This Extremely Rare 1994 McLaren F1 Is Expected Fetch up to $23 Million

This F1 is one of only two upgraded to "LM-Specification" after the automaker ceased production of the car in 1998.

RM Sotheby’s saved their best for last. The classic car auction house just announced its headline sale for Monterey Car Week—one of only two 1994 McLaren F1s to have received “LM-Specification.”

Tasked with building the “perfect production sports car, without limitations,” revered car designer Gordon Murray’s answer was the F1, a record-setting vehicle that more than lived up to the hype. Limited to just 106 examples, only 64 of which were road-legal, the “most celebrated modern supercar” is one of the rarest McLaren’s ever made. But according to RM Sotheby’s, this specific F1, serial no. 018, is even rarer, as it’s one of just two upgraded to “LM-Specification,” making it the most highly developed and desirable iteration of the car.

“The McLaren F1 is the ultimate supercar and has long been regarded as the benchmark by which all others are compared,” RM Sotheby’s Car Specialist Alexander Weaver said. “This particular example has always been my favorite and one that is widely regarded as the most desirable of all specifications. No other car stirs more emotions and evokes more excitement.”

Originally developed as a road car, speed aficionados pushed the British automaker to turn the F1 into a proper race car, which it finally did, going on to win Le Mans outright in 1995. In 1998, as production of the car came to an end, the company decided to upgrade two standard road versions to “LM-Specification,” outfitting them with an unrestricted 680-horsepower GTR racing engine and a High-Downforce Kit, which saw the nose of the car revised and the addition of front-fender vents and an enormous rear wing.


This specific model, which was delivered new to Japan in 1994 before being upgraded in two phases in 2000 and 2001, is finished in platinum silver and features a cream leather interior. With just 13,352 miles on the odometer, the car benefits from regular service and attention, according to the auction house. Acquired by its current owner in 2007, it includes a full written history and underwent a multi-point evaluation by McLaren Special Operations.

The platinum silver 1994 McLaren F1 “LM-Specification” will headline RM Sotheby’s Friday night sale during Monterey Car Week. It’s expected to sell for between $21 million and $23 million. Below, check out more pictures of the F1—which, along with a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolet and James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, is one of a few cars to look out for at the annual event: