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Having invested heavily in mobile duck islands and swine-flu preventing face masks, Top Gear's coffers are fit to burst.
So we're going to blow it all on this, a 1997 McLaren F1 GTR racer up for sale in Japan.
The F1 GTR is the racing version of the legendary McLaren supercar - the one that gave the Bugatti Veyron a serious run for its money in Abu Dhabi on the telly show last Sunday.
One of only 10 long-tail F1s built for the 1997 FIA GT season, the F1 features BMW's 6.0-litre V12 putting out 600bhp through a sequential gearbox.
The stretched bodywork - a longer nose and tail, as well as a bigger rear wing - was developed to aid downforce, which made the 1997 F1 GTR a fraction slower than the previous year's F1. It still managed to hit 197mph on the Mulsanne Straight, though.
OK, so by 1997 the F1 GTR couldn't quite keep up with the pace of the Mercedes CLK and Porsche 911 racers, but since when did either of those look half so cool in Gulf livery?
If you're thinking of bidding against Top Gear for the F1 GTR, it's being offered for sale in Japan by Wintel.
Now all we need is a racing Veyron to settle the contest for good...
Open Car Bar
What do you think?
Want to comment on this?
Wyvern commented on this article
at 11:59 am on 30 June 2009
Dear god, that thing is unbelievably beautiful. What is it about Gulf colours that instantly elevates even an already beautiful car to drop-dead gorgeous? They even make old Reliants look... well, considerably cooler than they do otherwise, anyway (Google 'Swindon Resin Racers' if you don't believe me), but on a car like that it's another league. It's not going to go very fast on those castors though.
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Wotski commented on this article
at 01:28 pm on 30 June 2009
Gulf Livery British Manufacturer = Awesome
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Stang428 commented on this article
at 03:32 pm on 30 June 2009
If I am not so mistaken, the guy who won the 97 LM in an F1 is now a test driver and representative for Bugatti
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TheArabian_Stig commented on this article
at 04:40 pm on 30 June 2009
OHHHHHHH MY GODDDD I want it soooooooooooooooooooooo bad ,,, It is very very very painful to look at it and not have it ,,, like being hungry for 3 days then ordering a big size pizza then sit there and watch it !!!!
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Abarth52 commented on this article
at 04:42 pm on 30 June 2009
This is awesome, by far one of the best GT racers ever made.
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