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This unique McLaren 12C is valued at nearly $1.6 million

Want a new McLaren? Be prepared to shell out six figures. You can save a bundle if you're willing to go with a second-hand 12C, which you can pick up now for around $200k – about what you'd spend on a new 570S. Yet this particular MP4-12C is estimated to be worth upwards of a million. So what gives? As you may have guessed, this is no ordinary McLaren 12C. It's one of just ten examples of the special edition High Sport introduced back in 2012. McLaren Special Operations equipped the HS with aerodynamic enhancements derived from the GT3 racer, and an engine upgraded by around 80 horsepower to roughly match that of the ultimate 675LT that came much later. This particular example was ordered up by Ron Dennis himself with a special livery that mirrors (quite literally) the Vodafone livery which the F1 team was running at the time, with silver fading to black and neon red accents inside, out, and even on the wheels. Throw in the Stealth package, sport exhaust, carbon-ceramic brakes, and other goodies, and this example stands out from the other 3,500 or so 12Cs McLaren made over three years of production before the 650S replaced it. Outlandish as the livery may seem, this car won top awards at shows across Florida where it's current registered. Now consigned to Mecum Auctions to sell at its upcoming event next month, in Kissimmee, FL, it's expected to sell for between $1.3 and $1.6 million. That's more than you would have had to pay for a P1 if you had gotten your order in on time, but could prove the sounder investment as a collector's item. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2012 McLaren MP4-12C High Sport: Mecum Kissimmee 2016 View 32 Photos News Source: Mecum McLaren Auctions Coupe Supercars mclaren mp4-12c livery mclaren special operations mso mclaren 12c vodafone

F1 should scrap qualifying and drop out of the sky instead

There's always some new controversy hovering over the Formula One paddock like a thick fog. If it's not team orders or industrial espionage it's unsportsmanlike conduct between two rivals or the off-track behavior of some driver or FIA official. This year it's all about qualifying, with the new format introduced for the Australian Grand Prix already jettisoned in time for the next round in Bahrain. But as ridiculous as this video may seem, McLaren may just be onto something. The clip shows Jenson Button strapping himself into the cockpit of the latest McLaren-Honda, just as he would for any race. Only this time he's not starting from the grid or even the pit lane. This time the former world champion straps in for a computer-animated airdrop out the back of an RAF C-130. Okay, so maybe it wouldn't be the safest way to determine the starting order, at least not until those proposed new halos are installed (along with some beefier shocks). But suppose, just for a second, that instead of lining up according to the fastest qualifying times, F1 drivers hit the ground running after being airlifted and parachuted out of a cargo plane? After all, if the Stig could bungee-jump an F1 car, and drag racers can pack parachutes, why not skydive onto the grid with the engine running? It's not like the drivers can't handle the G forces, and it'd sure beat the classic Le Mans start where the drivers run across the track, jump into their cars, and get moving. Okay, fine. We're just kidding. Related Video:

Like-new McLaren F1 for sale with just 2,800 miles

If seeing a McLaren F1 for sale is a rarity, seeing one on sale in "Concours condition" with 2,800 miles on the clock is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime event. But that's what's we have here. This is McLaren F1 number 69 – make your jokes, you children – and if its excellent condition and low miles weren't enough to make you raid your Swiss bank accounts, the fact that McLaren Special Operations' Heritage Division is selling it should. It's also one of the last McLaren F1s ever built, if that wets your whistle. According to the British automaker, chassis 69 was the 60th F1 built in Woking, near the end of the vehicle's production run in 1998. It's a sinister looking car, too. McLaren painted the body Carbon Black with matching 17-inch, magnesium wheels. The cabin doubles down on the devilish looks, with a black-and-red leather driver's seat. We know there's something to be said for McLaren's traditional orange, but we just love the look of this black-on-black beauty. Because these things matter, McLaren is selling this particular F1 with all the goodies the original owner received when they took delivery. That means fitted luggage, a lightweight titanium toolkit and box, all the books and papers (including a "correct numbered LM Edition of the "Driving Ambition" McLaren F1 book"), and of course, the numbered Tag Heuer watch. Essentially, it sounds like whoever purchases this F1 is essentially getting a brand new 18-year-old car. Pricing? Well, the old adage is as true here as it is with any other exotic – if you have to ask, you can't afford it. If, however, you're the lucky sort that has the disposable income to drop seven-figures on this rarity, you can contact McLaren's Special Operations Division for details. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.