$1.3m McLaren P1 found washed up on toilet seat after Hurricane Ian

Published on Sep 30, 2022 at 11:41 AM (UTC+4)
by Kate Bain

Last updated on Jan 02, 2023 at 11:46 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

The owner of a $1.3 million McLaren P1 which was wrecked in Hurricane Ian has been grieving his loss. 

Known as only Ernie, the poor guy has been posting shot after shot of the supercar which he eventually found on top of a toilet in the middle of the street after it was swept away in the floods. 

Photos of the destroyed supercar are a stark contrast to those he was posting just one week ago when he first bought the car.

McLaren P1 Hurrican IanMcLaren P1 flood water

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Ernie, who goes by the moniker Lambo9286 on Instagram, was so excited about his new purchase that he posted 12 photos of it between the time he bought it and Hurricane Ian hit. 

“Only 300 miles on it, time to add to it!” he said. 

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The enthusiasm continued, with Ernie posting photos of the P1 back in his garage next to a white Rolls-Royce. 

The McLaren then featured in multiple places around town, captioned “dinner night”, “whole foods run” and “a beautiful weekend, definitely love driving it in Race Mode”. 

So, at least he got some use out of it while he could?

McLaren P1 yellowMcLaren P1 supply car

The final happy (and somewhat ironic) post showed the car filled with bags alongside the caption “my hurricane supply car”. 

The very next day Ernie took to Instagram to update everyone with a picture of the P1 sitting in a meter of flood water in the middle of the street. 

“Car went [through] the garage,” he said. 

The current was obviously so powerful it dragged the car out of the garage and out onto the street. 

Ernie didn’t just lose his P1 to the hurricane, his brand new Rolls-Royce also fell victim. 

Ernie posted a picture of the Rolls-Royce sitting in a meter of water in his garage before updating everyone with a picture of it on top of another car and a pile of torn-down branches. 

Ernie’s losses have since gone viral, with hundreds of supercar lovers flocking to his page to pay their condolences. 

While some described the situation as “heartbreaking”, others tried to see some comedy in the darkness.  

“I guess the new ceramic coating really keeps the water off then,” one guy said, while another told him to “put it in rice” like a water-damaged phone. 

Only 375 examples of the P1 were ever made. 

When new, they were priced at $1,350,000 but now sell for as much as $2.9 million. 

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Kate Bain is the Page Editor at supercarblondie.com. She is based in Dubai and coordinates coverage of the latest news across automotive, technology, and lifestyle. Kate has a bachelor's degree in business and post graduate in journalism. She is an experienced editor and journalist who has worked for News Corp, Daily Mail Australia, and Sky News. When she's not at work, you'll find her attached at the hip to her dog, Thor. Kate is currently on maternity leave following the birth of her first child.