A lot has been written about the two cars referred to as “LM-specification” and much of it is confusing and wrong.

To be very clear, the factory have never converted any F1 road car into an F1 LM and they did not supply this “LM-spec” designation on the two cars in question either. While the conversion of both took place about the same time in 2001, the term “LM Specification” wasn’t used publicly until 2015 by RM when they sold chassis 073 in their Pinnacle Portfolio sale. This was done at the behest of the consignor who wanted an obvious distinction made between his car and other McLaren F1s.

While it is true that chassis 018 and 073 both have the higher output V12 engine similar to the F1 LM, when you actually study the visual and technical details of these two modified F1s the similarities with an F1 LM largely stop there. These cars retain full interiors trimmed in a specification similar to that of the F1 GT longtail road cars. They also retain both luggage compartments and lack the LM’s remote oil cooler and large duct that dominate the right side of the car. They retain the road car’s standard synchromesh gearbox instead of the straight-cut gearbox the LMs feature that was found in the GTRs as well.

Visually you will find no duct in the bonnet panel, no side skirts, the wrong vents over the front wheel arches, the lack of a NACA duct at the base of the upper engine cover. They lack the GTR wreath logos on the coil pack covers in the engine bay and it’s also missing from their wing endplates - a feature unique to the 6 actual F1 LMs.

Most importantly— you will find ZERO F1 LM badges anywhere on F1s 018 or 073. They are so far removed from an actual F1 LM when you really compare details that it’s sad how many have become confused by that marketing effort. If McLaren wanted these two cars to be recognized as LMs they certainly could have given them a badge somewhere and believe it’s extremely telling that they did not.

The story of the “LM Specification” designation was also further reinforced in the public domain when RM marketed F1 073 again in 2018 through their Private Sales division, and also when they sold chassis 018 via their Monterey auction in 2019 - again applying that same marketing term. In spite of these efforts and the current owner of 073’s brazen attempt at upbadging his car with an “F1 LM” placard where the license plate belongs, they are not F1 LMs and those who continue to refer to them that way are still wrong.

I’d also like to point out for anyone who is still reading here this video which McLaren Automotive produced with the owner of 018 prior to that sale by RM in 2019. In it you will find no mention of it being an “F1 LM” - the term is only used to describe its race engine in the caption which is the appropriate way to do so, yet can still confuse those with only a general knowledge of these great cars.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8l-p5QYGEUI