A used McLaren Elva could be yours for £1.5m

Promising true Hollywood levels of drama is the star car: an Elva. Miss out on one of the 149 McLaren Elvas built? The 45^th example of Woking’s most uncompromising road car yet is in the sale, the first Elva in a public auction. Bonhams estimates you’ll need around £1.5m to capture it. And, no, you don’t get a windscreen with it.

The famously pared-back speedster-style Ultimate Series model, McLaren’s highest performing road car yet, would make for a traffic-stopping celebratory drive down the Strip once you’ve handed over the dosh. Alas for now at least that will have to be a virtual affair – the auction, on Saturday 10^th April, happens online only, with the sale broadcast live from Bonhams’ gallery on Sunset Boulevard.

McLaren’s first open-cockpit roadster is carbon-fibre everywhere, weighs not much over a tonne (it’s the lightest road car McLaren has ever made) and has 815PS (599kW) to call on from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. It will sprint from 0-62mph in under 3.0 seconds and offers a wind-in-your-hair top speed of 200mph. Actually maybe not so much wind because to make up for the lack of a windscreen clever clogs at McLaren came up with an active air management system to keep the cabin calm.

Originally 399 Elvas were due to be made but it’s thought 149 made it out of Woking’s doors. This one – a left-hooker in Nerello Red with dramatic white and black interior and other bespoke options – is the 45^th example and was delivered new to the US in 2020. When new the UK price started around £1,245,000; Bonhams has put an auction presale estimate of $1.7-2.1m on it, or approximately .

British supercars on Sunset don’t stop there with more magnificent Maccas lining up in LA. Without the Elva there, the star would be the Senna and two are up for grabs: a 2019 track-only Senna GTR, one of 75 produced, with an Elva-matching estimate of $1.7-2.1m, and a 2019 Senna road car, the 197^th of 500 made and with just 441 miles under its wheels. Its estimate is around a million dollars.

A brace of Longtail 600LTs comprise Woking’s other stateside stars. The Sports Series models are a Curacao Blue 2020 Spider ($275,000-315,000) and a Vega Blue 2019 coupe, at $250,000-280,000. 

And if you want a supercar but support the home side there’s also a real rarity in this sale in the form of one of just three Saleen S7-LMs ever made. The 1000PS (735kW) Californian-made monster has done just 300 miles and has an estimate of $1-1.3m. Something more mainstream? What about a pair of Ferrari 458 Speciales or 911s of the GT2 and GT3 RS variety?

It’s the McLarens that do it for us though in this Hollywood blockbuster of a sale. You can watch it live at Bonhams.com and if you are in town you can arrange a viewing of the cars beforehand at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Wilshire Boulevard.

Images courtesy of Bonhams.