Is a Mclaren an investment?

[FerrariDude355F1]

I was wondering if Mclaren can be bought as a Investment? Would the value go up over the years?

I was surprised that the F50 prices are close to sicker now...maybe due to the ENZO.
Thanks

[Porsche]

Form what I've gathered. Yes. the Mclarenf F1 is an investment. It's nto supposed ot be, but can be considered as one. The F50, liek you mentioned had significantly higher production numbers, and was not the Ultimate in Super Cars.

I've seen F50 almsot exclusively in the Range of $650,000 USD at a number of places. The F50 may be an investment, but I wouldn't consider it a short term one. The F40's prices have remained fairly consistent over the years in the North American markets, but I read an article by Gordan Murray (Mclaren's Designer) and he said that F40's, EB110's, XJ220's could all be had for much less thn the MSRP over in europe. The Mclaren is out of this league and sits on the top of the pedastal. It's lonely at the top.

I hate having to once more put the burden on XOtech to answer this more in depth , but well that's XOtech this woudl be his forte if I'm not mistaken. The Mclaren forums woudl be full of unanswered questions without him.

Hope you come by and read this XO!

[XOTech]

Porsche,
It is hard to keep up with all the postings, but eventually, I do get around to reading nearly all of them. I am sorry for the delay.

Exotic car values change rather rapidly for a lot of reasons. Right after the F40 came out, they hit prices as high as $1Million. They fairly rapidly tapered back down and have been trading around $300-350,000 for the last year or so. About a year ago, the F40 was as low as $250,000.

The F50 also hit huge numbers right after it came out and has since tapered back. About 2 years ago, the F50 essentially bottomed out at around $600,000 and some slightly lower. Since then, the market has gained very strongly and they are back at $700-750,000.

Then Enzo is trading at $1.1-1.2Million for a US car, and slightly less for a European car (all others). They will likely also cycle with age. I expect in a few years, they will level at something close to $850-900,000.

There are a few F50s for sale lower than the retail numbers I listed above, but they are typically either Euro cars that are here in the US and have been converted, or a previously damaged car that has been repaired. There are a few of each here in the states.

One more note, a Euro F50 in Europe will bring around $550,000. If it is a 1995, it is elgible to be imported to the states, if it is 1996 or 97, it cannot be imported.

Hope that helps.

[XOTech]

Exotics such as the Bugatti and the Jaguar XJ220 were not received nearly as well in the open market. The XJ220 is one of the biggest exotic car flops in history. As you may recall, the XJ220 was actually supposed to be (and announced by Jaguar as such) a roadgoing version suitable for the world markets of the XJR-15. The XJR-15 is a Group C racing car that was nothing short of phenomenal. For unknown reasons, Jaguar chose to change those announcements dramatically. Rather than a V12, they released the V6 twin turbo. The design was also radically different than the public and contracted buyers were led to believe.

The release of the car left contracted buyers finding every reason they could conjure up to release them of their contractual obligations. Jaguar saw a great number of lawsuits over it. As a result, there are still to this day, brand new cars that can be had for around $200,000 USD. Others can be had for even less.

The Bugatti EB110 is a bit of an oddity at best. It had aggressive lines and acceptable performance, but all that aside, there is no one left to support the cars. It is a car that has no maker. The Bugatti of today is far removed from the Bugatti that made the EB110. The multi-bankruptcy has left little of the original company other than the name. Not to mention, there are still several brand new EB110s that can be purchased today that have been assembled from unfinished chassis that were purchased in the wake of the bankruptcy as basically "Salvage".

Each of the cars has its place in the market as there are enthusiasts out there that do enjoy them and they are regularly traded. Not to say they are any less exotic than the other mainstream cars, but the public appeal has remained less and thus the values are reflected as such.

The McLaren has remained a viable value because of its quality and uncanny ability to retain its title as the fastest production car. As of late, the McLarens have been gaining in value as a result of collectors realizing that they will never be made again, and the enduring quality of the car is unrivalled as of yet.

[drewwtms]

Originally posted by XOTech
The release of the car left contracted buyers finding every reason they could conjure up to release them of their contractual obligations. Jaguar saw a great number of lawsuits over it. As a result, there are still to this day, brand new cars that can be had for around $200,000 USD. Others can be had for even less.

I recently took a trip to Las Vegas. The car collection at The Imperial Palace was one of the highlights. It's a nice collection with a lot of variety. Each car is for sale. They had a Jaguar XJ220 in the collection. The price was $350,000. No one for me to inquire about it though (not that I would be looking to purchase it).

[XOTech]

I will be brief on the Jaguar here in the McLaren thread.

The prices I mentioned for the XJ220 were as they are available over in Europe in new condition. I am aware of around 10 cars still in a warehouse, brand new. There is additional cost to have one imported and converted for use here in the states. The cost is about $75,000. I would assume that this car does have its proper paperwork to verify EPA/DOT certification (Show & Display for DOT) and thus the higher price. I still believe the price is more than the current market will bear.

Drew, the car you saw in Vegas is also listed in Hemmings Magazine.

[993cc Man]

I believe that the XJR-15 and XJ220 were developed in parallel, the former as a "semi" racer from the TWR racing department that was preparing the racing Jaguars, the latter from Jaguar themselves. The XJR-15 was intended for a one-make racing series and is much rarer than the XJ220 (as it usually happens many were street-legalized after the series was over)

[Peloton25]

Your right about that 993c. I really love the XJR-15 - a lot more than the XJ220 actually which may surprise some people. I doubt it's a great road car, but I'm certain with TWR behind the project, that it's a wonderful track car.

Here's an excellent promo photo from that one-make race series you mentioned.

>8^)
ER

EDIT: Incidentally, Symbolic Motorcars currently has an XJR-15 for sale on their website. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm told it is on display in their Wilshire Blvd showroom in Beverly Hills. I've never seen one in person, so I really need to get down there to check it out. Here's a page with photos:

http://www.symbolicmotors.com/frames...3633/3633.html