A man from the US state of Minnesota has had to watch his beloved McLaren F1 supercar go up in flames. The 53 year-old man named Irv Kessler was driving along on Airport Boulevard in Santa Rosa, California when someone noticed some smoke coming from the back of the car. They then alerted Kessler. Soon after the engine caught fire. Firefighters worked quickly to kill the flames before they could spread into the cabin.
Kessler was not keen on talking about the incident. Instead the Rincon Valley assistant fire chief John Lantz was quoted as saying that according to the owner, the car hadn't been driven in six months. It had been taken out this past Sunday and Monday when it started showing some kind of problem. Luckily Kessler told the firefighters that while it is worth around US$2 million, it is insured for US$3 million.
McLaren produced only 64 road-going F1s between 1992 and 1998 with this particular unit a 1995 model. The remaining 42 units were made up of prototypes, LM, GT and GTR versions. Power was provided by a BMW V12 petrol with 635hp (467kW) and 651Nm of torque. Besides the scissor doors and engine location, another notable feature is the centrally positioned driver's seat.
Famous owners of McLaren F1s include Wyclef Jean, Jay Leno, Eric Clapton, Rowan "Mr Bean" Atkinson, and Michael Schumacher.
