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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

GM to Add Second Shift and More Than 400 Hourly Jobs at Bowling

By Andrew Nabors – April 25, 2019

Chevrolet Corvette Plant to Add 400 New Jobs & 2nd Shift

This morning we told you that GM's CEO Mary Barra would be making an announcement at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In a press release this afternoon, they revealed why the plant has seen $900 Million in upgrades since 2011. Mrs. Barra said: “The Corvette’s iconic status owes so much to the men and women of Bowling Green, where it has been built exclusively for almost 40 years. This is the workforce that can deliver a next generation Corvette worthy of both its historic past and an equally exciting future, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to its reveal on July 18.” After building over one million Corvettes since opening in 1981, the plant is being re-tooled to build the C8. It will be the first Corvette to have a mid-mounted V8, placing Chevrolet up against the best cars in the world. Each one will pass through a new paint shop and receive an engine built downstairs at the Performance Engine Build Center. The 2nd Shift takes the total workforce to over 1,300, providing Kentucky with $76 Million in wages and $15 Million in Income Tax. Mary has made major labor cuts this year, so this news is long overdue. Congrats to UAW Local 2164, we will see your new car at the unveiling on July 18th. Stay with us for all your Corvette news. Find Your Corvette Here P.S. The camouflaged Prototype is known as ZERV, in honor of Zora Duntov. His CERV (Corvette Engineering Research Vehicle) prototypes were mid-engine V8 monsters that easily outran Indy cars of their day. It only took them 60 years to build it! " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – October 29, 2018

World Series MVP wins new Chevy Silverado Trail Boss

It took dedication and practice to for the Boston Red Sox to shut down the LA Dodgers. But Steve Pearce hit 2 home runs to become the 2018 Willie Mays World Series MVP. Boston is gearing up for a massive parade on Wednesday, and leading it will be Pearce in his new Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss. In a Press Release by Chevy on Sunday night, we learned that his new truck arrives with Ranco suspension that rides 2" above the base models.New & Pre-Owned Corvette Z06 For SaleAlso included are locking differentials, 18" wheels, and Goodyear DuraTrack off-road tires. Under the hood is Chevrolet's first straight six in almost 40 years. The 3.0-liter turbo diesel is the latest Duramax, and it delivers 282 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. Backed by their 10-speed automatic, it offers 7,800 lbs of towing and 28 mpg on the highway. Pearce hit .333 for the series, with 3 home runs and a double play. Chevrolet's Youth Baseball program is an outreach from local dealers to supply equipment and over 1,800 free summer clinics to help young players hone their skills. Congrats to Mr. Pearce on his win, and click the link below for great deals on new Chevys.View Chevrolet For Sale

C7 Corvette Z06 Specs look great in any situation

By Andrew Nabors – August 15, 2018

Hertz will rent you a Corvette Z06!

Hertz has been renting cars almost as long as cars have been sold. To mark their Centennial Anniversary, they have teamed with Chevrolet to offer the 2019 Corvette Z06 at a few of their larger locations. Renting fast cars is nothing new to them, and they even had a "rent a racer" program with Shelby for the 1966 GT350 Mustang. Urban legend says a few of them were returned with normal Mustang engines wearing Shelby parts. 2018 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Specs, Price, Photos & Review No, they won't rent you a manual transmission. But believe me, the 8-speed automatic is plenty of fun. The front spoiler has also been removed because it is carbon fiber and not cheap to replace. The yellow and black paint scheme is the same used on Hertz Corvettes in the past, and we're glad it returned. Under the hood is a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 making 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. They will soon be arriving at: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco and Tampa. Before you go thinking about returning it with a Camaro engine, I have already done the math... I don't have enough friends to help me this weekend. Your Z06 Is Waiting For You

By Andrew Nabors – August 15, 2018

Chevrolet Unveils Premium Plus Tahoe & Suburban

We're glad that full-size SUV's are hot again. Crossovers are cheesy excuses for minivans, and they handle like shopping carts. The Chevrolet Suburban turns 84 this year, so it's about time for a few nice upgrades. In a press release yesterday, Chevy outlined the new Premium Plus editions of the Suburban and its smaller sibling. Last year, the Tahoe RST was introduced and it was a hot seller.Sultan of Brunei Car Collection is at 7,000 Cars & GrowingThe notion of borrowing the Camaro SS drivetrain is music to our ears. The Premium Plus models will arrive with 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque, along with the 10-speed automatic. It is a little more potent than the 1935 Suburban, which had a 3.4 liter straight six and a 3-speed manual. But they both have the same target audience. This is a bold move that places both models closer to the Escalade and its Tahoe-sized ESV model.Chevrolet Unveils Luke Bryan’s Concept SuburbanAll Premier Plus models will arrive with black/mahogany leather interior and magnetic ride control suspension. Polished 22" wheels and chrome badges will set them apart from lesser models. The Tahoe will start at $74,100 and big brother will be $76,900. Costco members will receive a $4,500 incentive that includes a $300 Costco card. Having this much power, please be careful when shopping. Going hammer down will shatter eggs and flatten bread. Costco still doesn't have grocery bags, so Chevy has made the cargo organizer standard equipment. Click the link below to find our dealer near you and stay with us for all your Chevy news.See the USA in your Chevrolet

By Andrew Nabors – June 22, 2018

Chevrolet Unveils 2019 Blazer

Everyone has a story about Chevy's popular SUV, and the Blazer is back for 2019. In a video uploaded to their media site last night, Design Director Mike Pevovar shows us the details of this impressive SUV. It was released at a special event yesterday in Atlanta, and we've learned some nice details about this Camaro-inspired family hauler.It will arrive in two trim levels, RS and Premier. The standard engine will be the 2.5L four, and the optional 3.6L V6 will allow it to tow 4,500 lbs. Not only does the grille borrow Camaro's menacing look, the interior also shares the innovative AC controls and the 8" touchscreen. Other standard goodies include a cargo management system, led exterior lights, and 4G LTE connectivity. We don't normally write about SUVs, but you can't deny how impressive this new Blazer is, inside and out. If you can't wait for it, our dealers have plenty of classic ones to choose from. See the USA in your Chevrolet

By Edward Jones – March 02, 2018

2019 Corvette ZR1 Configurator is Now Live!

When new car configurators launch, we spend a bit of time at the office building our own models and comparing them with each other. Today, we're building new 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 examples thanks to the launch of the car's configurator.This new configurator has a pretty large amount of options for the ZR1 and gives you an idea of how expensive the options are. Chevrolet has introduced a decent amount of colors for the ZR1 within the package, including my favorite, Sebring Orange Tintcoat. In total, there are 10 different standard colors and two Premium colors. 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 10 Facts You Need To KnowTwo different packages are also available for the ZR1: ZTK Track Performance Package ($2,995) and ZR1 Sebring orange Design Package ($6,995). A few other interesting options are also available, like the car cover that makes the ZR1 look like a C7.R, the option to pick up the car at the National Corvette Museum and the Corvette Engine Build Experience-- you can help handbuild your ZR1's engine and get a personalized nameplate!Build one for yourself by clicking here and post your creation down below!Build a ZR1

By Andrew Nabors – February 16, 2018

GM Gives $11,750 Bonus To Every Hourly Employee

The market has been a little shaky recently, but USA Today is reporting that every GM is giving every union-represented employee a profit-sharing bonus of $11,750. You can't deny CEO Mary Barra has turned GM around. She is quoted as saying: "The actions we took to further strengthen our core business and advance our visions for personal mobility made 2017 a transformative year. We will continue executing our plan and reshaping our company to position it for long-term success." They only made $12.8 Billion (pre-tax) in 2017... Earnings per share also beat the analysts' predictions at $6.62 vs $6.50. Mary T. Barra, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, General Motors Company, Image Courtesy of GMThey are not alone in giving back, as Ford plans to give $7,500 and Fiat-Chrysler is giving back an average of $5,000. Ford and GM both have nice earnings thanks to streamlining their US operations. Unfortunately, this puts an end to the Australian auto industry along with GM selling off the Opel brand. Our friends down under will now receive Fords built in the US, and Holden will sell re-badged Chevrolets. Opel and their English brand Vauxhall were sold to their French rivals at Peugeot-Citroen.2019 Corvette ZR1: Fastest Production Car At VIRThis gives GM one of the best balance sheets in the business, so our hats are off to the United Auto Workers. What does 2018 have in store? The Silverado is all new for 2019, the Corvette ZR1's lap time at the VIR is now the fastest, and the top-secret mid-engine supercar will be revealed. Perhaps its time to put some Detroit back in your portfolio. How will auto workers spend their hard earned cash? The best way is to renew your subscription to the world's best car magazine, so stay with us for all your automotive news.

By Andrew Nabors – February 01, 2018

2019 Corvette ZR1: Fastest Production Car At VIR

A week is an eternity when it comes to lap times. Unfortunately for folks in Dearborn, Chevrolet only allowed the Ford GT's time at the top to be short-lived. In a YouTube video uploaded earlier today, the 2019 Corvette ZR1 has lapped Virginia International Raceway in 2.37.25.This comes a week after Ford announced their time of 2.38.62Ford GT Sets New Lap Record at VIROur friends over at The Drive received an email from Ford that basically said they wouldn't be chasing lap records in their latest supercar. Meanwhile, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, mad scientists decided to refer to the ZR1 engine as BAS, an acronym for Big @ss Supercharger. These opponents could not be any different. Chevrolet uses a 6.2-liter V8 to make 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque. The Ford GT is a 3.5-liter V6 that offers 647 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque.Ford turned to Multimatic for engineering and production, which is capped at 500 cars annually. The ZR1 rides on the Corvette's 7th generation chassis that has been in production since 2013. A press release from Chevy says the automatic ZR1 was stock. The only mods were the recommended track settings for wheel alignment and aero that are listed in the owners manual.2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 10 Facts You Need To KnowVice President of Global Product Development Mark Reuss had this to say: “The Corvette ZR1’s lap record at VIR, arguably America’s most challenging road course, is a testament to its supercar status. On the racetrack, the ZR1 can compete with any supercar — at any price.”Aside from a slight difference in retail price, Chevrolet doesn't care who you sell your ZR1 to once you are tired of it. To add insult to injury, a Corvette Z06 was also tested, earning a lap time of 2.39.77. This is just over a second slower than the Ford GT. Whatever the Corvette plant is cooking up is bound to be just as impressive, so stay with us for the latest news from Chevrolet Performance.Browse Corvette ZR1 For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – January 15, 2018

Chevy Unveils the New 2019 Silverado Truck

To celebrate a century of pickup trucks, Chevrolet introduced the 2019 Silverado on Friday. A press release over the weekend reminds us that their first trucks were released in January of 1918. The new trucks arrived at the Detroit Auto Show with less weight and more capabilities.Lamborghini Centenario: Specs, Price & PhotosThe first innovation was made possible for aluminum body panels. The hood, doors and tailgate are made of a high-strength alloy while all fixed body panels are steel. Cargo space in the bed is much improved, with the ability to haul 4'x8' sheets flat between the wheel wells. Owners are also treated to a dozen tie-downs points. Bed floor width has been increased by 7", which allows for 63 cubic feet of volume. Oh, and these specs are for the short bed, so the long bed is going to be cavernous.High-strength steel now comprises 80% of the frame. Thinner yet stronger than cheaper steels are a great way to decrease weight, the next area was the suspension. The front control arms are now forged aluminum, and the secondary rear springs are carbon fiber. Changes under the hood include a wider availability of the 10-speed automatic and a new 3.0 liter straight six diesel! Inline engines are great for torque and efficiency, so expect all the details when they become available. Stay with us for more coverage of the Detroit show and all your Chevy news. Search Silverados For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – August 15, 2017

Rick Hendrick Takes Delivery of First Chevrolet Camaro ZL...

April in South Florida can be brutal if you aren't ready to sweat, but we're used to the weather at Barrett-Jackson's Palm Beach Auction. For the past several years, Chevrolet has used the occasion to auction the first production example of a new model to the public. All the proceeds from the sale go to a major charity, so it's a great way for GM to bring awareness and support to good causes. Never missing an opportunity to have Car #1, Rick Hendrick was on-hand to buy the first production 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. His winning bid of $250,000 sealed his rights to the first car, which was delivered to him on Thursday.A team from Hendrick Motorsports along with Camaro Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser came together at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant to witness the birth of the new car. If you are wondering what makes the latest Camaro so special, its that it arrives ready to race. Power is from the same 650 hp supercharged 6.2 liter V8 as the Corvette Z06. It also has 650 lb-ft of torque, since GM has finally given up on under rating the Camaro's engine. Instead of magnetic suspension, the shocks are DSSV units from Multimatic. The front end has quick-change camber settings for track days and 1.1g of lateral grip. A carbon fiber aero kit allowed it to run around the 'Ring in 7:16.04. Thanks to Corvette Engineer Breann Voss for sending us the pictures and video! If you are looking for the world's most capable Camaro, our dealers have great incentives on Camaros for sale. Stay with us for all your Chevrolet updates.

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