'Mr. Bean' Makes Million-Dollar Insurance Claim On McLaren F1 Supercar
And you thought your insurance premiums were high? Imagine what Rowan Atkinson will be facing when it comes time to re-up after it was revealed that his insurance provider shelled out an astonishing £910,000 (the equivalent of $1.4 million CAD) to repair his McLaren F1. Atkinson, better known to the world as television and film's 'Mr. Bean,' damaged the F1 supercar in an accident in 2011.
Why did the vehicle cost so much to repair? More to the point, what insurance company would shell out such a huge sum rather than total the automobile in question? The answer to that second question has to do with the rarity of Atkinson's McLaren, which is a GTR model built in 1997 and which has a current market value in the millions of dollars (when they do change hands).
The answer to the first question - why was it such a pricy rebuild - is that the McLaren F1 makes extensive use of exotic materials in its construction, including carbon fibre. Replacing these components significantly jacks up the cost of any repair bill, doubly so when considering the scarcity of spare F1 parts.
Atkinson is a celebrated automotive enthusiast, having owned the McLaren F1 in question since the 90's. The vehicle is regularly exercised at track day events and on the open road, and the actor and comedian has expressed his opinion that despite its extremely high value the sports car should be enjoyed and not put away in a museum.
