Aftermarket

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

By Edward Jones – September 27, 2017

BRABUS 850 BUSCEMI Edition Edition Revealed

BRABUS and BUSCEMI, the famous luxury footwear and accessory brand, have teamed up to create the BRABUS 850 BUSCEMI Edition. This new collaboration seeks to combine the world of footwear with the world of cars. The result is this special edition SUV based on the Mercedes-AMG G63.The BRABUS 850 BUSCEMI Edition features:"- BRABUS 850 6.0 biturbo High Performance Engine- BRABUS special exterior in gold and black designed with collaboration with BUSCEMI- BRABUS Fine Leather interior in black with red stitching and a special stitching pattern as well as BUSCEMI brand insignia designed in collaboration with BUSCEMI"Joining the SUV is a matching pair of sneakers and bags from BUSCEMI.https://www.facebook.com/brabus/videos/10155754430109294/

By Andrew Nabors – September 18, 2017

BRABUS Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Forty years in the aftermarket is a cause for celebration, so BRABUS arrived in Frankfurt with a host of stunning cars. The Frankfurt Auto Show of 2017 was a perfect venue to display the latest in performance upgrades ranging from the S65 to the SmartCar.The world premiere of the BRABUS Rocket 900 took center stage. Based on the S65, it uses more boost and new software to unleash 900 horsepower and 1,106 lb-ft of torque. 2015: BRABUS 900based on the Mercedes-Maybach S 600

By Andrew Nabors – September 07, 2017

Brabus 700 Unleashed in Frankfurt

A lack of Vitamin E can cause nerve damage and anemia, so Brabus has released an unhinged upgrade for the E 63 AMG. The Brabus 700 is based around engine and transmission upgrades along with aggressive body enhancements. The E-Class must appeal to a large audience, and that is why it arrives in an understated outfit. Brabus uses carbon fiber as the basis for new aerodynamics. Front and rear spoilers and lower diffuser offer more downforce and a menacing demeanor. The AMG 4.0L V8 is found in almost every other model, with unique tuning to match the price. We're not saying the lesser models are leaving power on the table, simply that Brabus has cracked every aspect of the car's operating system. A plug-and-play module alters the car's programming to unlock 700 horsepower and 701 lb-ft of torque. Maximum torque arrives at only 3,500 rpm, so get ready to leave in a hurry. The 9-speed automatic transmission and the 4MATIC system are calibrated to handle the new power, and they provide a 0-62 time of 3.2 seconds. Not limited to the sedan, the Brabus 700 can be had on the coupe, convertible and wagon versions of the E63. Just like the Brabus 900 S-Class, the Sport Exhaust is controlled from the steering wheel. After a night of supercar fun, "Coming Home" mode will not provoke the authorities. Your first step is to find the perfect E63 AMG for sale, so check out our listings and stay with us for more updates from the Frankfurt Auto Show.

By Andrew Nabors – September 05, 2017

Brabus Unveils the Rocket 900 Cabrio

You can't deny the appeal of the S-Class, especially in a 2-door configuration. The world was shocked when AMG decided to work their magic to build S63 versions, complete with twin turbos and AWD. None in the automotive world could have foreseen an S65 Cabrio. The twin turbo V12 makes 738 lb-ft of torque and a modest 621 horsepower. These numbers would be completely satisfactory for those who enjoy acceleration. But a few of us are not happy in knowing that power has been left on the table. A big V12 makes big power. To keep it ahead of any competitors, AMG endows it with modest turbochargers.Ferrari 328 For SaleBrabus has decades of experience from creating the ultimate examples of Mercedes-AMG products. By reverse engineering and scrutinizing every line of code and every minute detail, the Brabus Rocket 900 Cabrio is the world's most powerful convertible. In order to deliver 900 horsepower and 1,106 lb-ft of torque, they took a page from the history book. The S65 arrives with a 6.0L V12, which is a de-stroked version of the 6.3L that was used in previous versions of the S63 and CL63 AMG. New exhaust manifolds flow into big turbos and out to 3.1" (80mm) downpipes. No longer a bottom-breather, new cold air boxes are mounted behind the gloss black grille. They are coated in gold to reflect heat and sealed to a duct in the hood. The 7-speed automatic transmission was beefed up with recalibrated shift points and the electronic differential was replaced with a mechanical one. The new rear gears will only allow 40% of slip before locking, so hang on for drift mode. All body parts are available in naked carbon, high-gloss or any color imaginable. Optional 22" wheels have 255mm tires up front and 295mm out back. Pricing for the new Rocket will be formalized after the Frankfurt Auto Show, so stay with us for all your Brabus updates.

By Edward Jones – December 08, 2015

Brabus Opens Flagship f355 Store in Miami

Famed aftermarket company, Brabus, has opened up their flagship f355 store in Miami, Florida. This new store gives customers the chance to have their cars modified and refined by technicians trained at the factory headquarters in Bottrop, Germany.In the showroom, Brabus displays some of their handiwork, including their Mercedes-Benz supercars and Land Rover SUVs. Their workshop, located in the same building, is where the cars are crafted and where the real magic happens.Thanks to their state-of-the-art diagnosis and specialty tools, this workshop enables the technicians to start and complete the conversions and service work at this location.We want to congratulate Brabus on their new opening and can't wait to see their next work of automotive art.Brabus' For SaleGallery (Source: Brabus)

By Andrew Nabors – July 23, 2015

BRABUS Rocket 900 Exhaust & Acceleration Sounds

Turbochargers are truly magical devices. Not only do they add power by pressurizing the intake of an engine, they also act as a muffler. By forcing the exhaust gas to spin a turbine after it exits the combustion chamber, much of the rasp and harsh engine noises are eliminated. Any exhaust restriction after the turbo will hinder its ability to breath, so it takes significant engineering to design a free-flowing system for turbocharged cars.This is where BRABUS has once again raised the bar.First introduced March 2, the BRABUS Rocket 900 is an uncompromising interpretation of the Mercedes-AMG S65 Sedan. They are able to push the bi-turbo V12 to 900 hp and a limited 884 lb-ft of torque by adding larger turbos along with the necessary intake and exhaust systems. Since variable exhausts are all the rage, the Rocket 900 comes fitted with a dual mode system.With innovative programming of the steering wheel controls, the driver can select between mellow and angry. In a YouTube video uploaded July 20, below, you can see the new Rocket 900 and hear the differences between open and closed.This driver has a rewarding career, as he and the Brabus develop some of the world’s most powerful production cars. Hopefully a version of this exhaust will be released for owners of S Class sedans and coupes who are looking to add some personality and performance to their cars. Stay tuned to Autofluence for more Brabus and AMG updates.(Source: YouTube, Images courtesy of BRABUS) See More BRABUS News

By Edward Jones – May 27, 2015

The 500 hp BRABUS PowerXtra B50 Hybrid Unveiled

Brabus, the creators of such cars as the insane Rocket 900 and 700 hp G63 6x6, have taken their expertise to the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid. The Brabus PowerXtra B50 Hybrid performance kit is an upgraded take on the luxury hybrid unveiled on the tuner's Facebook page today.Through their tuning of the V6 engine, there is an increase of 52 hp and 52 lb-ft of torque. These increases bring the total amount of power up to 500 hp and 656 lb-ft.The car's 0-62 mph run drops .3 second, down to 4.9 seconds with this performance kit, while the top speed remains electronically limited at 155 mph.And, as with all Brabus kits, a number of exterior and interior touches can be added to the S500 Hybrid. This includes forged 22-inch wheels, exclusive interior options and exterior body pieces.Stay with us for more aftermarket and Brabus news.Gallery (Source: Facebook)

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