Answering my own question here, for future generations of newbies coming onto this forum, shopping for McLarens for the first time. It’s 3 weeks later and while, I have not found an online VIN decoder, and all the supposed VIN decoders that “say” they are providing you worthwhile info on a McLaren are trash, I have discovered that most private sellers and all Indy as well as Mclaren dealers seem to be able to provide either an actual photo or scan of the window sticker or a PDF build sheet that tells you the actual options on that individual VIN. Shopping and comparing is now easy, but just requires a bit more emailing and requests.

Some ads on TrueCar, Cargurus, Cars.com etc, have a picture of the build sheet in the car photos, but, unless you tap to zoom on a tablet, or a laptop, the text is blurry and unreadable on a phone. Go to their website. if the same graphic is there, it’s likely higher rez. If not, then email.

I have one build sheet for a 2018 performance model 720S that is so complete, so chock full of all the MSO options I could possibly want, that I call it the “Rosetta Stone”. I have also found it is damn near impossible to get any seller to shoot the pictures or make a decent video exposing and confirming all those MSO goodies, so the build sheet is essential. If you might be willing to go without a feature or two, or are comparing two equally optioned cars with disparate pricing, It also makes negotiating with another seller, easier. You can send the seller the build sheet, to compare trim levels and price as long as miles and other aspects are similar.

In this case, the only thing my Rosetta sheet is missing that I might want, is soft close doors. I can live without them, if this car passes PPI. It makes comparing other car’s build sheets easy. They either measure up, or fall short. Knowing this level of info, is exactly what I wanted.

 

Isn't Rosetta Stone some 'learn a new language' company or some old Egyptian artefact they keep in a museum? What has that got to do with a cars options and build sheet?
#confused

And if the 2018 has everything why not just buy it? Or go and look at the car in person if it's of interest?

 

Fair enough…Using the term Rosetta Stone is a bit if a misappropriation, but not by much

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone

it was for deciphering languages, “deciphering” (decoding) being the part I was interested in. And “comparing”.

it has three languages next to each other and one could tell by the language you were familiar with, what the other language must be saying—when you compared them.

in the post you replied to; a PPI is under way, we shall see.
cant go there myself (yet)….on vacation for more than another week. Excited to see how the PPI goes

 

Fair enough…Using the term Rosetta Stone is a bit if a misappropriation, but not by much

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone

it was for deciphering languages, “deciphering” (decoding) being the part I was interested in. And “comparing”.

it has three languages next to each other and one could tell by the language you were familiar with, what the other language must be saying—when you compared them.

in the post you replied to; a PPI is under way, we shall see.
cant go there myself (yet)….on vacation for more than another week. Excited to see how the PPI goes

I knew what you meant! It's in the British Museum and was the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. A perfectly good metaphor which apparently doesn't translate well into German.

 

To be honest if you have the VIN Number it makes it easy to look up a BMW window sticker as found on this youtube video

 

To be honest if you have the VIN Number it makes it easy to look up a BMW window sticker as found on this youtube video

The vin sheet will not have the obvious data of what changed after the sale. I’d say best to get ACTUAL pictures with newspaper/time stamp in background. Chances are the current or prior owner of the vehicle could have replaced/sold parts off for some quick $$$ and you will not have the parts as shown on the build sheet. I noticed this when I was looking through ads when I was searching for my McLaren.