The popular television character Mr Bean, a true master of comedy, is known for driving silly little cars like an old Mini with mismatching panels or a three-wheeled Reliant Regal. But the man behind the character, actor Rowan Atkinson, is a true petrol-head. A couple of weeks ago, he went on Top Gear, and we got to see how much of a petrolhead he really is.
Atkinson talked at length about how Rolls Royce actually intended to sell the Phantom with a big V16, displacing 9-liters and offering monumental performance, and he even managed to set a blistering time on the Top Gear track.
However, 'Mr Bean' might have started to believe his own hype, as he crashed his hypercar - an ultra-rare McLaren F1, the dream of little boys from 10 years ago. According to The Daily Mail, Atkinson lost control of the mega-big-bucks car on a wet section of the A605 in Haddon, England, before spinning several times and ending up in a street sign.
No other cars were damaged, but the McLaren looks a bit worse for wear. In addition, the 56-year old actor had to be taken to Peterborough District Hospital due to a reported minor shoulder injury. Thankfully, the car’s crumple zones and harness did their job well, so Atkinson will be OK, but the F1 is in a sorry state. It actually caught fire, but the rescue services arrived fast enough to stop it spreading.
An eyewitness says the right door was cut away to gain access to the driver so the damage is very extensive.
"The faster they are the more he likes them. He's a very good driver, there's no doubt about it, and this is the first accident I have heard of involving him. Obviously, we are relieved he is uninjured," his brother Rodney said.
Atkinson talked at length about how Rolls Royce actually intended to sell the Phantom with a big V16, displacing 9-liters and offering monumental performance, and he even managed to set a blistering time on the Top Gear track.
However, 'Mr Bean' might have started to believe his own hype, as he crashed his hypercar - an ultra-rare McLaren F1, the dream of little boys from 10 years ago. According to The Daily Mail, Atkinson lost control of the mega-big-bucks car on a wet section of the A605 in Haddon, England, before spinning several times and ending up in a street sign.
No other cars were damaged, but the McLaren looks a bit worse for wear. In addition, the 56-year old actor had to be taken to Peterborough District Hospital due to a reported minor shoulder injury. Thankfully, the car’s crumple zones and harness did their job well, so Atkinson will be OK, but the F1 is in a sorry state. It actually caught fire, but the rescue services arrived fast enough to stop it spreading.
An eyewitness says the right door was cut away to gain access to the driver so the damage is very extensive.
"The faster they are the more he likes them. He's a very good driver, there's no doubt about it, and this is the first accident I have heard of involving him. Obviously, we are relieved he is uninjured," his brother Rodney said.