McLaren Cars, Ltd. has updated their website!!!

[Stratoraptor]

go check it out. for the lazy guys that dont like typing in the address bar (i am one), click on the link...

www.mclarencars.com

...it celebrates the SLR at Frankfurt. its pretty much a page with links back to Mercedes-Benz.com.

[Stratoraptor]

well this is a F1 LM pic i found. i dont think i have seen it before, but it just might be because its computer-enhanced

[Peloton25]

Yeah - I'm sure you've seen the photo before. Here's the non-enhanced version:



The photo can be found on page 6 of "Driving Ambition".

>8^)
ER

[scoob]

Came across an interesting quote on that website about the F1 LM...

"As a tribute to the memory of Bruce McLaren, all the F1 LM's were painted in the same Papaya Orange that was used on his contemporary Formula One and Can Am cars."

I know there has been some discussion on here in the past about the rumoured black LM's. This seems to put that one to rest.

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by scoob

I know there has been some discussion on here in the past about the rumoured black LM's. This seems to put that one to rest.

That info is inaccurate. Search this forum for the word "Unicorn" or "Black LM" and read the reply from andybee. He confirms that there were indeed two black F1 LM's and even describes the graphics that the car featured.

I believe that McLaren Cars original intent was to produce all the LMs in the Historic (Paypaya) Orange color, but that ultimately due to customer wishes, they did not.

>8^)
ER

[scoob]

If there were 2 F1 LM's that were indeed black then I'm surprised that McLaren themselves don't know. Where was the original article posted and by whom? It kind of makes sense though to paint them black given the victory they celebrate was of a black car...

I wonder where the "black" ones are now? I know there was an orange one on the Gumball run owned by a Dave Morrison. Then there's one in the US - LM3 also orange which may be the same car as Dave Morrison's. I've also seen one in what looked like a private museum in Japan - orange too. So that gives a tally of 2 or 3 orange ones out of 5... but no black ones. Maybe the Sultan of Brunei has an orange and black one given how they liked to collect different colours of the rarest cars.

[Peloton25]

The information on the Black LM's doesn't come from an article, it actually comes from the Chassis History printed on the poster which is included with "Driving Ambition". The poster has the chassis number, build order and original exterior color of every McLaren F1 produced.

It lists two of the LM's as being painted "Black w/graphics". The poster is extremely accurate in other respects, so I don't have any reason to believe that they would be wrong about those two cars. The information that andybee posted is enough confirmation for me that the poster is indeed right.

Here's a photo I took of the poster I'm referring to. I used to have a close up of the LM section hosted on the web, but I removed it to make room for some more pics. I can post it later tonight if you'd like to see it.



As for the other customer LMs, you have identified the 3 cars that I'm aware of. Like you, I believe that LM3, the Massachusetts car was the same one formerly owned by Morrison reducing that number to two cars that have been seen. You left out the prototype - XP1 LM - but that car hasn't really been seen since the 0-100-0 test done by CAR magazine. That car remains in the possession of McLaren Cars though. I doubt it would ever be sold.

EDIT: Incidentally - in regards to this comment:

Originally Posted by scoob

If there were 2 F1 LM's that were indeed black then I'm surprised that McLaren themselves don't know.

I'm quite certain that McLaren Cars keep meticulous records on all the cars including any changes that might be made to colors or options along the way. However, I'm sure it's simply easier for them to state that all 5 customer LMs were painted the Historic Orange than it would be to explain that 2 of them were actually painted Black. It takes away from a bit of the nostalgia surrounding the LMs to explain it any other way then "...all five were painted orange...".

>8^)
ER

[scoob]

Cheers for that. I was aware of XP1 LM. Hopefully that will appear in a, or should I say "the", McLaren museum one day alongside 01R and XP5.

[andybee]

i'm well aware of the chassis logs. Also well aware that two LM's were Black. Up to you if you believe me. They left the factory like that btw

[Peloton25]

<-- Believer

Thanks again for your contributions here Andy!

>8^)
ER