Most cars featured on Top Gear don't usually survive the ordeal, but it seems that this McLaren F1 GTR Longtail was just too beautiful to destroy. The rare sports car — reportedly the 10th and last of its kind ever built — was sponsored by the legendary motoring show's magazine back in the '90s, entering the FIA GT Endurance championship in 1997 before changing hands between various private owners. Now, however, it's up for sale once more.

Although the car didn't have a particularly successful racing career (it only scored points twice in 1997, with a pair of sixth-place finishes), it's perhaps one of the few sports cars with legitimate Top Gear branding. And despite its less-than-stellar record on the track, the 6.1-liter, V12 F1 is a certified record-breaker, with its top-speed of 240 mph making it the fastest production car in the world for more than a decade.

The logo of the Top Gear magazine can be seen on the side of the vehicle. (Top Gear)

The car's purple-topped gear lever is certainly eye-catching. (Top Gear)

The F1 reaches top speeds of up to 240mph. (Top Gear)

McLaren told the Top Gear site that it's also possible to convert the Longtail for road use, although looking at the history of roadworthy F1s, this might not really be the best idea. British comedian Rowan Atkinson famously sold his own F1 after a pair of crashes in the UK, which convinced him that "road legal" wasn't quite the same as "road safe."

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