GTR's converted to road-use

[PatrickT82]

wow interesting and would be awesome to spot on the road

[carbuilder2002]

That is going to be some beast.

[arjan916]

A road going P1 converted as a track day toy is called P1 GTR.
Then rumours came up a for a road going P1 GTR, and confirmed recently.
But why making a fast car into an even more brutal machine and then convert it . . . back.
The only answer I think, is some extra cash in short period.

If they did a proper job, convert a P1 for a racing category and go racing with it. And make it a class winning machine, and you create good history.
After, or in the end, conversions for road use can be an option.
This could even make more money, but cost some extra time and effort.
Why? Because a good road going chassis which wins races makes it's value.

But McLaren lost the word COMPETITION from their dictionary, they even didn't even want to face a standard P1 in competition on a TV show . . . very weak.

So, McLaren, if you think you build fast cars, prove it in a battle field, called competition, racing

A bit wishfull thinking, a new championship; LaF XX + 918 XX + P1 GTR in one field to face competition could be a cracking series.

Between, the start in 2011 with a MP-4/12C based GT3 car was superbe.
When the P1 came up, I thought and hoped for another racer too.
And probably this is where I get wrong.
Why? The carbon tub (chassis) base is the same for a P1 as the older MP-4/12C, off course some modification where made, and it's roof / tub connection are massively improved, but the base is the same.
The same is the combustion engine. It's basicly the same. And yes, there are various differences made such as crank shaft, turbo's, ICU's, additional electric motors and so on, but it's start point is still the same.

Correct me if I got wrong, but should the base of the chassis and engine be the limit for a P1 GTR and therefore no racing?

Hopefully, patience could be a thing

[hurstg01]

Does anyone have any timings associated to when the GTR's were converted for road use?

[Peloton25]

I can offer a little help here, I think.

02R done by Lanzante for Jake Ulrich in June 2000.

03R done by Lanzante for Christian Glaesel in February 2013.

05R done by Lanzante for Ray Bellm and partners in April 2012.

06R done by a third party for David Clark prior to June 2005.

07R done by McLaren Customer Care for Larry Kinch in August 2000.

08R done by McLaren Customer Care for Sheikh Abdulla prior to March 2005.

10R done by McLaren Customer Care for Nick Mason in December 1999.

11R done by McLaren Customer Care for Tom Bryant-Meisner in March 2002.

12R not certain who did the conversion, but plated and driven to Le Mans in 1997 by Ray Bellm, so just prior to that.

13R done by McLaren Customer Care for Detlef Hubner in October 2006.

14R done by McLaren Customer Care for John Studholme in April 2001.

15R done by Lanzante for Roald Goethe in October 2013.

16R done by Lanzante (I believe) for Ray Bellm in August 2002.

19R done by Lanzante for Richard Smith in April 2015.

21R wears a plate from the Jersey Islands, but apparently was never actually converted.

27R done by Lanzante for the Leadley family in July 2012.

28R coming soon from Lanzante.

>8^)
ER

[carbuilder2002]

So very few actually still in race trim, not that I am surprised as if I actually got to own one I would want to drive it more often than the odd track day.

[Peloton25]

12 to go still - we can assume that the three that McLaren own and the 3 that BMW own will be immune from the process unless they change hands.

>8^)
ER

[carbuilder2002]

Can't see 01R ever being converted, 04R possibly if it gets sold. I think less chance of long-tails being converted.
Agree BMW have no reason to convert theirs to road-going.

[Sami Aaltonen]

This was very good information! Good to know the years!!!
Thanks Erik!

I would thought that #12R and #16R were those very first ones. But #02R's and #14R's case was surprise.

[Peloton25]

Thanks Sami! As I told Greg, it was a very good question and one that we hadn't thought to compile the data on previously. I was happy to do the research.

Thankfully most are registered in the UK which makes it quite easy to use the registration plate number to look up the date of first registration in the public records. That gives a fairly rough estimation of when the work was done on each car, I'd say, as the final step in the process would be obtaining the MOT certificate.

06R is the exception in that regard, as the plate on it "P440 CPJ" had previously been the plate fitted to F1 road car, chassis 039. I'm therefore not confident of whether the [18 DECEMBER 1996] date that DVLA provides in their results relates to the road car or the GTR's first registration, but a pretty good hunch and a story I once heard leads me to speculate that it could easily be the road car's instead.

Photos I have seen of 06R prior to 2005 don't show that registration plate fitted. My earliest reference of it wearing that plate occurred during the Alfred Dunhill Motorities Tour from London to Paris in June 2005.

>8^)
ER

[carbuilder2002]

I also thought 02R was converted much latter as it was to my knowledge never out on the roads before the return to Gulf livery. Although saying that I had heard quite some time ago that a blue GTR was seen on the roads in the north of England around 2004-2006?

[Peloton25]

I'm fairly sure that date would be accurate, and was already aware it had been an early conversion.

A great number of years ago I exchanged emails with someone who had shared a small photo online of 02R in full blue paint, yellow wheels, and missing the rear wing. He explained that the reason the wing was removed was due to the road conversion process and indicated it was an old photo, but wouldn't share anything more.

>8^)
ER

[carbuilder2002]

That sounds very much the description I was told though there was no comment on the rear wing or lack of at the time probably because the observer was not aware that it should have had one fitted.

[Peloton25]

Just looked it up - our conversation started over 12 years ago and in one of his replies he wrote:

"The photo was taken with no wing after we had converted it to Road legal cats."

Also mentioned it was at the Lanzante workshop in that time period.

>8^)
ER

[Sami Aaltonen]

Very interesting story about this #02R. So it stayed blue-yellow livery quite long then after the active racing years. But without rear wing it must looked quite interesting!
Happy end this one, now it has that Le Mans GULF livery. Fortunately!

And what comes #06R, why it has road cars plates then.... Very interesting. Why #039 left those plates then....? And what plates it has now then?