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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

By Charles Bradley – May 04, 2025

Cadillac Formula 1 Team Debuts Bold New Logo at Glamorous...

The new Cadillac Formula 1 Team has revealed its official team logo in a cinematic teaser video unveiled during a star-studded event at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Set to join the FIA Formula 1 World Championship grid in 2026, the team took center stage at Queen in South Beach, Miami, hosting a high-profile launch that matched the luxury and ambition of the brand. The exclusive event, hosted by actor and former NFL star Terry Crews, brought out motorsport royalty, including Mario Andretti and ex-Ferrari F1 winner Eddie Irvine. A key highlight of the evening was the first glimpse of the team’s bold branding, a visual representation of Cadillac’s entrance into the pinnacle of global motorsport. General Motors, through its iconic Cadillac luxury brand, is stepping into Formula 1 with a 350-strong team to compete against elite names like Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, McLaren, and Red Bull Racing. The entry is backed by a partnership with TWG Motorsports, led by Dan Towriss and born out of the Andretti Global organization, which competes in the IndyCar Series and Formula E World Championship. The team’s branding draws from Cadillac’s rich heritage and American identity, bringing a fresh voice to Formula 1’s traditionally European landscape. “Cadillac is honored to share the F1 stage with the best luxury brands from around the world,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “It’s a brand whose legacy on and off the track is filled with innovation, technological precision, and timeless beauty. Our journey has been long, but from the very beginning, it has been about ambition… audacity… and now acceleration.” https://twitter.com/Cadillac_F1/status/1918850162509709602 Cadillac Formula 1 Team CEO Dan Towriss also addressed the journey to Formula 1: “It’s been a long journey, and when we said we were going to build a Formula 1 team, we were told it would be ‘too hard, too ambitious and take too long to do it,’ but every ‘no’ sharpened our focus… Every time we ran into an obstacle, we just found a new way, a new path to get around it.” As the 11th team on the 2026 Formula 1 grid, speculation has intensified around Cadillac’s driver lineup. American IndyCar star Colton Herta remains a strong candidate, while a huge crowd assembled outside the Miami event and echoed chants of “Get Checo!” in support of Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez, following his exit from Red Bull Racing at the end of last season. Cadillac has appointed experienced F1 figure Graeme Lowdon as team principal and will begin racing with Ferrari power units until 2029, when GM Performance Powertrains will take over as a full FIA-approved F1 power unit supplier. With the reveal of its branding, Cadillac has set the tone for what promises to be a groundbreaking chapter in luxury performance and American motorsport ambition. View All Cadillacs For Sale Source: Cadillac, X

A person in a racing suit stands between a Formula 1 car and a limited-run Mercedes-AMG GT 63 on a racetrack with grandstands in the background, evoking scenes from the upcoming Brad Pitt F1 film.

By Khris Bharath – May 04, 2025

Limited-Run Mercedes-AMG GT 63 'APXGP Edition' Unveiled A...

With the 2025 Miami Grand Prix weekend upon us, Mercedes-AMG has taken the wraps off the GT 63 “APXGP Edition”, a limited-run coupe that celebrates the upcoming Apple Originals film, F1. Starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, and directed by Joseph Kosinski (who also directed Top Gun: Maverick), was shot during actual Grand Prix weekends. Pitt plays a retired driver pulled back into the high-stakes world of Formula 1, mentoring a young talent portrayed by Idris. Lewis Hamilton served as one of the producers, while Mercedes-AMG played a key role in production, from supplying track-ready AMG models, including an AMG SL, G-Class, GT, and FIA safety and medical cars, to helping with the crafting of the movie’s fictional racing team, APXGP. The race cars featured in the film, convincingly wrapped by Mercedes to look like F1 cars, are built on a Formula 2 chassis. This brings us to the special edition road car. The AMG GT 63 APXGP Edition borrows heavily from the fictional race team. Painted matte black with race gold accents surrounding the AMG-specific grille, it wears a chequered flag motif behind the front fender vents and is set against contrasting matte race gold 21-inch forged wheels. The carbon-fibre aero-kit, made up of splitters, sills, rear diffuser, and a fixed rear wing, is shared with top-tier AMG packages. As part of the extended Night Edition Package, black chrome now features on the radiator grille, the AMG crest, and the three-pointed star on the rear. Inside the race gold theme continues, with carbon fiber trim, black Nappa leather, and microfiber suede on the seats and steering, set against gold contrast stitching on the door panels, instrument panel, and the center armrest. It doesn’t stop there as the door sill trims feature AMG lettering that is backlit in gold, and the floor mats come with a leather insert embroidered with the APXGP logo in race gold. On the tech front, you get a high-end 15-speaker 1,170-watt Burmester audio system and a data logger that comes with the AMG Track pack. Just 52 examples of this special edition will be made worldwide, and each will come with a numbered badge that showcases the car’s exclusivity. As for performance, this sports car may be movie-themed, but it still packs a hand-built 4.0-liter Bi-turbo V8 with 577 horsepower, which gets you to 60 mph in just over 3.0 seconds. Throw in all-wheel drive, active suspension, a front-axle lift system, rear wheel-steering, and carbon ceramic brakes, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic grand tourer that can also do duty on track. Mercedes-AMG hasn’t announced pricing for the APXGP Edition, but considering the standard GT63 coupe starts just shy of $180,000, this limited run model targeting collectors should cost more. For fans, expect high-octane drama in the film F1, which is set to hit theaters internationally on June 25 and June 27 in North America. View All Mercedes-AMG GTs For Sale Source: Mercedes-AMG

By Jordan Aquistapace – February 27, 2023

LEGO's First Supercar And Hypercar McLaren Speed Champion...

Paying homage to the history of McLaren Automotive, the new speed champions set is designed to capture future auto enthusiasts.

By Andrew Nabors – December 20, 2017

McLaren Philadelphia Opens F1 Service Center

I don't know about you, but going without my car for weeks can be traumatizing. For the lucky owners of the classic McLaren F1, routine maintenance has involved shipping the cars back to England. The reasons for this are because of the nature of the beast. As a street legal race car, every nut and bolt must be checked with precisely calibrated tools. Since there are around 20 cars in the US, McLaren Special Operations has collaborated with our friends a McLaren Philadelphia to open the first F1 service center in the US.Their incredible inventory of new & pre-owned cars is among the most diverse we've encountered and this new facility has been designed to cater to any needs of their clients. Technicians have access to the only set of specialized F1 tools outside of the UK. The fuel tank requires replacement every 5 years, so the technicians were trained at the factory in order to perform tasks both large and small.McLaren Philadelphia Puts on Spectacular 720S Unveiling EventIn the press release, President of McLaren North America Tony Joseph said: “The key to servicing and maintaining a McLaren F1 correctly is allowing adequate time for the technician to meticulously check every nut and bolt—servicing an F1 is not a quick process. For North American owners, when you add up the time the actual service takes, with transport time to and from the U.K. – it equals a lot of time away from their vehicle. Having a service center in North America will allow us to drastically cut back on transport time and gives us an authorized facility that prioritizes North American F1s and owners.”As you probably know, McLaren Philadelphia has been a fixture in our magazine and at our events since they opened. So if you are looking for a carbon fiber Christmas gift, click on the link below and stay with us for all your McLaren updates.View Inventory

By Andrew Nabors – July 20, 2016

New McLaren F1 Successor Planned For 2018 Debut

When McLaren returned to building street legal cars in 2011, the question on everyone's mind is how the F1 would be surpassed. Arguably the best car ever built, it was powered by a naturally aspirated V12 and featured a unique three-seat cockpit. In a shocking revelation, Autocar is reporting that some of the best features of the F1 are being brought into the 21st century for a new hyper-GT car. For outright performance, the P1 will remain on top, and this new model will emphasize comfort and heritage.Yes, that's right, the McLaren F1 may be coming back to life.(Related Read - McLaren 650S: Top 5 Driving Features) It will be styled to showcase the abilities of McLaren Special Operations, with the aim of being the perfect GT car for long distance trips. Extensive changes to their carbon fiber mono cell are being made to accommodate the three seat layout, and engineers have been asked to "shrink wrap" the composite body over the chassis. Not only will this provide more interior room than their previous builds, it will clearly show how much time was spent in development. Power is speculated to be north of 700 hp, probably from their twin turbo 3.8L V8. The complex hybrid drive of the P1 will not be used, as it's probably being refined for their next hypercar.Again this information is from an Autocar source and is not official. Since this car is still on the drawing board stay with us for updates on the world's fastest 3-seater.View McLarens For Sale

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