14 DAY TRIAL // Funnyman Rowan Atkinson may seem like the guy who’d never spend a fortune on a car given his famous TV alter-ego Mr. Bean, but that’s not how things are in real life. He’s been involved in a crash with his McLaren F1, but he managed to escape relatively unharmed.
The actor, who just recently filmed an appearance on Top Gear, was at the wheel of his £600,000 super-car when he lost control of it and crashed on the side of the road, the Top Gear publication informs.
The car caught on fire but the actor managed to get out of the wreck just in the nick of time, having only injured his shoulder.
“Top Gear’s fastest Star in a Reasonably Priced Car reportedly spun the £600,000 hypercar several times along the A605 at Haddon near Peterborough, before hitting said lamppost and becoming a bit on fire,” the e-zine says.
“Thankfully, Atkinson was able to climb out of the Macca unaided and waited with a passing motorist until the emergency services arrive,” adds Top Gear.
Photos of the wreckage taken by passers-by show that damage was pretty extensive, though, Atkinson’s fans are probably too happy that he’s well to care about that.
“The F1 is in a sorry state,” AutoEvolution writes, citing reports in the British media. “It actually caught on fire, but the rescue services arrived fast enough to stop it from spreading,” the publication further says.
“An eyewitness says the right door was cut away to gain access to the driver so the damage is very extensive,” AutoEvolution adds.
While Atkinson’s brother says that this is the first time that Britain’s most popular funnyman is involved in an accident, Top Gear notes that he actually had another on, with the McLaren no less.
“It’s not the first time he’s crashed the 627bhp, BMW V12-engined, CFRP-bodied masterpiece though. Soon after buying it, he had a collision with a Rover Metro,” the e-zine writes.