Flemke - Is this your McLaren?

[-DeaDLocK-]

The car which McLaren had on display at their Park Lane showroom (#065 I believe) was sold under a year ago - that car is still zero-mileage. I do not know the owner, but it is currently being displayed at a showroom in Singapore, so it stands to reason that the owner is Singaporean. The car, in spite of this, is not for sale.

It stands alongside other exotica, including the only RHD CLK-GTR in existence I think.

I have also heard that they have just wheeled a second F1 into the showroom, and this one has the High-Downforce Kit.

What's with all these Asian moguls pinching these awesome cars to be garage queens?

I'm only three to four hour's drive away from Singapore, so I may pop down one weekend and take a look at this collection.

[v15ben]

-DeaDLocK- said:

The car which McLaren had on display at their Park Lane showroom (#065 I believe) was sold under a year ago - that car is still zero-mileage. I do not know the owner, but it is currently being displayed at a showroom in Singapore, so it stands to reason that the owner is Singaporean. The car, in spite of this, is not for sale. It stands alongside other exotica, including the only RHD CLK-GTR in existence I think. I have also heard that they have just wheeled a second F1 into the showroom, and this one has the High-Downforce Kit. What's with all these Asian moguls pinching these awesome cars to be garage queens? I'm only three to four hour's drive away from Singapore, so I may pop down one weekend and take a look at this collection.

Said collection is definitely worth a look. I was lucky enough to go inside and though they are garage queens, they are still outrageously stunning

[mas]

Hello everybody,

I have just signed up on the site, Love all the McLarens!

Can anybody tell me when there will next be a show that a McLaren will attend?
Would really have liked to have seen Nick Masons car (10R) Its one of my favourites!

Are there any garages in the UK that currently have one on display for sale?

Hope this is a place I can be welcomed into!

By the way, Flemke, are these similar to the wheels you will be getting made up once you take off the BBS alloys?

[tcf]

Only Taylor and Crawley have an advertised car for sale at the moment - most cars are sold discretely and without advertising. T&C have a showroom by appointment only, and I'm not sure if the car is actually with them at the moment. They do occassionally turn up at events (e.g. Festival of Speed) which is probably the best way to see one.

William

[Shadowboost]

Hey guys, just to let you know, the wheels are CAST magnesium. There's this nice little article online that you can read about suspension, travel, etc. www.audiosignal.co.uk/McLarenF1.html

[vesuvius996]

mas - there is a longtail racer for sale (not road legal - £750k) in bright orange.

I will dig out the details.




>> Edited by vesuvius996 on Sunday 23 April 19:45

[flemke]

dcw@pr said:

so obviously the car is back from its several years of suspension work, and presumably you have been driving it. what do you think so far?

Substantial improvement, although we're not done yet.
Better turn-in, more stable straight-ahead, less twitchy under heavy braking, less lateral movement at the back, less understeer at the limit.
It does not handle as well as some cars do, but at least now it handles competently and predictably.

[flemke]

Mr_C said:

flemke said: Do you come to the Eifels often? Flemke, are you going to be around the Nurburgring the weekend of the 29th April to the 2nd May? Me and a few mates are off over there, it'd be good to meet some other PHer's while we're there. I still think you should leave those lovely BBS's on the McLaren by the way, as I said earlier in this thread, it's stunning. Paul

Paul,

It's not definite, but I probably shall not be at the 'ring then, as I'll be there often before and after.
Have not settled on a final wheel design, but I'm afraid that it won't be a BBS with an ally rim and gold centre.

[robdickinson]

Mr_C said:

I still think you should leave those lovely BBS's on the McLaren by the way, as I said earlier in this thread, it's stunning. Paul

I think he is, effectivly, the new wheels are exactly the same as the current ones but lighter right?

[vixpy1]

flemke said:

dcw@pr said: so obviously the car is back from its several years of suspension work, and presumably you have been driving it. what do you think so far? Substantial improvement, although we're not done yet. Better turn-in, more stable straight-ahead, less twitchy under heavy braking, less lateral movement at the back, less understeer at the limit. It does not handle as well as some cars do, but at least now it handles competently and predictably.

Flemke, Was it your car i spotted last Thursday? At a certain test track in the South.

Certainly was the right colour.

Sounded

[flemke]

mas said:

By the way, Flemke, are these similar to the wheels you will be getting made up once you take off the BBS alloys?

Those wheels are the so-called "Chronos" design.
That was originally a standard OZ wheel that had been around for a while. It was first used by McLaren on the '95 GTRs.
After the Le Mans victory that year, McLaren had some of the wheels made up for the 6 LMs. They were 18" rather than the 17" on the standard road cars.
Subsequently McLaren offered that wheel for the HDK-modified cars.

The tell me that those are rather heavy wheels. As it happens, I'm now having a bespoke wheel company work out at what weight they could produce a set for me in 19". Depending on external paint colour, and weight, that design may be the ticket.
Unfortunately, the modern, multi-spoke designs that look busy and uninspired are the most efficient in strength-to-weight and in brake cooling. So, does one go for classic looks in keeping with the history of the car, or does one go for efficiency and effectiveness?

[flemke]

vixpy1 said:

Flemke, Was it your car i spotted last Thursday? At a certain test track in the South. Certainly was the right colour. Sounded

That would be the one.

That engine note is pretty nice, isn't it? You should hear it at >200.

>> Edited by flemke on Monday 24th April 00:20

[omitchell]

Flemke,

Have you considered www.dymag.com for a set of wheels as they can produce fully carbon fibre wheels that are fully crash tested, IIRC they are the wheels they're putting on the new koenigsegg

[vixpy1]

flemke said:

vixpy1 said: Flemke, Was it your car i spotted last Thursday? At a certain test track in the South. Certainly was the right colour. Sounded That would be the one. That engine note is pretty nice, isn't it? You should hear it at >200. >> Edited by flemke on Monday 24th April 00:20

yes, it is, shame i only heard it burble past.

[flemke]

robdickinson said:

Mr_C said: I still think you should leave those lovely BBS's on the McLaren by the way, as I said earlier in this thread, it's stunning. Paul I think he is, effectivly, the new wheels are exactly the same as the current ones but lighter right?

They should have been replicas of the original design, but in 19".
The wheelmaker made two changes to the original design. As the ones that he's just made were out of the more normal alloy, there were never going to be the final article. Nevertheless it is frustrating to have had a set made (not without cost, mind you) that are unique without being good.
They're better than the BBS things, but are essentially a bastardised version of the original road car design.

[flemke]

omitchell said:

Flemke, Have you considered www.dymag.com for a set of wheels as they can produce fully carbon fibre wheels that are fully crash tested, IIRC they are the wheels they're putting on the new koenigsegg

I've had a number of conversations with them about mag and/or carbon wheels.
The problem with Dymag's (and anyone's) carbon wheels is that, although they have a higher deformation point than mag or ally, when they do deform, they go straight into bits.
A metal wheel may begin to lose its shape, but it will maintain some of its structural integrity after it has lost shape, so there is a transitional phase when the tyre has something to hand onto. CF is all or nothing.

BTW, unless they've produced a new product in the last six weeks, the Dymag wheels for cars are CF rims bolted to cast mag centres. The bike wheels may be entirely CF, I don't know.

[deevlash]

flemke said:

Unfortunately, the modern, multi-spoke designs that look busy and uninspired are the most efficient in strength-to-weight and in brake cooling. So, does one go for classic looks in keeping with the history of the car, or does one go for efficiency and effectiveness?

If you were to keep within the history of the car then surely you should just leave it standard rather than have your efforts to improve the car compromised by trying to make it look the same? You seem to have a desire to be very thorough with your project, and would you not feel like you were missing something if after all your work the car looked good and reflected its heritage but wasn't quite as good as it possibly could be with modern but "ugly" wheels? I've been fascinated by your responses to this thread and whatever you decide I can only thank you for letting us mere mortals share the details of your project which many of us will never have a chance to replicate

[flemke]

deevlash said:

If you were to keep within the history of the car then surely you should just leave it standard rather than have your efforts to improve the car compromised by trying to make it look the same? You seem to have a desire to be very thorough with your project, and would you not feel like you were missing something if after all your work the car looked good and reflected its heritage but wasn't quite as good as it possibly could be with modern but "ugly" wheels? I've been fascinated by your responses to this thread and whatever you decide I can only thank you for letting us mere mortals share the details of your project which many of us will never have a chance to replicate

Perhaps it should be, "Change nothing at all, or change everything that could be better", but my approach is to try to be true to the original unless something is unacceptable, or would (should?) have been done at the time of production if it had been feasible then.
I need to spend more time reflecting on the wheel thing.

BTW, on this planet we're all mortals!

Cheers.

[mas]

vesuvius996 said:

mas - there is a longtail racer for sale (not road legal - £750k) in bright orange. I will dig out the details.

Thanks! If this is #27R, did this not have a UK plate of CIA 4, belonging to Cars International? I already know about this car!

Just wanted to know how many currently for sale that are possible for viewing?

Thanks for your help.

[mas]

Flemke, Thanks for your answer on the Chronos.

Have you heard of the "Black LM's"? (F1-LM's)
Both belonging to the S.O.B. Painted Black with Graphics?

Not sure if this has been mentioned in the past? but here's a picture I saved from Maurizio Corbis Site. (Ex Pininfarina Designer who did a lot of work for S.O.B.)



and were your original rims re-furbed? or originally painted in Black at one time?

>> Edited by mas on Monday 24th April 04:39