Another unique McLaren F1 breaks cover...

[Peloton25]

I described this particular car once here 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.



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.



...until recently.

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.







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

[jkbon]

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 ?

[F1 monster]

Originally Posted by jkbon

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.

[Peloton25]

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.

>8^)
ER

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by F1 monster

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.

>8^)
ER

[Mclaren240!]

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.

[F1 monster]

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

five total? or are there two silvers?

[Peloton25]

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

[F1 monster]

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?

[Peloton25]

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

[F1 monster]

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.

[mini magic]

Okamoto

[Peloton25]

How sure about that are you Chris?

>8^)
ER

[F1 monster]

no its not shin okamoto.

[Peloton25]

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

>8^)
ER