One to Buy: 13,000 mile Ibis White 1994 McLaren F1 High Downforce Kit
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It’s hard to argue that the McLaren F1 is not the single best expression of a high performance automobile ever. However, McLaren’s preference to dial down the F1’s visual drama for reasons of efficiency meant it looked kind of tame when the GTR racing version broke cover.
Remarkably, although McLaren later went on to offer a GTR look with its High Downforce Kit, only a tiny number of cars have been equipped as such even though McLaren Special Operations still offer the conversion service to date.
One car that had the High Downforce Kit conversion carried out a good few years ago was chassis 014 which will be going under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi auction on December 5th.
Chassis 014 started life as a Titanium Yellow F1 ordered by the Brunei Royal Family whose final tally of McLarens totalled ten units: five standard F1 road cars, three examples of the F1 LM, an F1 GTR painted as a replica of the 1995 Le Mans winner and a long tailed F1 GT road car.
In 2007 the car’s new American owner sent it back to McLaren for a mechanical refresh and conversion to GTR look with the High Downforce Kit. A new LM specification interior was also fitted along with a revised air-conditioning system. The MSO conversion was documented in over 450 photographs and cost in excess of $500,000.
More recently, a major engine-out service was carried out by McLaren Philadelphia in 2018 when the fuel cell was replaced and over $50,000 was spent on maintenance.
Chassis 014 is accompanied by its original Facom tool chest and two pieces of fitted luggage that are specifically designated to chassis 014. At the time of cataloguing, the odometer was showing 13,711 miles.
