This McLaren F1 heading to auction is a true 1-of-1

The McLaren F1 supercar is as rare as they come, with just 64 units of its original 106-unit production run being road-legal versions. Featured here is one of which, chassis number 059, delivered in 1998. It heads to auction later this month with RM Sotheby’s where it’s expected fetch as high as US$20 million (approx. RM89.12 million).

However, chassis 059 stands a little more special than the rest of the 63 road-legal cars McLaren initially delivered. That is because it sports a rather unique modification done by the factory that’s not present in any other road-legal F1s, thus making it a true 1-of-1.

So what’s special about this F1? Well, its headlights. No, we’re not kidding, the headlights in chassis 059 makes it a true ‘unicorn’ in every sense. According to details released by RM Sotheby’s, chassis 059 was the only one that left the factory with this ‘fixed’ headlight unit.

The back-story behind the headlights came as McLaren and the F1’s lead designer Gordon Murray set about to fix the renowned supercar’s one and only flaw. In fact, Murray had infamously described them as “glow worms in a jar.” In other words, the McLaren F1 wasn’t ideal for driving at night, or even during low-visibility conditions.

In chassis 059’s case, the fix saw McLaren and Murray swap out the standard car’s twin bulbs and inner housing for those lifted off another arguably rare car – the BMW Z1. Said BMW’s headlights also used a twin-bulb setup, one rectangular and the other round, which were encased in a slimmer housing. How these non-standard lights perform is unclear, but what is clear though is how much neater it made the F1 look.

Apart from the BMW Z1-sourced custom headlight, chassis 059 also sports several other unique features equipped by McLaren Special Operations at the request of its first owner, those being the high-downforce aerokit complete with the prominent rear wing pictured, as well the 18-inch OZ Racing Magnesio wheels it rolls on.

Surely, these ought to bode well with the 6.1-litre BMW S70/2 V12 heart this F1 packs behind its cabin, which outputs 618 hp and 650 Nm to propel the F1 to record-setting speeds of up to 370 kmh.

By the way, chassis 059 has only had two owners since new, clocking just 16,400 miles (26,393 km) to date. Considering its low mileage, factory-fitted performance options, provenance as one of the greatest supercars ever made, as well as the unique custom headlights, how much do you reckon this F1 will fetch when it goes under the hammer in a few weeks time?

Images: RM Sotheby's