British comedian Rowan Atkinson is said to be lucky to be alive after wrecking his McLaren F1 supercar.
Atkinson was driving his $1 million maroon F1 in Cambridshire, England when he spun off a wet road and hit a tree and a street light. According to his agents, Atkinson suffered no serious injury and no one else was involved in the crash.
Atkinson purchased the car in 1997, as a present to himself for the success of the first Mr Bean feature film. It is capable of reaching 230mph and does 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds. He recently defended the F1’s qualities on the BBC Top Gear show after presenter Jeremy Clarkson criticized it.
“You’ve got to live with it. I have lived with it for 14 years, I’ve done a lot of miles in it, I’ve done 37,000 miles – which for a McLaren is a lot,” said Atkinson, after also notching up the fastest guest star lap on the show.
Atkinson’s fastest lap on Top Gear was no accident. He is a car enthusiast and has collected a number of cars over the years including a 1964 Ford Falcon, an Audi A8 and even an environmentally friendly Honda Civic Hyrbid. He also races cars in his spare time.
As for the wrecked McLaren F1, it is expected to be heading back to the McLaren factory in Woking, England where it will have its repairs carried out.
References
1.’Rowan Atkinson leaves…’ view
