Nick Mason’s McLaren F1 GTR Could Sell for More Than $35 Million
Lucky for you, Nick Mason is interested in more than just music.
A one-of-a-kind 1996 McLaren F1 GTR that has spent nearly three decades in the Pink Floyd drummer’s personal collection will be auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s next month in Monterey. The Le Mans-ready speed machine was converted for road use by McLaren itself and looks set to become the most expensive vehicle in the marque’s history.
The F1 is a supercar that needs no introduction, having created the blueprint for nearly practically every outlandish high-performance vehicle that has followed. Its track-only GTR variant, though, is a little less well known. Following the release of the original F1, motorsports teams pleaded with McLaren to build a racing version that could be entered into international competition. The even more hard-core version of the supercar would make its debut in 1995 and take the overall checkered flag at that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The variant would be in production for three years, during which time just 28 examples were built.
Nick Mason’s 1996 McLaren F1 GTR
Alex Penfold/RM Sotheby’s
Mason’s F1 GTR, chassis no. 10R, is the first of just nine examples built in 1996 and is one of only two examples of the race car, along with the 1995 Le Mans winner, to feature a short-tail body. It’s somehow even more exclusive than that, though. The drummer’s car, which he acquired directly from the automaker in 1999, is the only one to feature a factory livery, in this case an instantly recognizable scarlet and yellow design that the auction house says was inspired by 1990s pop art.
The car, like other F1 GTRs from its year, comes with a BMW-sourced 6.0-liter V-12 that made 591 hp. That’s slightly less than the road-going version, which could make up to 618 hp, because the mill was equipped with air restrictors in order to meet racing regulations. As part of the conversion required to make the car street-legal, the restrictors were removed, the suspension was adjusted to increase ground clearance, and mufflers and passenger seats were installed.
Inside Mason’s F1 GTR
Alex Penfold/RM Sotheby’s
Be prepared to spend big if you want to make the supercar yours, though. RM Sotheby’s estimates that the car will go for “in excess” of $35 million at its annual Monterey sale, which will be held from Thursday, August 12, to Saturday, August 15, at the city’s convention center. The expected gavel price would make the car the most expensive McLaren of all time, displacing a 1994 F1 that sold for $25.3 million late last year.
Click here to see more photos of Nick Mason’s 1996 McLaren F1 GTR.
Alex Penfold/RM Sotheby’s
