There was a time when Elon Musk liked cars with a combustion engine – so much so that he bought one of the best ever made: the McLaren F1. Ironically, this 1999 video gives us something that Justine Wilson said she feared that Musk might lose: “a sense of appreciation and perspective”.
We can’t talk about appreciation because it depends on the viewer’s background and expectations, but we can say that we appreciate what F1 has probably done for EV history. The perspective, on the other hand, is what the video above offers. Among other things, it helps us understand why Tesla chose the right way to become a popular brand.
Although some people loathe combustion engine cars, the McLaren F1 must have taught Musk what a car should be. In the brief period in which he drove it, F1 probably surprised Musk several times to the point that he knew that the Model S would not be good enough if he did not do the same. For the record, Tesla’s CEO destroyed the car trying to surprise Peter Thie just a few months later, in 2000.
If Tesla and Musk followed a path of rationality, energy efficiency and environmental concern, the Roadster would probably have been a failure, as well as the Model S. It was necessary to convince people that these things could be a differentiator for something they already wanted: Speed . The electric sedan went beyond the sporty one by combining incredible performance with the versatility of transporting up to seven people and frunk.
In that sense, the McLaren F1 was also extraordinary. It didn’t accommodate two people, but three. It also had a central steering position and could carry a reasonable amount of luggage, making it one of the most capable hypercars in history.
It was this astonishment that made people yearn for a Model S and an F1. By selling it in minimal quantities, Mclaren has made F1 one of the most valuable classic cars of our times. Musk followed a different path and took advantage of the desire of the Model S to achieve high production numbers, which the Model 3 and Model Y intend to take to a new level today.
Musk feared being seen as an imperialist brat for buying F1. Justine Wilson was also concerned that they would become “spoiled brats”. On the other hand, the prospect shows that the most valuable automotive company in the world may have a lot to owe to a $ 1 million combustion engine car from 1999.
Sources: CNN via Carscoops and PandoDaily