Lewis Hamilton has been promised the car he used to dream about when he was still a young teenager, but there is just one catch – first he must win the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship.
According to British newspaper The Sun, McLaren-Mercedes team principal Ron Dennis has promised to award the Stevenage-born ace with one of McLaren Automotive's most prized possessions – one of only five McLaren F1 LM editions, the world's rarest supercar and each valued at over $2 million. All he has to do now is lead the Woking-based outfit to both the drivers; and constructors' laurels this year.
“If Lewis can win the two titles, the car is his,” Dennis joked. “Fortunately, our deal gives me a bit of time to save up!”
The LM was constructed by McLaren Automotive in homage to the five production-built McLaren F1 GTRs that finished the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours endurance classic in 1995, with the #59 Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing entry of JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya triumphing outright – an entirely unexpected success on the car's La Sarthe debut.
All five commemorative road-going editions were painted in Bruce McLaren's trademark papaya orange racing colour, and feature a stripped-out interior, shorter gearing and enhanced aerodynamic and handling set-ups.
What's more, the car boasts a staggering 680bhp from its BMW-derived V12 powerplant, enabling it to hit 60mph in a shade under three seconds and go on to a top speed of 225mph.
“The LM has always been my ultimate dream car since I first saw it when I was 13,” Hamilton enthused. “When I first went to McLaren it was there and I fell in love with it.”
crash.net
According to British newspaper The Sun, McLaren-Mercedes team principal Ron Dennis has promised to award the Stevenage-born ace with one of McLaren Automotive's most prized possessions – one of only five McLaren F1 LM editions, the world's rarest supercar and each valued at over $2 million. All he has to do now is lead the Woking-based outfit to both the drivers; and constructors' laurels this year.
“If Lewis can win the two titles, the car is his,” Dennis joked. “Fortunately, our deal gives me a bit of time to save up!”
The LM was constructed by McLaren Automotive in homage to the five production-built McLaren F1 GTRs that finished the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours endurance classic in 1995, with the #59 Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing entry of JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya triumphing outright – an entirely unexpected success on the car's La Sarthe debut.
All five commemorative road-going editions were painted in Bruce McLaren's trademark papaya orange racing colour, and feature a stripped-out interior, shorter gearing and enhanced aerodynamic and handling set-ups.
What's more, the car boasts a staggering 680bhp from its BMW-derived V12 powerplant, enabling it to hit 60mph in a shade under three seconds and go on to a top speed of 225mph.
“The LM has always been my ultimate dream car since I first saw it when I was 13,” Hamilton enthused. “When I first went to McLaren it was there and I fell in love with it.”
crash.net