A businessman who narrowly escaped death when his McLaren supercar burst into flames is suing the motor giant and a high-end dealer for £2million in damages.
David Kyte 53, suffered burns to his face and head after his limited edition P1 McLaren caught fire close to the M25 near Heathrow Airport on October 20, 2017.
The construction consultant claims the fire was caused either by flammable fluid leaking or components igniting as he pressed a toggle switch to raise the car’s low-slung bodywork.
He managed to escape as flames filled the car, with burning fluid spilling onto the road under the car.
Now Mr Kyte, of Kingston-upon-Thames, is suing McLaren Automotive and car dealers Stratstone Sports Cars for more than £2million plus interest.
He originally bought the McLaren P1 Coupe 3.8l V8 sports car from Stratstone in May 2015.
Mr Kyte, who is a McLaren devotee, paid £1.03million for the left-hand drive car, which has a top speed of 218mph and a 0-60mph time of just 2.8 seconds.
But because only 375 of the cars were ever made, the P1's value has risen with Mr Kyte saying his vehicle was worth £2million at the the of the fire.
David Kyte pictured at an event at Goodwood with the McLaren (left), alongside his wife Angela, a few months before the accident
Mr Kyte, of Kingston-upon-Thames, is suing McLaren Automotive and car dealers Stratstone Sports Cars for more than £2million plus interest
Moreover, the blaze in 2017 was not the first incident Mr Kyte says he suffered in the car.
It was badly damaged in June 2015 when it aquaplaned in the rain and collided with the central reservation as Mr Kyte drove it to Le Mans in France.
The vehicle was taken to the McLaren headquarters in Woking, where it was fully rebuilt so that it was effectively 'new', court documents say.
Stratstone carried out various investigations and diagnostic repair works at McLaren Ascot, but Mr Kyte says it continued to suffer from various problems, including a coolant leak, a fluid leak, and electrical faults.
Mr Kyte says when he left the M25 at the Heathrow Terminal exit, just five months after its latest service by Stratstone, it burst into flames when he tried to raise the bodywork.
The engine began to stall before a warning sound and signal appeared, and as he looked in the mirror, he saw flames coming from the engine compartment behind him, and stopped the car.
He accuses McLaren and Stratstone of negligence, saying the rebuild work was not carried out with reasonable care and skill, with parts which were unsatisfactory and not reasonably fit for their purpose, which were not fitted correctly, and the car was not safe after the rebuild.
McLaren, he says, allowed faults into the fluid system during the rebuild, failed to tighten connections adequately, failed to test the fluid system adequately, and bent the hoses too tightly putting them under pressure so that they frayed and allowed fluid to leak.
Mr Kyte originally bought the McLaren P1 Coupe 3.8l V8 sports car from Stratstone in May 2015
He says Stratstone failed to properly investigate, diagnose, repair and service the car, damaged its fuel system during the work, and failed to inspect, check or test it properly before returning it to him.
The car was worth £2.1 m at the time of the fire, says Mr Kyte, who was pictured at an event at Goodwood with the car, alongside his wife Angela, a few months before the accident on his Instagram.
However, despite his near-death experience, Mr Kyte's enthusiasm for McLaren cars was clearly still undimmed.
The following year, he became the owner of the first McLaren Senna off the production line and took it on an 870-mile trip to Circuit Paul Ricard near Toulon, France for a special McLaren driving experience.
He told thedrive.com: 'I committed to buying a McLaren Senna as soon as I became aware that McLaren was developing the car – so long before the name was confirmed – but leaving the McLaren Technology Centre after the handover ceremony was the first time I have actually driven one.
'Now, I'm delighted to report that as someone who rates driver engagement as crucial to driver enjoyment, the Senna has more than exceeded my expectations.'
McLaren and Stratstone were contacted by MailOnline.
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