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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 duPont REGISTRY – November 30, 2022

2021 Bugatti Chiron Sport Noire Listed for Sale (1 of 20)

Presented by Automobiles Etcetera. With a production run of just 500 units worldwide, the Bugatti Chiron is already one of the rarest vehicles of the last two decades. However, the car listed for sale today is rarer still. It is a 2021 Bugatti Chiron Sport Noire, one of 20 cars with a Matte Black Carbon exterior and a Beluga Black interior. It also includes a set of black wheels to match the rest of its darkened aesthetic. This limited run of cars exists to pay tribute to the $12.5 Million La Voiture Noire. The French car maker produced the one-off to commemorate its missing Type 57SC Atlantic of the 1930s. All 20 Noire examples feature the Chiron Sport’s 8.0-Liter quad-turbocharged developing 1,500 hp. Initially, the Bugatti offered the Noire package as a $110,800 option for its Sport model. " width="680"> Canadian dealer Automobiles Etcetera lists this specific car for sale with just 417 miles on the clock and is in excellent condition. For more information about this specific car and all the other vehicles Automobiles Etcetera has for sale, please call (514)-852-2886 or click the link below. View Price And Listing

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By Andrew Nabors – June 10, 2020

Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Hot Laps

How much car can you handle? That is the question being asked by Bugatti's latest masterpiece. The first production Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport has been years in the making. In their latest press release, chassis engineer Sven Bohnhorst said: "I never want to get out again." To keep us all happy, he has allowed the stability system to offer a slight drift when exiting hard corners. After the apex, the rear suspension is relaxed slightly. It awakens the senses to dial in a serving of counter-steer, a bit of fun that has been suppressed by the latest in AWD technology. The track at Bilster Berg is loaded with elevation and a few off-camber corners. It is an essential proving ground for your new car. You need 1,180 lb-ft of torque and 1,500 horsepower along with the civility of a Bentley Continental, so click the link below to find a Bugatti for yourself. Browse Bugatti For Sale https://player.vimeo.com/video/427637071

By Andrew Nabors – June 08, 2020

Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Tour Continues

Comparing a regular production Bugatti Chiron to the Pur Sport is not easy. One is a firecracker, and the other is a hand grenade. Two objects similar in operation while offering much different results. The latest Bugatti represents the hopes and dreams of the brand. That is why we are glad to see that the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport tour continue across Europe. From the headquarters in Molsheim, the team embarked on a trip to Paris. On display for the world to see, the citizens could delight that they build the world's most potent production cars, trains, and wine. After that, it was time for London. The car looks amazing against the bourgeois backdrop of H R Owen. Their CEO Ken Choo said: "To represent an illustrious brand like Bugatti has always been a privilege for us, and we’re honored to be able to offer our customers the unique opportunity to see the Chiron Pur Sport in the UK". If you have read this far, you know our dealers can find the perfect Chiron for you, so click the button below and stay with us for all your Bugatti news. Browse Bugatti For Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – May 26, 2020

2021 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Road Trip

Masters in Molsheim have spent millions in time and effort to reveal the true identity of the Chiron. After two years of design and testing, it is time for the 2021 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport road trip. It began yesterday with a goal of visiting the major metropolises of Europe. The first stop was in Paris, celebrating the new showroom in Neuilly-sur-Seine. After a photo-op at the Eiffel Tower, CEO Stephan Winkelmann said "We are very happy to finally present the new Chiron Pur Sport. As the most extreme hyper sports car in our Chiron2 family, it has already won many fans. It is an uncompromising hyper sports car, created for even more agility and cornering dynamics. Pure and extreme. to our customers. Many were disappointed about the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show." Much like the Veyron Grand Sport, the Chiron Pur Sport is a new model wrapped in a familiar body. We will cover the engineering behind it later this week, so click the button below to browse Bugatti for sale in the meantime. Browse Bugatti For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – August 17, 2018

Bugatti Divo Teased Ahead of Pebble Beach

Albert Divo was one of Ettore Bugatti's best drivers. He dominated the 1928 and '29 Targa Florio in a Type 35, and brought home the win both years. Everyone knows Bugatti builds fast cars, but what about cornering? Both the Veyron and Chiron have the world's most capable AWD systems, but they also have a sixteen-cylinder engine behind the cockpit.Bugatti Divo Confirmed, Costs Over $5 MillionThe Divo is en route to Pebble Beach and Bugatti has teased it as a corner carving track machine. Only 40 examples will be produced, and the design was not influenced by its predecessors. Each one will be built to order, using traditional coachbuilding for the finer details. We will be at The Quail next Friday to see it in person, so be sure to follow our Facebook page for complete coverage.

By Andrew Nabors – July 10, 2018

Bugatti Divo Confirmed, Costs Over $5 Million

Pack your bags for Monterey, because a new Bugatti will be unveiled. The production version of the Bugatti Divo was shown to a private audience of Bugatti owners before the factory would commit to the project, and the response from Molsheim was announced in a press release this morning. Named after Albert Divo, a French racer who won the Targa Florio twice racing for Bugatti. It will be lighter and have more downforce than the Chiron Sport, with a base price of €5 million (approx. $5.86 million USD).Bugatti Unveils Chiron Sport in SingaporeA bold new design language harkens back to the coach built Bugattis of the past. With an emphasis on agility, the Divo was designed to have more cornering grip than any predecessor. Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann said: “Happiness is not around the corner. It is the corner. The Divo is made for corners." The world will see it for the first time at 11:20am at the Quail - A Motorsports Gathering on the morning of August 24th. If you prefer a more mainstream model, click the link below and stay with us for all your Bugatti news.Bugatti For Sale

By Edward Jones – March 06, 2018

2018 Bugatti Chiron Sport Specs, Prices, & Photos

The 2018 Geneva Motor Show is now underway and that means all of the hottest new cars are finally getting their day on the red carpet. From France comes the new Bugatti Chiron Sport, a faster and lighter version of their already famous hypercar.Bugatti has taken the Chiron, tweaked it and made it more capable on the track. While the power has remained at around 1,479 horsepower, it's the new mechanical aspects that make it hold more presence than before. To aid in its newfound agility is a stiffer suspension setup, as well as a new Dynamic Torque Vectoring System. Bugatti notes that the Chiron Sport will route the Nardo handling circuit five seconds faster than the base Chiron. It also helps that the weight was dropped on the car, albeit just around 39 pounds.2018 Bugatti Veyron Sport Specs: Horsepower: 1,479 hpTorque: 1,180 lb-ftWeight: 4,360 lbs0-60: 2.3 seconds60-0 Braking: 103 ft “We have developed the Chiron Sport for customers wanting an even sportier driving experience with their Chiron, with improved lateral dynamics on winding roads,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “What was important for us was to leave unchanged the unique character of the Chiron, its combination of ultimate performance, longitudinal acceleration and maximum speed with luxury, comfort and everyday usability.”2018 Bugatti Chiron: Price, Specs, & Review

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