XP4 makes an appearance at Crystal Cove...

[Peloton25]

...and damn if I didn't miss it.

I almost went today.

Anyway, enough of my whining. There are pics in a thread on FerrariChat already - here. I'm sure more pics will trickle out. I've already gotten both FChat members who have posted there to send me their high-res pics, which I have now uploaded to this Imagestation album for everyone else to have:

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2122373102

A big thanks to nocturne1 and Ferrari Boy for sending them over!!

As more photos surface I will add them to that album. I expect some shots from at least two other FChatters, and at least two people who post on SC.net. Sadly, Drew Phillips who runs Fast-Autos.net apparently didn't go down there today. He's kicking himself just as much as I am - and of course his photos would have been great so bummer that!

>8^)
ER

[MalkaJB]

Damn, you beat me to it. I was just about to make this same thread.

I really need to start going to Crystal Cove when I get back to Southern California in September.

[Peloton25]

I put a thread up on MFreak.com the moment I saw it, but figured I would wait till I had the hi-res shots hosted before posting here.

We should meet up at CC sometime. It's a pretty decent drive for me at almost 100 miles, but I can probably get down there in about an hour, maybe a little less.

>8^)
ER

[BMW.WilliamsF1Team]

Thanks for the pics! I noticed that LM1 and LM4 were black with graphics. XP1 and XP2 were unpainted, but that doesnt' sound right. I thought that XP1 was...

[MalkaJB]

Originally Posted by Peloton25

We should meet up at CC sometime.

Sounds good.

Originally Posted by Peloton25

It's a pretty decent drive for me at almost 100 miles

I'm not much better off as I have to drive up from La Jolla (about 70 miles south of Newport Beach).

Originally Posted by Peloton25

I can probably get down there in about an hour, maybe a little less.

Wow, 100 miles in one hour! I don't even think I can make it up from La Jolla that fast.

[PatrickT82]

and I thought XP4 was in Europe...

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by BMW.WilliamsF1Team

Thanks for the pics! I noticed that LM1 and LM4 were black with graphics. XP1 and XP2 were unpainted, but that doesnt' sound right. I thought that XP1 was...

He is displaying the top half of the backside of the poster that is included with Driving Ambition. Here's a shot of the full poster:



XP1 was never painted, remaining bare carbon until it's sad demise.

Early XP1 shots:


"...and this will be the day that I die..."


XP2 was eventually painted that wacky turquoise color that is common for crash test victims, but as we saw in a photo I posted recently, it did begin life without paint as the poster identifies:

Before (on the left):


Another death sequence:


All of those before and after shots should be clickable.

>8^)
ER

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by PatrickT82

and I thought XP4 was in Europe...

Following McLaren's development work, XP4 was in New Zealand until late 2000. Then it came to the USA and has been here ever since.

XP3 & XP5 should still be in England. As I mentioned after meeting Gordon, he told me that XP2 was eventually sent to the crusher.

>8^)
ER

[Peloton25]

Just added two more great images to the album from rabbit1 on SC.net.

One is about to become my desktop wallpaper in fact.

>8^)
ER

[Stratoraptor]

XP4 in my opinion is one of the more beautiful of the roadcars. It has a nice paintjob, but also a brilliant white interior to drool over without being as overdone with leather as 58F1GT.

Thanks for the high-res pics.

[F1 monster]

Originally Posted by Stratoraptor

XP4 in my opinion is one of the more beautiful of the roadcars. It has a nice paintjob, but also a brilliant white interior to drool over without being as overdone with leather as 58F1GT.

Thanks for the high-res pics.

Agree 100%. I love XP4.

[cche2052]

Wow that color is BEAUTIFUL + the interior (must get dirty easily though)! Besides the side view mirrors, is XP4 identical to the production models?

[Peloton25]

There may be some things under the bodywork that can't be seen, but most likely it has been updated along the way where necessary. The mirrors are the only legacy parts I can see on the outside.

Inside the car there are some differences that probably relate to it's XP status. You'll notice that it is missing the carbon cover over the throttle cable on the wall of the driver's footwell. Also the pods to the left and right of the steering wheel are each missing a control knob. On the right side it appears that the hazard light switch is missing. On the left side, the foglight switch is not present. Neither side has the carbon fiber laminate behind those switches. There also seems to be a considerably large gap between the interior door panel and the dashboard (see this photo) that appears to have been tightened up on later cars.

XP4 does differ slightly with at least three upgrades - one the GT-spec interior treatment on the passenger seats, another - a set of HID headlights that a lot of F1s also have now, and finally a TV screen mounted below the dash that is likely used for a navigation system.

>8^)
ER

[cche2052]

Thanks Erik.

How many of you would (if you had the means to) get an F1 with special history... like the XPs instead of a regular production model? I can appreciate the historical significance of these XPs, but I think I'd much rather get the final product over a prototype

[McLaren F1 Guy]

That shot of Enzo - XP4 - Carrera GT is just !!! Absolutely my idea of heaven. Sorry that you couldn't go, Erik