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McLaren F1 Servicing Just Got Easier For North American Owners

The Senna may be the newest and the most hardcore road-going McLaren there’s ever been, but neither the iconic name or top-tier performance can make it an equal to the F1. The McLaren that put the British automaker on the map happens to be one of the most exquisite automobiles in the world, and to this effect, servicing the F1 is a full-fledged nightmare for many owners.
McLaren U.S. service center for the F1 17 photos
Photo: McLaren
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For starters, McLaren needs a Compaq laptop from the early ‘90s (LTE 5280) with a bespoke Conditional Access card to service the BMW V12-powered blast from the past. Then there’s the fact that major repairs are done exclusively at the company’s stomping ground of Woking, UK. But for approximately 20 owners from the U.S., McLaren decided to make things easier by opening the first U.S. service center dedicated to the F1.

Located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the center is the first of two planned for the United States, with the second coming to the West Coast in 2018. In addition to the F1, the service center will gladly welcome the P1 and any other McLaren from the Ultimate Series, including the Senna.

“The key to servicing and maintaining a McLaren F1 correctly is allowing adequate time for the technician to meticulously check every nut and bolt,” declared Tony Joseph, president of McLaren North America. “For North American owners, when you add up the time the actual service takes, with transport time to and from the UK - it equals a lot of time away from their vehicle. Having a service center in North America will allow us to drastically cut back on transport time and gives us an authorized facility that prioritizes North American F1s and owners."

The center replicates the services of the McLaren Special Operations, with the staff boasting training and education by MSO specialists who know the F1 inside and out. Among the work any F1 owners should do on a yearly basis, a suspension inspection with full vehicle shakedown on a test track is a must. What’s more, McLaren recommends to do a brake service and braking system flush, vehicle alignment, CV joint service, coolant flush, and air-conditioning service every two years, even if the car is sitting in a garage.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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