Rare $20 Million McLaren F1 GTR Longtail

A very rare 1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail arriving at The California Showcase at IKEA, organized by The Exotics Network (TEN) and Morning Car Club. Built to compete in the FIA GT Championship, the “Longtail” was based on the 1995-1996 F1 GTR and featured revised bodywork for increased downforce. Ten examples were built and are now each valued at around $20 million. This car, chassis no. 23R, was built for BMW Motorsport and Schnitzer Motorsport. Driven by Peter Kox and Roberto Ravaglia, it finished first at Silverstone in the 1997 FIA GT Championship. It has been converted to road use by Lanzante.

Ask car enthusiasts to name the single greatest car of all time, and the McLaren F1 is likely to be the top answer. Its combination of innovation and performance was far ahead of its time, and 30 years later it still holds the record for the world's fastest naturally aspirated production car. Combine that with its exotic design and low production volume, and it's no surprise it's one of the most sought-after cars in existence. Of course, if that's not good enough for you, there's the even more rare GTR racing variant. And of those cars, the most desirable ones are the few that have been professionally converted to be enjoyed on the street. Needless to say, if you want to catch one of these unicorns out in public, you're better off dedicating your life to winning the lottery.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, it's also nearly impossible to enjoy rare supercars in public without attracting obscenely large crowds, most of which consist of kids who ultimately care more about social media content than about the actual cars. It would have been nice if the organizers roped off a larger space around the car so those who braved their way to the front could actually get a better look at it in all its glory. And after how chaotic the scene got (as you can see in the video), I wouldn't be surprised if they're forced to reconsider whether or not to host more public gatherings like this again in the future. But for what it's worth, I'm glad to have been there and to finally check the mighty F1 off my bucket list.

Would you drive your rare McLaren F1 GTR to a crowded public event like this? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!