The McLaren F1 GT, produced in just three examples globally, was photographed being loaded into a Boeing 787 reportedly bound for London Heathrow.
The McLaren F1 GT belongs to a $5 billion private collection that includes more than 7,000 cars owned by the Sultan of Brunei, a ruler long known for keeping his vehicles under tight secrecy. The car is being transported to McLaren’s headquarters in the UK for a full restoration and maintenance procedure after several years of inactivity. It is the first time the vehicle has been publicly seen in years.
A Track-Bred Legend Hidden From the Public Eye
The McLaren F1 GT was never intended to be a mainstream production car. Built in the late 1990s, it was developed to homologate a racing variant of the F1 Longtail for the track. This version stands out for its extended chassis, redesigned aerodynamics, and aggressive rear wing, elements that give it a silhouette more radical than the already-legendary F1.
Under the carbon-fiber body, the GT retains the naturally aspirated 6.1-liter BMW V12 engine, producing 627 horsepower. Paired with a six-speed manual gearbox and weighing just around 1,120 kg, the car could go from 0 to 100 km/h in just over three seconds. The engineering remains impressive even by today’s standards, but the complexity of the car also means its upkeep is extremely demanding.
The McLaren’s trip to the UK is likely linked to these maintenance needs. After years of storage, key components such as hydraulic systems, engine seals, and the electronic architecture specific to the 1990s would require a full overhaul by McLaren technicians.
A Photo, a Plane, and a Flood of Questions
The resurfacing of the car wasn’t the result of any official announcement. Instead, it was a single photograph, shared by brunei_car_collection on Instagram, that showed the McLaren being loaded into a Boeing 787. The plane is allegedly headed for London’s Heathrow Airport. According to Supercar Blondie, the sighting has raised fresh questions about what else might be hidden within the Sultan’s fleet, which rarely emerges into public view.
This moment was particularly remarkable because the F1 GT has not been seen for several years. It was only by chance that the picture was taken, according to the same source. That rarity is part of what has made the Sultan’s collection so intriguing to car enthusiasts and industry observers. Typically, it’s only when an image is leaked that the outside world gets a glimpse of these vehicles.
While this kind of secrecy is typical for Brunei’s ruler, it contrasts with other royal collectors. Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, for instance, displays his “rainbow” Mercedes-Benz collection in a public museum. The Sultan’s cars, on the other hand, remain locked away and almost never exposed, making the F1 GT sighting all the more significant.
A Vast, Sealed Empire of Machines
Though this single McLaren has captured current attention, it represents only a small part of a massive and almost impenetrable private empire. The Sultan’s car collection includes rare one-off Ferraris, custom-built Bentleys, limited-run Porsches, and multiple McLaren F1s. Just the McLarens alone are believed to be worth around $300 million.
The F1 GT, despite being a race-inspired machine, has likely spent most of its life off the road and inside a climate-controlled storage facility. The Sultan has always cultivated extreme discretion regarding his fleet. Vehicles are rarely started, almost never shown, and only surface when documentation slips through tightly managed channels. Unlike other high-end collectors, the Sultan does not showcase his cars or participate in global automotive events.
The decision to send the F1 GT for restoration could suggest a long-overdue intervention. Years without use can take a toll on any vehicle, especially one as complex and handcrafted as the McLaren F1 GT. While the cost of such a procedure remains undisclosed, for an owner of this magnitude, such figures are unlikely to be of concern.
