Last week, reports out of the United Kingdom suggested that the iconic McLaren F1 road car would essentially be revived before 2020.
Autocar sources said that a limited edition F1 successor would be produced to pay homage to the original road car, adding that the new vehicle would retain a number of the F1’s trademark features, including the three-seat layout, complete with a central driving position.
When journalists asked McLaren boss Mike Flewitt about this report, his initial reaction was: “I’m really not going to comment on that article”.
But when pressed, he added: “We loved the F1, but we’re not going to make another one”.
“You get asked all the time,” Flewitt said, explaining that customers often request a modern version of the F1.
“I regularly get asked for three seats and a V12 and a manual gearbox. I just don’t think there’s a real business case to do one of those,” he said.
“People often hark back to things that they’ve loved, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right thing to do now.”
Still, Autocar did point out in its initial report that the new vehicle would not be a replica of the original F1, but rather “the fastest GT car yet built, as opposed to a super sports car chasing outright performance”.
And the publication says it stands behind its story.
“I’m entirely confident in the story,” Autocar editor Jim Holder told Car and Driver.
“It’s well sourced and verified, and a scout around dealer comments and forums should leave anyone questioning its veracity in no doubt about its truth. There are customers and potential customers out there openly discussing the car as described.”
