Alfa Romeo

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 Khris Bharath – October 11, 2026

Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso Breaks Cover as a Stunning 2+2 Concept

Alfa Romeo has pulled the covers off the Cuorerosso at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, presenting a four-seat grand tourer that previews the Italian automaker’s future design direction and multi-energy strategy. When we covered the teasers yesterday, Alfa had revealed only a few details. The finished concept confirms several of our early observations, including its 2+2 layout and truncated tail. Created by Alfa Romeo Centro Stile in Turin, the Cuorerosso is 185 inches long, 78 inches wide and 52.4 inches tall, with a 115.4-inch wheelbase. Its proportions recall the 2002 Alfa Romeo Brera concept, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Italdesign, while its Coda Tronca draws on an older Alfa tradition seen on cars such as the 1963 Giulia TZ. More recently, we also saw it on the one-off 8C DoppiaCoda by Zagato, seen at Lake Como last year. The body follows a new philosophy Alfa calls “Bellezza Necessaria,” or Necessary Beauty. Centro Stile spent barely two weeks on initial sketches before moving to three-dimensional modeling. The concept weighs 3,858 pounds, substantial for something Alfa says combines the character of a grand tourer with the presence of a supercar. Cuorerosso has a drag coefficient of 0.28, helped by its uninterrupted body shape, low rear diffuser, and the aforementioned Coda Tronca. Also known as a Kamm tail, the abruptly truncated rear allows airflow to separate more cleanly, reducing aerodynamic drag without requiring a longer, tapered body. Up front, Alfa calls the whole arrangement the Trilobo, a dialogue between the central Scudetto and two headlights set like a pair of eyes. The Scudetto is reinterpreted using illuminated triangular elements that form the Cross and Biscione, rising s from the bodywork like the wake of a boat moving through water. Those elements pulse like a heartbeat, while the driver’s welcome light follows the same rhythm, giving the Cuorerosso, Italian for “red heart,” a particularly literal interpretation of its name. At the rear, a Scudetto-shaped window sits flush within the body volume. Forged wheels reinterpret Alfa’s now iconic telephone-dial design with six circular elements arranged in a 2+2+2 pattern. Shod in Pirelli P Zero tires and finished in a bronze titanium-inspired treatment that contrasts with the Liquid Ink Red bodywork. The Quadrifoglio badge also appears prominently, signaling that Alfa's most evocative performance badge remains part of its future. Another highlight is the four-door layout, with conventionally hinged front doors and rear-hinged rear doors creating a wide, pillarless opening into the cabin. Door handles have been eliminated entirely, and a touch control on the roof opens them instead. <- Gallery -> Inside, Alfa has attempted to merge analog and digital interaction instead of simply covering the dashboard in screens. A narrow, almost heart-shaped three-spoke steering wheel places the letters “DNA” prominently in front of the driver, a nod to Alfa Romeo’s long-running driving-mode terminology. Its "Cannocchiale Vivente" instrument cluster can physically transform from two separate instruments into a single display depending on the selected driving mode. The Magma Display running down the floating center console combines a digital interface with rotary controls and physical toggles. Even the steer-by-wire system incorporates haptic and acoustic feedback, reflecting Alfa's emphasis on maintaining a connection between driver and machine. Materials highlights include hand-finished Poltrona Frau nubuck and regenerated leather containing 60 percent post-industrial waste. Alfa also worked with Luna Rossa on a lightweight monofilament dashboard fabric derived from materials used in high-performance ocean sailing. A removable bag is integrated into the passenger side of the dashboard, with its securing straps doubling as a handle. “With Cuorerosso, we bring this identity into the future, one open to different energy solutions, in which technology, function and quality are always at the service of emotions and driving pleasure.” - Santo Ficili, CEO, Alfa Romeo and Maserati Alfa has not confirmed a powertrain for Cuorerosso. It said, however, that a performance configuration could use a 2.9-liter V6 full-hybrid system with Q4 all-wheel drive, a torque-converter transmission and carbon-fiber driveshaft. Outside the limited-run 33 Stradale, Alfa has not offered a dedicated sports car since the 4C ended production in 2020. Cuorerosso will not enter production, but Alfa says it will influence future models, which hopefully includes a two-door sports car. The company’s planned multi-energy lineup will also include different powertrain technologies and vehicles measuring up to 4.7 meters, or 185 inches long, exactly the length of the Cuorerosso concept. View All Alfa Romeos for Sale Images: Stellantis

By Khris Bharath – October 10, 2026

Alfa Romeo Teases Cuorerosso Concept Ahead of Paris Debut

Traditional auto shows may no longer dominate the automotive calendar as they once did, but several major events continue to soldier on. We’re just days away from the 2026 Paris Motor Show, which runs from October 12 through 18, and one of its most noteworthy debuts will come from Alfa Romeo. Over the past few days, the Italian automaker has been teasing a new concept called Cuorerosso ahead of its world premiere on October 12. Its name combines the Italian words cuore, meaning heart, and rosso, meaning red, fitting for a marque that has long associated itself with passion and emotion. Alfa Romeo hasn’t revealed much about the car, but an early teaser showed a low, dramatic silhouette, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a combustion engine. Alfa has not disclosed what’s powering the Cuorerosso, although the soundtrack certainly gives us reason to hope that something interesting is lurking underneath, with early speculation that a six-cylinder engine could be involved. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alfa Romeo (@alfaromeoofficial) The latest images that dropped earlier today reveal considerably more, including what appears to be a wing-mounted rear-view mirror incorporating the Tricolore, or colors of the Italian flag, along with a deeply recessed circular lighting element and a steeply raked rear window flowing into a truncated tail. The interior is particularly interesting, with the Alfa Romeo badge incorporated into the skeletal structure of a heavily sculpted front seat. Another seat is visible behind, suggesting the Cuorerosso could feature a 2+2 or four-seat layout, similar to what we saw with the 2014 Lamborghini Asterion concept. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alfa Romeo (@alfaromeoofficial) Created by Alfa Romeo Centro Stile in Turin, a city synonymous with Italian automotive design and coachbuilding, Cuorerosso is officially a “design manifesto.” According to Alfa, this concept will explore new ideas, design languages and solutions while retaining one of the storied marque’s fundamental principles: putting the driver at the center of the experience. Crucially, Alfa says Cuorerosso is neither a preview of a future production model nor simply a styling exercise. Still, its arrival comes at an interesting time. Within Alfa's recent lineup, outside the extremely limited 33 Stradale, which revived one of the most celebrated names in Alfa history and produced 33 individually configured cars through the Bottegafuroriserie program, a dedicated sports car remains conspicuously absent from the brand’s portfolio. The marque’s last regular-production sports car was the mid-engine, carbon-fiber Alfa Romeo 4C, which ended production in 2020. That absence feels increasingly significant as legacy European automakers face growing competition from new-age rivals. Bugatti Rimac CEO Mate Rimac recently argued that traditional manufacturers should lean into their strengths, focusing on areas such as craftsmanship, quality, design and heritage, instead of attempting to compete solely on tech. Alfa Romeo has plenty of history to draw from, going back decades. Its back catalog is filled with racing cars, sports cars and striking concepts, several of which ultimately influenced production models. The 2011 4C concept evolved into the production 4C, while the stunning 2003 8C Competizione concept eventually led to the production variant. The Cuorerosso may not be headed for production, but what it tells us about the next generation of Alfa Romeos could be considerably more important. We’ll know more when it makes its debut in Paris on October 12. View All Alfa Romeos for Sale Images: Stellantis

By Tyler Rampersaud – September 30, 2026

Alfa Romeo’s New Concept Car Is Called The Cuorerosso

Alfa Romeo recently teased a new concept car, which is set to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and is said to preview the future design direction of the brand. Now, the manufacturer has revealed the name of the upcoming concept: Cuorerosso. Translating to “red heart,” the name seeks to bring together two of the most important symbols of Alfa Romeo’s heritage: the color red and the concept of “heart,” nodding to the passion and spirit present throughout the manufacturer’s legacy. Alfa Romeo says that the upcoming Cuorerosso is designed with the priority of exciting the driver. According to the brand, owning and driving an Alfa Romeo is an emotional decision and experience, in which the owner connects with the car and experiences genuine love for the vehicle and the brand. Honoring the relationships that Alfa Romeo drivers have with their cars, the Cuorerosso is created with the manifesto that driving should retain feeling. With an instinctual and visceral experience as its mission, the upcoming Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso concept car is the first look at an exciting future for the historic marque. The Paris Expo Porte de Versailles will be the venue at which the new Cuorerosso concept car is unveiled, and it will be displayed in Hall 4 from October 12 to October 18. Evolving Alfa Romeo’s stunning design and lineage of beautiful, spirited Italian luxury performance cars, the Cuorerosso is the start of an intriguing new chapter. View All Alfa Romeo For Sale Image Source: Stellantis

By Andrew Nabors – March 02, 2020

UPDATE: 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA Has Arrived

Although it was scheduled to be unveiled in Geneva, the 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA will arrive tomorrow. For a bit of historical perspective, it was the highest performance version of the Giulia. Raced around the world from 1965 to 1969, they were offered in Corsa (Racing), and Stradale (Street) Versions. Considering the Giulia Quadrifoglio already has 505 horsepower, the GTA is a potent machine. In the press release minutes ago, we learned that two versions will be built in limited runs of 500 cars each. The Giulia GTA is a the revival of a classic name built to celebrate the brand's 110th anniversary. It is 220 lbs lighter than the Quadrifoglio, and the 2.9L V6 Twin Turbo has been bumped to 540 horsepower. If you want the ultimate street-legal Italian sedan, the new Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm will arrive with only 2 seats, extensive carbon fiber by Sauber, roll bars, and 6-point harnesses. Stay with us for all your Alfa Romeo updates. Browse All Alfa Romeo For Sale " width="680">

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