Car wrecks are an unfortunately common thing here in the U.S., and we can’t seem to figure out how to stop them. As long as people are safe and the car is insured, life moves on. However, what about the well-heeled among us who total limited supercars that can’t be replaced, and the damages are immense? You may think the answer is to not buy such expensive cars, but what if the opposite were true? What if, like the McLaren F1, all you have to do is spend enough money on your car, and then it’s total-proof. 

The un-total-able car

To be clear, this does not mean that a McLaren F1 cannot be destroyed. I assure you, they can. What I’m saying is that because of the wildly high prices of this mega hypercar, it can’t really be “totaled” by an insurance company. 

So what exactly does a car being “totaled” mean? According to Allstate, “A car is generally considered totaled when the cost to repair the car exceeds the value of the car. Some states have laws that define a totaled vehicle by specific thresholds. … In that case, if a vehicle is worth $5,000 and the repair estimate is $4,000, the vehicle would likely be considered totaled.”

Basically, if the damage exceeds the car’s value, in most cases, that is considered a totaled vehicle, and the insurance company that the vehicle is covered by will then cut a check for the value of the car, assuming the driver had the proper coverage.

What makes the F1 so special? 

According to Hagerty, the F1’s value will make your eyes water. Although the number of cabbages to buy one is silly, the values aren’t completely ridiculous. The McLaren F1 is one of the most important hypercars of all time. The F1 was designed by Gordon Murray, the renowned designer and technical director of the McLaren Formula 1 team. This thing has more in common with those cars than most things on the road. The F1 was in production from 1994 -1998, making it a very limited car. 

Until 2005, the F1 was the fastest production car in history with a top speed of 240 mph. Honestly, yes, that is an important aspect of this car, but the monocoque seating position is really the thing many of us hang onto. It is the hook of the car if you will. Not to mention the butterfly doors and a car that is positively drenched in carbon fiber. 

It is powered by a monstrous 6.1-liter BMW-sourced V12, making 627 hp. With a curb weight of only 2,425 lbs, the power to weight ratio is astounding. All that power went through a good ol’ six-speed manual gearbox, and the wheels kept in line with a limited-slip rear differential. The entire package is a hypercar of which the world had yet to see. It set the standard for all things elite and powerful in the world of sports cars. 

How much is a McLaren F1 worth? 

The reason this land rocket can’t really be totaled is that one in the lowest quality rating on Hagerty (fair) is still worth $18,000,000. If you have a perfect one at the highest level, they are valued at an unreal $27,500,000. There is effectively nothing short of sending one to the crusher that you could do to one of these to do more damage than the value of the car. You might have a hell of a deductible, but it won’t be totaled.