Autoblog

Not just anyone can get behind the wheel of a modern F1 car and drive it, you know (Witness Richard Hammond trying to drive a Renault F1 car). But PF1 is aiming to change that.

The new company buys recent Formula One racing cars and retunes them for usability before selling them to wealthy – although not necessarily super-rich – customers who receive instruction and have the opportunity to drive them at dedicated track days around Europe. The service is offered by Cars International Kensington Ltd., a showroom in London that deals in racing cars and exotics. (Despite the similarity in name, PF1 appears to have no affiliation with the P1 supercar club, also based in London.)

The first three cars acquired for the launch are late-model Jordan, Jaguar and Super Aguri F1 cars, refitted with Avon slicks and Cosworth V10s that turn out 875 hp. Instruction is provided behind the wheel of a Lola Formula 3000 car at the hands of Marc Hynes, who used to train the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton. The cost of admission: £300,000 for the car, plus £2,500 for membership in Club PF1, which organizes the track events. Not chump change, to be sure, but it's a far cry from the millions it costs to independently own and operate a contemporary F1 car. Closer to the price of a supercar, actually... and that's exactly the idea.

[Source: ITV via Motor Authority]