I described this particular car once here (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=144686) in the past and it didn't really generate any interest or additional comments. My guess was that no one else had seen the car at the time. Up to that point, I had only managed to find these very small photos - the first of which I stumbled upon in March 2003.

http://a6.cpimg.com/image/D2/59/43103186-a18c-01800120-.jpg http://a5.cpimg.com/image/D1/59/43103185-7c0d-01800120-.jpg

I knew the car was in Japan based on the license plate, and it appeared to be on display, but I really couldn't tell where. It seemed like it might have been some kind of official display given the Formula 1 car parked beside it, but I really couldn't tell. A few months after finding that one, I also came across this one but I was still not able to determine where the photos had come from.

http://a4.cpimg.com/image/D0/59/43103184-4b2c-018F0130-.jpg

...until recently. :sunglasse

The display the car was in was at the 2001 British Motorsports Show held in Yokohama, Japan. There was also an XJ220 displayed next to the Jaguar F1 car - seemed to be a theme they were going for. I didn't manage to find any additional photos from inside the show even though I found several galleries and reports on the show. I was a little bummed, and then I stumbled upon these pictures someone had snapped outside the show. I emailed him using my very best 'Engrish' and got larger versions of the shots in his reply. Each one of these images is clickable for a larger version. :thumbsup:

http://a3.cpimg.com/image/01/5A/43103233-fa53-0190012D-.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/Peloton25/McLaren%20F1/McF1_1_L.jpg)

http://a6.cpimg.com/image/04/5A/43103236-766e-0190012D-.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/Peloton25/McLaren%20F1/McF1_2_L.jpg)

http://a7.cpimg.com/image/05/5B/43103237-d279-0190012D-.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/Peloton25/McLaren%20F1/McF1_3_L.jpg)

I really have no clue which car this is so the folder I have these in is simply labeled "Ueno-look". As I mentioned in the other thread, there are no road cars listed as being painted in the Ueno Grey so this car must have been refitted to look like this at some point which of course leaves a lot of possibilities for the chassis number.

I still think the "McLaren GTR" windshield banner is a little silly given this is a road car, but along with the paint scheme, it leads me to speculate that this car might be associated with Japanese business man, Motokazu Sayama. His company "Kokusai Kaihatsu" was the title sponsor for the 1995 LeMans winner. Given that McLaren kept GTR #01R for themselves after the win, it's possible that Motokazu Sayama wanted an F1 road car to commemorate the victory. Not too far fetched anyway...

I've been meaning to share this one here for a while just to get others opinions on it and see if anyone else who frequents the forum can tell us more. Now that these larger images came in it finally gave me a good reason.

Enjoy - and feel free to share your own impressions. I kind of like it, but without the windshield banner.

>8^)
ER

I have not the same taste that this guy, ... and this blue color inside :$
I place it in the top two of the worst Mclaren (just my opinion).

Why spend money to match the Ueno and not buy the HDF kit ?

I have not the same taste that this guy, ... and this blue color inside :$
I place it in the top two of the worst Mclaren (just my opinion).

Why spend money to match the Ueno and not buy the HDF kit ?
there is no blue color inside. he has simply not removed the protective blue plastic film that covers the metal surfaces which are painted silver.

I wasn't too sure of the blue pieces in the interior myself, but after giving it some thought, it could be that thin adhesive film used for protecting the surfaces from scratches seeing as how its only seen on the brushed metal surfaces. Just speculation, but I can't imagine having those pieces painted that color. :screwy:

>8^)
ER

there is no blue color inside. he has simply not removed the protective blue plastic film that covers the metal surfaces which are painted silver.

Ahhh - great minds think alike. ;)

Thanks for the confirmation. :thumbsup:

>8^)
ER

Is it possable that this car is listed as black Mr Motokazu Sayama would have been able to buy one when new shorley? My many F1s do we have in japan one red two silver and this one? Plus of course the lm and longtail.

this black/grey one
one burgundy gt longtail
one orange lm
one white
one silver

five total? or are there two silvers?

There are at least 2 silvers in Japan as confirmed by photos taken last year. One has a red stripe on the vent line of the door and the other does not. There's also a yellow F1 road car that was seen and photographed in Japan recently at some kind of McLaren service center called "ELG" I think. The single photo of it was posted here before recently I believe. Per Christophe, chassis #003 is also supposed to be in Japan. There's definitely several cars hiding out over there. I wish we had someone on the ground there that could help us to track them all down, especially the LM and the GT!

>8^)
ER

thoguht you knew about the lm and gt. what do you want to know? they are at:

403 shoubuike
nagakute-machi
aichi-gun
aichi-ken 4801115
Japan

Tel 0561-63-8700

thanks for the info on the other cars. so i am thinking 8 cars in japan now:
this black/grey one
one burgundy gt longtail
one orange lm
one white
one silver
one silver with red strip
one yellow
003 - color?

Well specifically, we've been wondering who owns those cars and what the chassis number is of that LM. Hopefully it's LM2 or LM5 - my guess is LM5. Lastly, people have wondered if that collection is open to the public. I don't have any trips to Japan planned for the near future ;) but I'm sure a lot of enthusiasts would love to know that they could see those two cars if they were headed in that direction.

#003 was originally painted Carbon. It was used for some of the early press stuff and wore the plate "K4 MCL". It was believed to be Ron Dennis' F1 and was reportedly sold to a customer in Japan. I've seen a few photos of the car in Japan wearing a Japanese plate that could definitely be #003 when compared to known photos of that car.

>8^)
ER

i forget who owns the cars (i call him idioto-san for what he's done to the beauties) but the display is open to the public -- unforturnately we never went as we didn't see the point. there's only so much staring you can do at a car. if its not moving its just another object and theres a lot more interesting stationary objects in the world and especially in japan. mclarens are cool but they belong on the road or track imo.

Okamoto

How sure about that are you Chris?

>8^)
ER

no its not shin okamoto.

I didn't think so either. Sometimes Chris comes up with some unique info though. :thumbsup:

>8^)
ER

Peloton25 is the any chance i could get my hands on the xj220 pics would really apreciate those.

I didn't save those, there was just two like the first two shots in the thread and they're not really worth your time in my opinion. You can certainly find better XJ220 pics in tons of other places on the web.

>8^)
ER

Hello,

clap clap clap Peloton25. Who can say us VIN of F1 LM ?
And humm, there is a red one with a ugly wing, isn't it ?

Ciao
Phil

red one with ugly wing has had the wing removed and the car now looks very nice. it is also not in japan anymore.

Hello,

clap clap clap Peloton25. Who can say us VIN of F1 LM ?
And humm, there is a red one with a ugly wing, isn't it ?

Ciao
Phil
We don't know. We assumed it was 028 but thats looking unlikely now since Mario Andretti owned (OWNED, not owns) a McLaren and 028 has his signature on it.


F1 Monster, are you 100% sure it is not Okamoto?

good points. 100% sure on okamoto since we spoke to him a short while ago and my boss specifically asked him about mclarens and he said he didnt' have one but liked them very much. thanks for the info on the other cars.

so then the list becomes:
black/grey in ueno clinic colors and with gtr banner
burgundy gt longtail
orange lm
white
silver
silver with red strip
yellow
003 carbon
red with ugly wing

so that's 9 cars in japan that we know about. nice concentration. right up there with england and the US.

Do you guys have the pics of the white Mclaren? I saw one on the web before but didnt save it. Silly Me :S

good points. 100% sure on okamoto since we spoke to him a short while ago and my boss specifically asked him about mclarens and he said he didnt' have one but liked them very much. thanks for the info on the other cars.

so then the list becomes:
black/grey in ueno clinic colors and with gtr banner
burgundy gt longtail
orange lm
white
silver
silver with red strip
yellow
003 carbon
red with ugly wing

so that's 9 cars in japan that we know about. nice concentration. right up there with england and the US.
I have a pic of a black car over there too. Could be 003 though, now that i think of it.

Do you guys have the pics of the white Mclaren? I saw one on the web before but didnt save it. Silly Me :S

A white F1 - I don't believe this is the one in Japan.

http://speed.supercars.net/pitlane/pics/720872dsmall.jpg (http://speed.supercars.net/pitlane/pics/720872d.jpg) <-- Click me

Speaking of that car - I believe Shin Okamoto is the owner, as the car was caught in the corner of a photograph taken inside his shrine to Ferraris within the past two years. It was parked next to a silver Jaguar XJ220 which was parked next a silver Bugatti EB110.

Mpowered also sent me these two shots of the TagHeuer F1 which is probably also still floating around Japan somewhere. I've narrowed this car down to being chassis #012 btw - given that Neimann's car is now confirmed as having been #045 all along.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/Peloton25/McLaren%20F1/TagHeuer02.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/Peloton25/McLaren%20F1/TagHeuer01.jpg

This same car was seen in Japan within the past few years wearing HEAD Tennis graphics like this one:

http://www.head.com/images/top_head_logo.gif

It was even featured in a Japanese car magazine all stickered up. Poor F1. :(

>8^)
ER

Didn't i send you those shots? btw, check your email

You sent me them a few weeks back, he sent them to me yesterday. In both cases I had them already, but since I figured he sent them in reference to this thread that's why I put them here and mentioned they came from him.

>8^)
ER

Hmm that wite car looks very much like the one in that kenwood add i was babbling on about in anouther thread. Am shore i have pics of theis car in a book the photos are atributed to builey S.P. so prehaps this ones in the UK?

there were two, so its very possible. Also, its wearing an english plate ;)

We don't know. We assumed it was 028 but thats looking unlikely now since Mario Andretti owned (OWNED, not owns) a McLaren and 028 has his signature on it.


F1 Monster, are you 100% sure it is not Okamoto?

Wait, didn't we already confirm that Meltzer's car once wore a so-called "ugly wing." Why can't it be the same car that was in Japan? Even if it did belong to Andretti at one point, did he get his car new?

Wait, didn't we already confirm that Meltzer's car once wore a so-called "ugly wing." Why can't it be the same car that was in Japan? Even if it did belong to Andretti at one point, did he get his car new?
we don't know. just speculating

Yep the red one that had the ugly wing is back in the US. The proud owner has a company in silicon valley. He also is having a yellow enzo.

Here's a pic a friend of mine took, he works in the same building

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/djyamix/DSC02123.jpg

Nice shot there - Meltzer has quite a collection.

I still don't believe that Mario Andretti ever actually owned this car, or any other McLaren F1.

>8^)
ER

Any pics of the car with an ugly rear wing for us newbies?

Here you go, in all it's glory. ;)

http://a5.cpimg.com/image/2B/11/23610155-f5b2-028001E0-.jpg

http://a6.cpimg.com/image/36/12/23610166-ff8c-028001E0-.jpg

Its slightly taller, the wing end plates are larger and it's mounted further forward - over the rear engine cover - than the wings you will find on the GTRs, LMs and HDF kitted F1s. Very odd - I'd love to know the story behind it. It doesn't seem like something McLaren would have come up with given they already have a package of their own.

There are some earlier photos of this car in Japan without this wing attached.

>8^)
ER

maybe he bought the wing from an aftermarket shop an wanted the d.i.y. look rather than mclaren doing the job for him, lol

I still don't believe that Mario Andretti ever actually owned this car, or any other McLaren F1.



You should :grinno:

Yep the red one that had the ugly wing is back in the US. The proud owner has a company in silicon valley. He also is having a yellow enzo.

Here's a pic a friend of mine took, he works in the same building

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/djyamix/DSC02123.jpg

that looks like his enzo under the cover next to it.

last time i was home, i drove past the garage. i got to see the lovely rump of the mclaren in the garage :) i will be home for a couple weeks again on friday. hopefully ill be able to stop by and snap a picture or 2

It's unfortunate that our thread on this car was deleted. :disappoin

Good thing I saved the entire thread as a text file before it was removed from the site; not to mention a cached version of it through google search! :naughty: :lol:

Yeah - I'm not sure who decided that it needed to be removed, but anyone who wants to can still read it if they want -

Cut&Paste this link into your browser:
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:3VH_C7XJLscJ:www.automotiveforums.c om/t207106.html

I have a copy saved too. :thumbsup:

>8^)
ER

There are some earlier photos of this car in Japan without this wing attached.

>8^)
ER

I may be wrong, but weren't the photos of the car minus the ugly wing taken after these shots? I have the shots of the car in japan with the wing marked as 1999 and the shots of it in japn minus the wing marked 2000. Unless there are two red F1s in japan and i've confused them.
:confused:

I don't mark my shots with dates like that, so I'm just drawing from memory. As I recall, the shots of the car without the wing were from an earlier year of that event, but I could look for them again to make sure. You may in fact be correct though.

This was the only red F1 I was aware of in Japan.

>8^)
ER

Thanks for the pics Peloton25 who why do that to the car sound imagen it screws up the aerodynamics as well as making it look just awfull why do it? Guss money cant by you taste or sence.... prehaps fast and the feurious has a lot to answer for here................

that link to the old thread wont come up for me am i doing something wrong?

You weren't doing something wrong - sorry. I tweaked the link now and it should work. :cool:

>8^)
ER

Here you go, in all it's glory. ;)

Its slightly taller, the wing end plates are larger and it's mounted further forward - over the rear engine cover - than the wings you will find on the GTRs, LMs and HDF kitted F1s. Very odd - I'd love to know the story behind it. It doesn't seem like something McLaren would have come up with given they already have a package of their own.

There are some earlier photos of this car in Japan without this wing attached.

>8^)
ER

I saw those pictures awhile back, and I think that was the first time I saw a Mclaren that I didn't like. That tall, gargantuan wing just ruins the looks.