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 Andrew Nabors – April 12, 2019

Alex Choi Unveils the Unicorn V3 Twin Turbo Lamborghini H...

If you have been following Alex Chois' Lamborghini Huracan. No, it was stolen or wrecked, it was being transformed. In a YouTube video last night he unveiled the Unicorn V3 Twin Turbo Lamborghini Huracan. This rally car started life as his daily driver, but Alex had visions of off-road endurance. With the help of his sponsors, they added an exoskeleton of steel to replace much of the body. Let's hope it never gets hit, because he mentions it is a combination of steel and stainless. Without any gussets between the pipes, they might shatter in compression. The twin-turbo kit has intake filters bolted to the intercoolers, because pre-heated air is better? The car was treated to 43 lights up front, and the taillights were simply flipped upside down. Even with all the changes, Alex says the car is street legal and it will pass smog. We don't know what rally classes it is legal to compete in, so stay with us for more coverage of this unique build. Browse Lamborghini Huracan For Sale Related:

By Andrew Nabors – April 09, 2019

AC Schnitzer Unveils Forged Evo AC3 Wheels for BMW M5

The latest generation of the BMW M5 arrived for the 2018 model year, and the factory wheels are a definite area for improvement. Thankfully, our friends at AC Schnitzer have unveiled the Forged Evo, the latest in their AC3 series. Designed specifically for the F90 chassis, they are 21" by 10" wide, and utilize a 275/30 on the front & 285/30 tire on the rear. Carved from a solid billet, they are available in 2-tone silver or anthracite finish. To keep them safe, the lugs are hidden under a locking center cap. The locking nut is available in silver or gold, and it comes with a matched removal tool. The Evo design was a study in the "art of omitting" as they used extensive computer modeling to reduce weight. Even going as far as to machine recesses in the back of the spokes, these featherweights will transform the way your M5 responds to the road. Click the link below to view pricing & tire options, and stay with us for all your aftermarket upgrades. BMW M5 Wheels from AC Schnitzer

By Edward Jones – April 01, 2019

DECADE Defender 110: Own a Piece of History

Arkonik are considered to be the world leaders in custom Land Rover Defender restoration. Their headquarters are located in the Land Rover motherland of Great Britain. However, these handbuilt and hand-assembled Defenders are to be found much further afield. With over 200 vehicles exported to North America, they have perfected the art of balancing authentic restoration with modern day comforts. To celebrate their 10 year anniversary, Arkonik released a preview for this DECADE Edition via DuPont in 2017 (view the original concept here). Fast forward eighteen months and here we can reveal this completely restored and reimagined, one-of-a-kind Defender 110. The rarity doesn't end there as this 110 Station Wagon is available for immediate delivery, straight to your doorstep! The company mission has evolved since its humble beginnings, but their founding principle has remained constant; to create the most authentic, restored Land Rover Defenders in the world. With this in mind, DECADE has retained its heart and soul with an original frame and burbling V8. Both critical elements have been meticulously refurbished, whilst all other components are brand new and upgraded throughout. Decadent gold accents compliment the custom Santorini Black bodywork including the trademark hinges and KBX® Signature grille and wing-top air intakes. Hand-painted pinstripes have been added along the flanks and under the bulging Puma hood. The distinctive theme continues inside with sumptuous Black leather upholstery and gold fluting. With a total of nine seats, this vehicle has room to transport the whole party. " width="680"> Arkonik create Defenders which are as influential and inspirational as their clients. A design can be based on a previous build or like DECADE, begin with a totally blank canvas. Use is an important factor when it comes to starting the design process; be that an urban commute, overlanding or somewhere in-between. Arkonik guarantees importation and provides an extensive handover to ensure each client is able to make the most of their investment. New owners are also assigned a representative to deal with future questions and assist with any maintenance or upgrade inquiries. DECADE is currently at Arkonik headquarters, ready and waiting to embark on a new adventure. This special edition can be yours for $199,995 and comes with an inclusive warranty. Get inspired by visiting their new website, make an enquiry via 1-800-984-3355 or email sales@arkonik.com. visit arkonik.com Presented by Arkonik Our mission has evolved over the last 12 years, but our founding principle has remained constant; to create the most authentic, restored Land Rover Defenders in the world. Defenders that are as influential and inspirational as our clients.

By Andrew Nabors – March 28, 2019

Ferrari Portofino Receives Tasteful Upgrades from Novitec

It is hard to improve upon perfection, especially a masterpiece from Maranello. But if your new convertible needs a custom touch, the Ferrari Portofino has received some tasteful upgrades from Novitec. Starting with a comprehensive aerodynamic upgrade, the kit was tested in a wind tunnel to improve downforce. Not just for performance, these carbon fiber upgrades give the car a more aggressive appearance. Because the engine has much in common with the 488 GTB and 488 Spider, their engineers were able to unlock 84 additional horsepower. This bumps the top speed to 202 mph, and they will hear you coming. A new exhaust system was designed in stainless steel, or it can be fabricated from Inconel to save weight. Needless to say, Novitec knows how to make the best even better, so click the link below and Portofino à gogo! Shop Ferrari Portofino Related: Browse Ferrari F355 For Sale

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By Andrew Nabors – March 14, 2019

AC Schnitzer Unveils 500HP M2 Competition

If you need a small & fast coupe, nothing beats the BMW M2 Competition. Having 405 horsepower and a six-speed manual, I wouldn't dare to call any BMW underpowered. But our friends at AC Schnitzer have spent months developing a comprehensive upgrade package for this fearsome featherweight. Starting with two sets of forged wheels, they measure 20x9 front and 20x10 rear. Then it was on to aerodynamics. A new front splitter along with a rear diffuser and spoiler will keep you glued to the track. To make sure the car is properly corner-weighted, their RS series coil-overs are easily adjusted. These parts are also compatible with the base M2, if you purchased one before the Competition model was introduced. Their secret sauce is under the hood. A proprietary tune along with a few parts will send 500 horsepower to the transmission. This part of the kit is specific to the Competition, at least for now. Click the link below to find your M2 and stay with us for all your AC Schnitzer news. Shop BMW M2 " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – March 13, 2019

Hennessey Performance 2018 Camaro Exorcist Dyno Tuning

When a stock Camaro ZL1 arrives at Hennessey Performance, there is no turning back. In order to deliver almost 1,000 horsepower at the crank, it takes a massive supercharger, ported heads and a Top Secret camshaft. The Camaro's computer would have a hard time dealing with all the new information, so each Hennessey Performance build is strapped to their chassis dyno and wired up to an oxygen sensor in the tailpipe. A Hennessey Performance Camaro Exorcist Dyno Tune is done to break-in the new parts and prove that it makes the power. After a few runs, they plot fuel and timing in 3D to ensure no lean or fat spots while cruising. When the owner does go wide open, a bit of power enrichment keeps the engine safe for years. This is all done on 93 octane to make sure it is pump gas friendly, and not harmful to the environment. This car is also an automatic, proving you don't need three pedals to line up against anything on the street. They offer packages for almost every make and model, so click the link below for all the info. Hennessey Performance Related: 217 MPH in the Hennessey Performance Exorcist Camaro How To Build A Hennessey Exorcist Camaro

By Edward Jones – March 11, 2019

See Hennessey's V8 Raptor Destroy a Stock Raptor

Introducing the Ford Raptor with a twin-turbo V6 engine was a bold move by Ford. Purists scoffed at the idea of a six-cylinder engine powering a truck that's been such a powerhouse, especially . Thankfully, Ford did a great job with their EcoBoost engine and the new Raptors stand out as high-performance trucks. But don't we all just miss the sound of a V8 engine? Hennessey Performance recently performed an engine swap on a Raptor, replacing the V6 with a lovely 5.0-liter V8 engine from Ford. with a 2.9-liter supercharger attached. The result is a truck packing 758 horsepower that can scream. That's quite a bit more power compared to the stock Raptor, packing 450 horsepower but that didn't stop Hennessey from comparing the two in the video above. Hennessey notes that the gap between the two could be measured in bus lengths. Dang. view all raptors listed for sale

By Edward Jones – March 01, 2019

BRABUS Unveils Ultimate E Shadow Edition: Performance-Tun...

Want BRABUS performance in a small package? The perfect car for you has just been unveiled. Introducing the BRABUS Ultimate E Shadow Edition, 1 of 28. Both BRABUS ZERO EMISSION and BRABUS Marine teamed up to create this vehicle, which they refer to as a "tender" for BRABUS 500 Shadow OPS Limited Edition boat. Powering the car is an electric powertrain that's provided by the smart fortwo EQ cabrio. Instead of the 82 horsepower that normally comes from this car, BRABUS upped the power to 91 bhp and 133 lb-ft of torque. BRABUS notes that it has a range of up to 78 miles on one battery charge. Pricing for this little go-getter starts at 64,900 euros, equating to roughly $73,900 USD. view all brabus for sale!

By Andrew Nabors – February 28, 2019

McLaren 600LT vs Hennessey HPE1000 Jeep Trackhawk

Two opponents meet in the middle of Texas. One was born in Detroit and educated in Houston. The other comes from Woking, a town on the outskirts of London. We've seen some unlikely quarter-mile face-offs, but this one will blow your mind. You are about to witness a McLaren 600LT versus a Hennessey HPE1000 Jeep Trackhawk. Let's look at the power-to-weight ratios. The carbon fiber contender offers 592 horsepower to its 2,989 lbs. This means each horsepower pushes 5 lbs of weight. The American has 1,012 horsepower and weighs 5,363 lbs. This means each horsepower must move 5.3 lbs, a slight disadvantage. Both vehicles have launch control, but aerodynamics come into play well before the finish line. Tell us which one you would choose in the comments below, and stay with us for all your Hennessey Performance Updates. Shop McLaren 600LT Shop Jeep Trackhawk Related: Hennessey Performance McLaren 600LT Upgrade Hennessey Trackhawk: Fastest SUV in the World

By Andrew Nabors – February 27, 2019

BRABUS 900 Mercedes-Maybach S650 Heading to Geneva

We were sad to learn that Mercedes-AMG is sending the S65 sedan into retirement. It makes sense when you compare the AMG sedan to the Maybach S650. The former has been around for a few years, and it was in a strange spot compared to the upper-class sibling. It seems as if their most luxurious model isn't going anywhere, so we're glad to see a BRABUS 900 Mercedes-Maybach S650 heading to Geneva. Constantin Buschmann is following in the footsteps of his late father. Their shared passion for performance and perfection is clearly evident in this new model. The Maybach S650 arrives with a twin-turbo V12 making 621 horsepower and only 738 lb-ft of torque. While it is adequate considering the curb weight of 5,296 lbs, BRABUS was unimpressed. Brabus 700 4x4 Squared "One of ten" Final Editions Their improvements to the intake, turbos, tuning, and exhaust have yielded 900 horsepower and 1,106 lb-ft of torque. Tell your driver to pass the Aventador if you are late for a meeting, this big sedan will blow the doors off of many supercars. Stay with us for all your BRABUS updates. Shop Mercedes-Maybach Brabus 900 Related: Brabus 700 Widestar: Wicked Details

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