It’s been over two months since Hurricane Ian hit Florida as a Category 4 storm, causing massive loss of life and extended destruction of property. Now, given that the state is the home of countless exotic vehicles and how the storm turned out to be much worse than expected, there have been quite a few standout vehicles that got flooded by Hurricane Ian. And none of them seems to have gotten as much attention as this McLaren P1, which has recently found a new owner via the Copart auction platform.
We were the first to report the flooded P1 (VIN SBM12ABA6FW000348), along with other standout vehicles that got damaged by the storm, such as this 1970 Plymouth Superbird, whose restoration process has kicked off meanwhile.
Getting back to the 1-of-375 hybrid hypercar, the McLaren landed on the said auction site last month. And, yesterday, December 1st, 2022, the flooded P1 got sold on Copart.
The price of the flooded Mclaren P1 on Copart
The winning bid sat at exactly $400,000, as you can see in the first YouTube short below, which comes from a label called FKd Exotics. For the record, that’s the kind of money that would buy you a brand new Mclaren 720S, which can be considered the Woking automaker’s “standard” supercar.
The deal, which involves an Illinois-based buyer was still pending approval at the time. However, the Copart listing now confirms the “sold” status of the vehicle.
What the certificate of destruction means
It’s worth noting the insurance company that bought the car from an enthusiast named Ernie (aka lambo9286), who had only owned the vehicle for about a week before disaster struck, issued a certificate of destruction for it. This means that, at least if we look past the various gray area tricks, the chances of the hypercar getting back on American asphalt are pretty much nil.
And while the special nature of the machine may naturally determine one to dream of a salvage title, which would allow this thing to be rebuilt and return to American roads, is understandable, so is the path chosen by the insurance company. For the record, when insurance specialists issue a certificate of destruction, they usually aim to limit their liability in the event the vehicle is brought back to the road and gets in an accident at a later date. And, to be fair, the P1 might look more or less fine on the outside, but the car is in some serious trouble.
You see, this hypercar was flooded with salt water, whose highly corrosive effect is a given. However, we’re not just talking body, chassis or interior damage here. Unlike the classic muscle car mentioned above, it packs complex electronics—remember, when this 903 hp hypercar came out back in 2013, it was one of the most advanced production vehicles in the world.
The most likely outcomes for the flooded P1
Now, with YouTubers Ed Bolian of VinWiki and Tyler Hoover of Hoovie’s Garage having kept the car on their radar, perhaps they’ll find a way to revive the thing.
For one, Bollian has stated that ditching the hybrid powertrain altogether and swapping a non-hybrid setup for another McLaren sounds like the most reasonable approach.
He also estimated that bringing the flooded P1 back to life would cost anywhere between $700,000 and $1M. And while we’re doing the math, we should remind you that the average value for which P1s traded hands over the past 12 months or so sits at $1.7 million.
Of course, vloggers can always integrate the rebuild into their business process. That’s what Houston Crosta, who has also kept an eye on the P1, did with the salt water-flooded 2006 Bugatti Veyron he revived for a whopping amount of money.
Another possibility for the car to remain in the U.S. would involve somebody turning it into a track vehicle or wall/yard art. In fact, back in late October, car broker Tk’s Garage uploaded a video saying that Kanye West was looking to buy the P1 and turn it into art. For the record, the car broker states he has a “brand agreement” with Copart, while also mentioning his “personal relationships” with people working for both the specialist and the insurance company that handled the vehicle.
One less McLaren P1 on the road sounds like a bummer to us enthusiasts. Well, the hybrid hypercar could always end up getting exported to a part of the world where somebody may once again be able to give it a number plate.
After all, we have given you some crazy P1 rebuild stories, such as the one where McLaren and its long-time partner Lanzante Motorsport converted P1 prototypes to street use by installing all-new powertrains and many other components.
Update: YouTuber Tavarish bought the flooded McLaren P1 and this is what he’s doing to fix the now-famous example of the British hypercar, all on an astounding budget.
