engine-out maintenance that would otherwise be mundane on a normal car. But McLaren’s F1 is so outlandish that you’ll be happy you have an average car.
Atlanta resident Bruce Weiner owned one, and recounts the absurd amount of attention required to keep it in top spec. “It had just been serviced 4 months prior to me owning it, and now needed $250,000 worth of work,” Bruce explains.
ALSO SEE: How Much Did Bugatti Learn In Over A Decade Of Veyron Production?Â
“This truly was built as a race car first, and then they made it street legal. Where when you buy your Ferraris and Lamborghinis, they’re truly road cars that you can take to the race track.” What that means is, the McLaren F1 is more sensitive to time than mileage when it comes to components in need of replacing.
For Bruce, the two stand-out items were tires, and the fuel cell. A fuel cell, with foam interior inserts is understandable to break down over time. But as Bruce points out, its maximum shelf life is 5 years, regardless of how much the car is driven.
Tires presented an astronomical cost, at $50,000. Included in that price was the unique way the tires had to be set up, however. Between the mounting of the tires, balancing while on the car, adjusting the suspension to compensate for each tire (yes), and then having to rent a private race track and a professional driver, the costs sure do add up.
Elon Musk, current king of all things electric had a McLaren F1 and had some stories to share, but they are much less about maintenance and more about unfortunate outcomes. See his video below.
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
