Yesterday the automotive world stopped for a second to listen to Gordon Murray. We’ve known for a while that the legend behind the McLaren F1 was working on a new car, one that would best his original creation and thus write its name in the automotive Hall of Fame. The so-called GMA T.50 supercar arrived with all bells a whistles yesterday and we are in awe. It’s exactly what we pictured, featuring a mad 12,000 RPM V12 engine, a manual gearbox and a lightweight construction.
Only 100 units of it will be made though and if they aren’t all sold out, I’m guessing they will be by very soon. Unfortunately, that will happen for the wrong reasons though. Even though Murray said he created this car to be thoroughly enjoyed and properly driven, most of them will never see the light of day. The reason is very simple and can be noticed with a simple glance at the original McLaren F1.
The GMA T.50 has such an impressive spec sheet that it will attract a lot of attention and true collectors will probably have seen its potential even before it was unveiled. That didn’t happen with the F1. Back in 1992, the F1 was also something unique, that the world had never seen before.
It was a car made without compromise and that’s why it became the legend it is today. The goal set by Murray in 1988 when he started working on it was to create the finest road car yet and he succeeded.
With a manual gearbox, unassisted steering and brakes, and a naturally aspirated engine it offered the most pure, undiluted driving experience. On-board diagnostics transferred data to the factory so every single one of the 64 road cars made could be monitored for performance. Money was no object when the car was developed and, despite the F1 costing £540,000 new, McLaren didn’t profit from the road car program. But owners certainly did.
That’s because the value of the car went up incredibly fast. According to Hagerty, the prices for a McLaren F1 were around the same as when it was launched up until 2006. After just two years though, its value more than tripled. Then, six years later, prices soared to an average of £5 million. In 2015, Rowan Atkinson sold his F1 for £8 million, showing how much prices hiked, especially since his car was crashed. Twice.
Nowadays, McLaren F1 cars are being sold for over twice that, on the regular. Back in 2017, one of them raked in $15.6 million at Bonham’s Quail Lodge Auction. Today, these cars are valued at $21 million and usually get that kind of money, either at auctions or in private sales. That’s a hefty return on your investment, over 20 years or so and chances are, most of the T.50 cars will follow the same path.
Most likely, the majority of the cars will be bought instantly by collectors, looking to cash in on their investment in some 20 years. Sure, the asking price for one is a lot higher than it was for the McLaren F1 in 1992 but even so, the potential is there. Only time will tell how high the prices for this supercar can go.
