Articles

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 Jordan Aquistapace – September 20, 2023

Volkswagen Group of America Secures A U.S. Distribution D...

Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) signs deal with Bugatti Rimac to import and distribute Bugatti and Rimac vehicles. The automotive market in the United States is set to become more electrifying and luxurious as Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. just signed an exclusive agreement with Bugatti Rimac. This fuel-driven partnership allows the Volkswagen Group to import and distribute Bugatti and Rimac branded models, which ultimately bridges the gap between the pinnacle of internal combustion engines (ICE) and electric vehicles (EVs). Bugatti, known for its 114-year legacy and unrivaled 16-cylinder quad-turbocharged engine platform, meets Rimac, the forerunner in ultra-exclusive electric hypercar technology, under one distribution network. The groundbreaking agreement was agreed upon during Monterey Car Week and includes key industry leaders such as Pablo Di Si, President and CEO of VWGoA, and Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac. Pablo expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to offer an even wider range of vehicles, from mass-market Volkswagen models to the opulent Bugatti and cutting-edge Rimac hypercars. Mate Rimac emphasized the importance of the U.S. market for both Bugatti and Rimac, leveraging the massive experience and resources available. With this collaboration, Volkswagen Group of America amplifies its brand diversity, appealing to those interested in both high-performance hypercars and efficient electric vehicles. View all Bugatti hypercars currently for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking the link below. View All Bugatti For Sale Source: Volkswagen

15279 TBTCelebrating20yearsofworld recordhistorywiththeVolkswagenW12Nard

By Tyler Rampersaud – February 24, 2022

Volkswagen Celebrates The 20th Anniversary Of The W12 Nar...

This anniversary doesn’t just celebrate Volkswagen’s victory 20 years ago, it also celebrates how far they have come since. The Volkswagen W12 Concept Coupe was the first foray into Volkswagen’s then-experimental “W” engine, which we have since come to see in Audis, Bentleys, Volkswagens, and most famously the revolutionary Bugatti hypercars, which to this day use the W engine to change the automotive world. Along with cars like the Audi Rosemeyer and the Bentley Hunaudières, the Volkswagen W12 Concept Coupe was a daring, experimental concept car that served as a trailblazer for the entire Volkswagen Group’s design and engineering for the 21st century, and the knowledge gained from those cars went on to be used to create some of the most incredible cars of all time. However, the Volkswagen W12 has a legacy of its own. MUST READ: Replacement For Bugatti Chiron Will Have A Combustion Engine In 2001, Volkswagen gave the W12 the responsibility of attempting a 24-hour speed record at Nardò. The original concept was improved to the tune of a 6-liter engine, 591 horsepower, and a 0-60 time of just 3.5 seconds. Volkswagen broke the record with an average of 183.5 mph over the 24 hours, proving the W12 to the world. However, the team at Volkswagen weren’t done quite yet. On February 23, 2002, just four months after the first record was broken in October 2001, the Volkswagen W12 Nardò had a second try at the world record, and it was broken yet again with an average of 200.6 miles per hour over 4,809 miles covered. And while this is an amazing achievement for Volkswagen on its own, the W engine went on to break all kinds of world records, and to this day in cars like the Bugatti Veyron, Chiron, Bolide, Divo, and more, continues to be one of the greatest powertrains in the world. Source: Volkswagen

By Andrew Nabors – September 01, 2020

Volkswagen ID.R Encore Performance at Goodwood

As the identity for an automotive empire, VW is serious about electric cars. Sunday we saw a crashed Tesla struggle up Pike's Peak, the same course scorched by their rival in 2018. That is why the Volkswagen ID.R is making an encore performance at Goodwood. This year's race is not taking place on the hill, but at the adjacent Goodwood Motor Circuit. Volkswagen ID.R Begins Testing at the Nürburgring To emphasize the launch of their ID.3, their electric hypercar will be chasing a lap record. Sir Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark ran identical laps of 1:20.4 in an informal F1 race. Given the ID.R's record-setting times at Pike's Peak, Tianmen Mountain, and the Nurburgring, we foresee a new record at Goodwood. With 680 horsepower at all wheels pushing 2,400 lbs, the ID.R represents the future of racing. Click the button for great incentives and stay with us for all your VW news. Browse Volkswagen For Sale

Volkswagen_Supports_Live_Stream_Fundraiser_held_by_Guitar_Legend_Joe_Bonamassa_and_Fender_Premium_Audio--11584

By Andrew Nabors – May 15, 2020

UPDATE Joe Bonamassa & VW Live Stream Concert

Update, if you missed last night's concert it is embedded below. Big thanks to Joe Bonamassa and Volkswagen for helping those in need. If you like good music, you will truly enjoy VW's latest press release. We learned this morning that they have joined forces with Fender Guitars to present Joe Bonamassa tonight at 8 pm Eastern Time. This live stream will take place on Facebook, with proceeds going to help musicians affected by the virus. Fender Premium Audio can be ordered in any Volkswagen for sale if you want the best in car audio. Joe Bonamassa opened for B.B. King at the age of 12, and he is an unparalleled guitar virtuoso. Click the button below and set a reminder for tonight, and you won't regret it. VW on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VW/videos/234640781176669/

By Andrew Nabors – April 13, 2020

VW of America Increases Mask & Gown Production

On the west side of Manhattan, the iconic Javits Center has been converted into a field hospital. Thankfully it has more beds than NYC currently needs, but medical staff can always use more protective gear. That is why Volkswagen of America has increased the production of masks & gowns. It is a collaboration with Faurecia that delivered an initial order of 70,000 masks and 5,000 gowns. They were distributed to hospitals around the city and quickly put to use. Faurecia is one of the world's largest automotive parts suppliers and they have stepped up to this unprecedented situation. Working with VW, their targets have been raised to 250,000 masks and 50,000 gowns per week. Even though the VW factory in Chattanooga is still closed, workers have loaded their trucks with food and supplies for the Tennessee and Virginia Departments of Transportation. Volkswagen Canada is using their press cars to deliver hand sanitizer, and VW Mexico is cooking food for hundreds of families around the factories in Puebla and Guanajuato. " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – March 19, 2018

Volkwagen I.D. R Pikes Peak, Wildest VW Ever

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.” -Ernest Hemingway. If there are only 3 real sports, what happens when you combine motor racing and mountaineering? You get the Pike’s Peak Hillclimb. Racers and teams from around the world will converge at Manitou Springs, Colorado in June. Of all the entrants, none will be as polarizing as Volkswagen’s latest motorsport project.Volkswagen Motorsport and Volkswagen R have been cooperating on this new electric supercar, and this morning the name was announced. The “I.D. R Pikes Peak will make a run up the mountain on June 24th with the eyes of the world looking on. It represents the future of the I.D. family, Volkswagen’s electric brand of the future. They are set on delivering over 20 new electric models by 2025, with production beginning next year.VW I.D. Buzz is a New Electric BusDr, Frank Welsh is a member of VW’s Board of Management and he said: “We want to be at the forefront of electromobility with Volkswagen and the I.D. family. Competing in the most famous hill climb in the world with the I.D. R Pikes Peak not only has symbolic meaning but is also a valuable test for the general development of electric cars.” In the old days, naturally aspirated cars struggled near the top because oxygen is rare at those heights. A battery-powered racer with 4 wheel drive should have no problems, at least in theory. So good luck to everyone in the upcoming event, and stay with us for more I.D. news from VW.

By Andrew Nabors – January 11, 2017

VW I.D. Buzz is a New Electric Bus

If you thought retro was over with, get ready for a modern Microbus. Volkswagen has set their sights on a zero-emission future, so get your surfboard ready for a battery powered cruise to the beach. The original Type 2 van was introduced in 1950 and the design was so revolutionary it remained in production (in Brazil) into late 2013. Embraced by the counterculture whose parents drove domestic cars and who fought to liberate Europe, the Microbus was low on power but big on style. Well-restored examples have been selling for record numbers, so its prime time for them to relive the 60's.In the original model, the flat engine allowed for ample interior room, and that concept has remained. But batteries and two electric motors have replaced the air-cooled flat four. An expected range of 270 miles and all-wheel drive are strong selling points, as long as the Westfalia camper remains relegated to the history books. The press release states that VW is in the early stages of a big electric offensive, which will culminate in one million electric vehicles annually. Sharing a modular architecture with other forthcoming products, the I.D. Buzz is the first AWD electric to connect front and rear motors with a driveshaft. With seating for eight and two luggage compartments, you will have ample room for a road trip.A fully autonomous mode is known as "I.D. Pilot" will allow the front seats to swivel 180 degrees so that front passengers can face rearward. To make the I.D. Buzz appealing to all electric enthusiasts, the RWD only model would offer 268 hp with an 83 kw battery, and the AWD will have a combined output of 369 hp with an 111 kw battery. We are excited about more zero-emission cars coming to market, so let us know if this concept sparks your interest in the comments below. Stay with us for more VW news.Sports Cars For Sale

By Edward Jones – September 19, 2016

World's Fastest VW Beetle Just Hit Over 200 MPH

The Volkswagen Beetle is more than a car, it's an icon. No, it's not the fastest or prettiest car out there, but we all know what it is and we know that hippies used to love the heck out of them. Today, the Beetle has become a jack-of-all-trades that can compete in various forms of racing and also look good cruising down the beach with the top down. To add to the model's lineage, a very special tuned Beetle LSR has broken the record for being the world's fastest Beetle.At the Bonneville Salt Flats, a little yellow Beetle LSR took off until it hit a top speed of 205.122 mph. This top speed made it the world's fastest Beetle, ever. To make this Beetle capable of such a feet was an engine overhaul that included new "new turbochargers, pistons, camshafts, connecting rods, and head modifications," according to a press release from Volkswagen. These modifications allowed the 2.0-liter engine to create 543 hp and 421 lb-ft of torque.“We are completely thrilled with the Beetle LSR’s performance at Bonneville,” said Dr. Hendrik Muth, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy, Volkswagen of America, Inc, in the press release. “The Beetle is not the most aerodynamic car in our portfolio, so running 205 mph is a testament to the power that can be made from the EA888 TSI four-cylinder engine. This feat truly underscores the sporty and pugnacious spirit of the Beetle.”There were also other changes made to the car, including a lower ride, special wheels and tires, limited-slip differential and more.View All VWs For Sale

Articles

duPont REGISTRY News

duPont REGISTRY Group

Support

Subscribe