Still more replies to McLaren F1 questions and com
Discussion
flemke said:
The car is on the Continent. If you want more detail, consider in what European country other than Britain they know how to build cars.
I worked in the stock market.
For insurance, as you will know there are many elements that influence a particular rate. Twelve thou sterling is in the ballpark.
Wow, thank you very much. It really is refreshing to find someone who is as honest as you about their car being in France
and where they worked and what they payed. Now if you ever need someone to lick it clean you'll be sure to call me won't you ? flemke said:
...I much prefer to have ridden with someone when he's driving his own car before making a judgment about whether I should let him drive the F1...
Interesting as I do the same. I have a different take on the worry of it though:-
Some time ago I had a perfect (i.e. better than the factory ever made) Austin Heally. I let a friend drive it as she was interested in getting a classic car. I was trying to put her off it, but that's a totally different discussion.
Anyway, for some reason that I never found out, a front wheel hub just fell to bits at we were going about 50. She did her best to stop it running into the barriers but I doubt even my strength at the time could have stopped it. The damage was...well I don't like to think about it and it was nearly 15 years ago.
She was mortified. As much as I told her it wasn't her fault I could she that she thought it was. Every time someone drives a car of mine, that's what I think of.
Regards
Phil
Oh yes, France has all sorts of wonderful things to offer, such as, such as, such as...a lot of open space that is devoid of Frenchmen.
Actually the car has always gotten a friendly reception in France. It seems that although the French don't manufacture or drive decent cars, they do appreciate them.
flemke said:
Oh yes, France has all sorts of wonderful things to offer, such as, such as, such as...a lot of open space that is devoid of Frenchmen.
Actually the car has always gotten a friendly reception in France. It seems that although the French don't manufacture or drive decent cars, they do appreciate them.
That's probably why the rich ones drive German and Italian cars. flemke said:
The car is on the Continent. If you want more detail, consider in what European country other than Britain they know how to build cars.
Can only surmise Germany or Italy - I hope the latter for your sake! You do seem a bit francophobe Flemke - I live in France so sympathise in many ways, particularly when we play them at rugby, but don't seem to have got it as bad as you.
Have fun matey.
Cheers again for the responses. No offense taken whatsoever regarding the 360. I do like the car, don't get me wrong. There was never a "passion" for it though. All the cars I really have a passion for that are within my price range now I am slightly scared to investigate. Don't want to shatter those perfect dreams we all have of certain cars. This is why I asked the "do you remain excited about the car even after purchase" question. Wouldn't want to charge 600k to the old card and be let down now
With a little more hard work I hope to be joining the big boy league soon. With every post you are making it sound like one hell of a reward. Not sure how everyone else views the "F1 membership fee" but it sounds entirely worth it if driving something this pure floats your boat. If you want it badly enough there's always a way. Looking at something and standing in awe will only delay your progress.
*250GTO auction: I know the gentleman who put his 250gto up for sale. He had very little intention of selling it. It was just a way of seeing how much the car could go for. A bit cruel if you were bidding though.
All the best and I am so glad the engine and induction noise render CD worthless
For some reason I imagined you going through the gears and tarmac listening to "Champagne Aria" underscored by the mighty Bavarian power plant.
If you've seen Silence of the Lambs - the shot, just after Hannibal batters the prison guards in his cage, where he is standing, eyes closed and conducting classical music springs to mind. Absolute calm during the madness.
Look after yourself.
MARA
>> Edited by maranellouk on Wednesday 11th August 00:16
With a little more hard work I hope to be joining the big boy league soon. With every post you are making it sound like one hell of a reward. Not sure how everyone else views the "F1 membership fee" but it sounds entirely worth it if driving something this pure floats your boat. If you want it badly enough there's always a way. Looking at something and standing in awe will only delay your progress.
*250GTO auction: I know the gentleman who put his 250gto up for sale. He had very little intention of selling it. It was just a way of seeing how much the car could go for. A bit cruel if you were bidding though.
All the best and I am so glad the engine and induction noise render CD worthless
For some reason I imagined you going through the gears and tarmac listening to "Champagne Aria" underscored by the mighty Bavarian power plant. If you've seen Silence of the Lambs - the shot, just after Hannibal batters the prison guards in his cage, where he is standing, eyes closed and conducting classical music springs to mind. Absolute calm during the madness.
Look after yourself.
MARA
>> Edited by maranellouk on Wednesday 11th August 00:16
As long as someone has got third-party already, if I've made the decision to let him (no women yet) drive it,
I am a girlie I drive a 5 litre Chim
I rest my case....
come BTaP.
Jessie needs to sit in your car...............
Just sit thats all.
in awe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And then some................
I am a girlie I drive a 5 litre Chim
I rest my case....
come BTaP.
Jessie needs to sit in your car...............
Just sit thats all.
in awe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And then some................
How about this:
over the weekend I'll be with several (quite skilled) driving-mad friends who have all spent time behind the wheel of the F1 (while it's in motion, that is). Would anyone be interested in hearing their thoughts about driving the car? Their opinions would be much more impartial than mine. If you like, I'll ask them for their views and then report back.
Flemke, that would make great reading..
Almost an outsiders view of the inside, if you know what I mean...
Already loved reading the posts so far, pulled driving ambition off the shelf and surfed the web like crazy, keep feeding my obsession, you never know, one day...
one day
one day
repeat ad-infinitum!
Once again Gary you have outdone yourself.
I think a series of posts as comprehensive as yours would invite a high degree of enthusiasm regardless of what breed of exotica the car in question may be, but the fact that you're talking about the F1 makes it all the more special and riveting.
You've really shed some light into the ownership of the car.
In an earlier thread you asked whether we regarded the car as more or less desirable after reading your accounts - in my case I have to say that though the F1 is to all intents and purposes still my dream car, your posts have brought the car down a bit to reality for me. I still lust after it and all it represents in terms of concept and engineering purity, but I no longer regard it as perfect (was a bit naïve to do so in the first place).
If I ever see a bloke in a blue F1 with high mirrors while on the continent, I will certainly come over and knock on your window.
And also, I utterly appreciate the fact that you share the experience with others. If only all owners of serious exotica out of the reach of most of us wannabes were as passionate and down-to-earth about petrol as you are. The sad accounts of vehicles stored in warehouses by cynical speculators really irk me.
Never sell the car - it deserves you as much as you deserve it.
Once again, thank you.
D
I think a series of posts as comprehensive as yours would invite a high degree of enthusiasm regardless of what breed of exotica the car in question may be, but the fact that you're talking about the F1 makes it all the more special and riveting.
You've really shed some light into the ownership of the car.
In an earlier thread you asked whether we regarded the car as more or less desirable after reading your accounts - in my case I have to say that though the F1 is to all intents and purposes still my dream car, your posts have brought the car down a bit to reality for me. I still lust after it and all it represents in terms of concept and engineering purity, but I no longer regard it as perfect (was a bit naïve to do so in the first place).
If I ever see a bloke in a blue F1 with high mirrors while on the continent, I will certainly come over and knock on your window.
And also, I utterly appreciate the fact that you share the experience with others. If only all owners of serious exotica out of the reach of most of us wannabes were as passionate and down-to-earth about petrol as you are. The sad accounts of vehicles stored in warehouses by cynical speculators really irk me.
Never sell the car - it deserves you as much as you deserve it.
Once again, thank you.
D
flemke said:
How about this:
over the weekend I'll be with several (quite skilled) driving-mad friends who have all spent time behind the wheel of the F1 (while it's in motion, that is). Would anyone be interested in hearing their thoughts about driving the car? Their opinions would be much more impartial than mine. If you like, I'll ask them for their views and then report back.
Now, Flemke, me old mate...................this is PH. Do you really need an answer to your question?
Any and all shared experiences in such machinery really do start/finish the day so very well. I for one would love more opinions on the car. Not sure I trust yours as I am still not sure if you like the car
The loyal PHers will be refreshing the page until the write up is posted - ok, maybe just me then
:MARA
Ooh, while you're online Flemke,
What would an ideal day out for you and the F1 be? This can include tracks, roads and stopping for breakfast/lunch/dinner etc.
Also, how long have you spent in the car at any one time? I am wondering what the comfort level is like in there for long distance.
I love driving alone but I really love sharing the experience with someone else. That look you give each other after a rather sweet run is priceless.
MARA
What would an ideal day out for you and the F1 be? This can include tracks, roads and stopping for breakfast/lunch/dinner etc.
Also, how long have you spent in the car at any one time? I am wondering what the comfort level is like in there for long distance.
I love driving alone but I really love sharing the experience with someone else. That look you give each other after a rather sweet run is priceless.
MARA
Ideal day out is six hours driving on Continental roads by myself (not that I mind my friends' company, but there is a noticeable change in the car's performance - handling especially - when you're two or three up), with one stop for fuel/food.
I have done several lengthy drives time-wise. The best was on a Sunday when a friend and I were going from the Nurburgring to Britain, and we decided to take a detour via Dijon (as you would).
We left before dawn. There's some great curvy Autobahn going southwest towards Metz. Next we were onto the Autoroute early enough in the morning that we could ignore the speed limit there as well. You know how great some of the French roads can be.
We got off the Autoroute near Troyes and took the D-roads from there south to Dijon, which I suppose is about a hundred miles of some of the best driving on Earth. Also, it was in the autumn, so the colours were at their most brilliant.
When we got to Dijon we turned back, as we did need to make it back to Britain that night. After we had essentially retraced our steps back as far, roughly, as Troyes, however, we decided that we needed to do the best bit over again, so we drove back to Dijon. Then we reluctantly turned back for real, took D-roads going north for as far as we could do, and eventually got back to the roads of Britain, which as usual induced clinical depression.
flemke said:
Ideal day out is six hours driving on Continental roads by myself (not that I mind my friends' company, but there is a noticeable change in the car's performance - handling especially - when you're two or three up
I can see it now "no, sorry mate, you are going to bugger up the handling, catch the plane".maranellouk said:
If you've seen Silence of the Lambs - the shot, just after Hannibal batters the prison guards in his cage, where he is standing, eyes closed and conducting classical music springs to mind. Absolute calm during the madness.
I have to say that is probably the best description of how i would imagine an F1 to feel
Thanks for the great mental image it gives me
Excellent post as per usual.
250 GTO - My (admittedly fairly ignorant) feeling is the £3M is too low. As you say the bidding for the one up at auction stopped at $8-9 M, so that's already over 3M. and as reported by Mara (our resident tifosi) the guy was kinda testing the water. I accept that if you had a GTO and needed to sell it in a hurry someone may end up getting a bargain, but I reckon that every GTO is owned by someone that doesn't have an immediate need for £3M, so in order to part with it, regardless of theoretical values, I suspect it would take a significantly larger sum.
However, I hope you're right as maybe that means that it is one day within my reach ..... though to be honest there are regularly other cars up at much more reasonable amounts that I would enjoy owning almost as much (there's a fab 500TR up with Christies right now).
In the meantime, I'll go back to work, you never know if I work hard enough maybe I too can experience some of Europes finer roads in an F1 !
250 GTO - My (admittedly fairly ignorant) feeling is the £3M is too low. As you say the bidding for the one up at auction stopped at $8-9 M, so that's already over 3M. and as reported by Mara (our resident tifosi) the guy was kinda testing the water. I accept that if you had a GTO and needed to sell it in a hurry someone may end up getting a bargain, but I reckon that every GTO is owned by someone that doesn't have an immediate need for £3M, so in order to part with it, regardless of theoretical values, I suspect it would take a significantly larger sum.
However, I hope you're right as maybe that means that it is one day within my reach ..... though to be honest there are regularly other cars up at much more reasonable amounts that I would enjoy owning almost as much (there's a fab 500TR up with Christies right now).
In the meantime, I'll go back to work, you never know if I work hard enough maybe I too can experience some of Europes finer roads in an F1 !
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