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

180096-car_Ferrari.Tailor_Made_Indonesia

By Edward Jones – March 20, 2018

Ferrari Unveils 2 More Anniversary Models

Ferrari is celebrating their 70th anniversary in many ways, but we're here to talk about their special edition models that honor the milestone. The Italian automaker is maker 70 different models that honor classic Ferraris, drawing visual cues from the cars of the past. Recently, Ferrari unveiled two more out of the 350 total limited edition Tailor-Made 70 Style Icons. Unveiled at a Lunar New Year Gala Dinner in Indonesia. One of the models was a Ferrari California T that was inspired by the classic 410 Superamerica. Painted in Bianco Italia white and Blu Abu Dhabi, this model has a very "icy" appearance. Its interior continues the color scheme with Blue Medio Soul Leather, Black leather and white piping. The other model was a 488 GTB inspired by the FXX Pachetto Evoluzione, a Ferrari that dons Rosso Corsa body with Bianco Avus accents.2016 Ferrari LaFerrari: Price, Specs, Review and Photos

By Edward Jones – February 20, 2018

Ferrari 488 Pista Specs, Photos, Price & Review

Remember how we all thought it was the Ferrari 488 GTO? Think again. Introducing the new Ferrari 488 Pista, a new and more aggressive take on the Italian automaker's already fantastic model.Images of the vehicle were posted onto FerrariChat.com by user -CD-. In these pics we see a way more aggressive version of the 488. Its front splitter is more prominent than the GTB version and there's the addition of a massive air vent. All signs point to a more track-oriented car, right? Considering "Pista" in Italian translates to "Track," it makes sense.The images are one thing, but what about the specs? Thankfully Autocar Japan posted them in an article, but they, unfortunately, deleted that article. Methinks they weren't supposed to divulge the info. Motor1.com happened to catch it in the middle of the night and posted the specs. For power, there's a twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8 engine that produces 711 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. Compared to the 488 GTB, that's an increase of 50 hp and 7 lb-ft. Combines this increase of power with a reduced weight of 2,821 lbs (a 199 lbs decrease) and you have a car that will outperform the 488 GTB on the track. In fact, they note that the 0-62 mph time is only 2.8 seconds and its top speed is set at 211 mph. That's one quick horse.2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast: Price, Specs, & Review On the track, however, it all means nothing if there's no downforce. Well, Ferrari's engineers managed to increase the 488 Pista's downforce by 20 percent.Price? It's reported that it will be at $300,000.Check back with us for the official release form Ferrari when it's released into the wild.View All Ferraris for Sale

By Edward Jones – January 17, 2018

Ferrari Plans on Making an Electric Supercar

If you thought Ferrari wasn't going to enter the electric car market, you're apparently mistaken, according to Bloomberg's recent report. Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Ferrari and FCA, told Bloomberg that Ferrari will be the first to build an electric supercar. Marchionne then went on to say he thinks what Elon Musk has done with Tesla is "doable by all of us." Ferrari will soon be releasing a new plan for the company that will include hybrid cars, making full-electric cars a logical next step. In the talk, Marchionne also happened to mention that they will be releasing their Super SUV by late 2019 or 2020, which they say will be "the fastest on the market." Will this new Ferrari SUV outperform the Lamborghini Urus? Well, if it's the fastest on the market, it certainly will but I'm sure Lamborghini has a lot in store for their SUV. What we should really be looking at is Lamborghini's talks revolving around an electric car. Having already Asterion concept, it wouldn't be surprising that they're working on a mass-production hybrid or electric supercar.Related Video:Gas Monkey Garage Black Ferrari F40 Sells Again

By Edward Jones – December 18, 2017

148 Ferraris Show Up for Massive Gathering

The Ferrari Owners Club of Malaysia took to their country's largest exhibition center and put on the largest Ferrari gathering that Malaysia has ever seen. Showing up were 148 Ferraris, ranging from the Dino all the way up to the new LaFerrari Aperta. Not only was this meet meant to celebrate Ferrari's 70th anniversary, but it also commemorates's the nation's 60th year of independence. “All of us at the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Malaysia are united by that same love, which is the love for Ferrari," says OCM President, Abu Bakar Fikri Sulaiman. "We are thankful to Naza Italia for their infinite involvement and support of the club’s activities.”Ferrari 458: Facts You Need To Know

By Edward Jones – November 20, 2017

How Ferraris are Made by Robots

In Maranello, the same city where Enzo Ferrari started the iconic automaker, Ferrari has employed a team of robots and craftsmen to create their supercars. In a new video from WIRED UK, we get to take a look inside the factory and see just how the vehicles are made. During the course of the video, we see how a Ferrari 488 GTB is made. That includes the creation of its engine, paint application, assembly, testing and so much more.Why You Should Buy A Ferrari F12tdfIt's interesting to see just how precise and careful the robots are, and how the craftsmen work hand-in-hand with them. I'll have to say some of the coolest pieces of tech in their factory are the eight autonomous vehicles that carry powertrains and the cockpit of the cars from point A to point B.Click "play" on the video below to see how Ferrari's are made.

By Edward Jones – June 23, 2017

Ferrari Wins Engine of the Year...Again

Last year, Ferrari was the International Engine of the Year Award. This year? Guess what, they won again!The winning engine was none other than the 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 found in the 488 GTB and 488 Spider. A smaller displacement version of this engine also powers the California T and GTC4Lusso T. This same engine also won the Performance Engine class and 3-liter to 4-liter displacement categories as well. GTC4LussoFerrari's naturally-aspirated 6.3-liter V12 engine also won the Above 4-liter award for the second year in a row. Both the F12berlinetta and F12tdf are powered by this engine. Ferrari considers this a big win because " this power unit that hailed the start of the glorious Prancing Horse story 70 years ago in 1947," according to their press release.“This is only the second time in the history of the IEOTYA that such a powerful performance engine has taken the overall honours two years consecutively and won the most coveted, outright IEOTYA title," said Tony Robinson, founder of the International Engine of the Year Awards. "The Ferrari V8 is all about amazing power delivery, precision, driveability and a wonderful soundtrack, too. One day soon it’ll be a classic in its own right; indeed I think it is already!”Congratulations to Ferrari on winning big at the IEOTYA 2017!

By Andrew Nabors – May 01, 2017

Ferrari: V12 Power Is Here To Stay

Do you ever get persecuted for driving a fast car? I decided to drive my nice car this weekend, and it provoked smug remarks from a hybrid owner at the gas pump. The uneducated among us who somehow achieved a driver's license will never understand our hobby, but Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne does. In an interview with Autocar, he made it clear that naturally aspirated V12 engines are not going anywhere. He said, "We will always offer a V12." When the twin-turbo 488 GTB hit the market, almost all automotive publications said te V12 is on borrowed time. Everyone is going to small engines with turbos to save on fuel, but their effect on emissions is negligible. Also Check Out: Ferrari's New 488 Spider That's because high compression engines make less harmful pollutants than normal cars. Your compression ratio is how much the gasoline is squeezed before the spark plug fires. The more you squeeze, the more power it makes along with a cleaner exhaust. The Ford Model T had a ratio of 4.5, which made it able to run on anything from moonshine to paint thinner. Most production cars these days have 9.5 to 10.5 compression, but Ferrari's latest achievement in the 812 Superfast is a compression ratio of 13.64. To give you a comparison, NASCAR engines are limited to 12.0. My goal of building an 11.5 compression street engine are now garbage thanks to Ferrari's wild innovations. The fuel injectors are pressurized to 5,200 PSI, which allows Ferrari to deliver a precise spray just before ignition. You get what you pay for because this is race technology on the street. If you don't want to wait for the 812, our dealers have great deals on F12 Berlinettas just in time for summer. Stay with us for all your Ferrari updates. Ferrari For Sale San Francisco, CA

By Andrew Nabors – April 24, 2017

Norwegian Cruise Ship Has a Ferrari Go-Kart Race Track

For most of us, the idea of a cruise can cause anxiety because our cars can't come with us. But the latest leviathan from Norweigan Cruise Lines is the first to feature an attraction for the automotive enthusiast. Partnering with Scuderia Ferrari, the Joy will have an F1 inspired go-kart track only 20 decks above the waterline. Wealthy passengers on The Haven and Concierge decks will have rides included with their stay, while steerage 3rd class stowaways will have to pay.Related - Why You Should Buy A LaFerrariThe latest build from Germany's Meyer Werft shipyards, the small pleasure craft is 1,094 feet long with room for 3,850 passengers. At 168,800 gross tons, she is 3.6 times the weight of the Titanic which makes her truly unsinkable. We were hoping she would be based in Port Everglades so we could do a proper review of the Ferrari track, but Norweigan Joy was built for the Chinese market. Sailing from Shanghai and Tianjin, it will be a fun excursion for China's rapidly growing middle class. Speed is rated at a decent 22 knots thanks to 102,900 horsepower, and thankfully NCL is already at work planning her sister ships. Stay with us for a full review of Ferrari's latest entertainment.

By Edward Jones – April 11, 2017

Amusement Park for Car Fans: Ferrari Land in Spain Opens Up

Living in Florida, I'm surrounded by theme parks. I feel like if I throw a rock in any direction, I'm bound to hit a roller coaster or costumed character. However, there's one theme park we don't have in the Sunshine State, and that's Ferrari Land. Luckily for Spain, at least, they just had their Ferrari Land open up as the first one of its kind in Europe.Related - You Can Actually Buy Every Ferrari Halo Supercar Right NowThis new automotive-themed park takes up 229,659 square feet in the PortAventura World Resort, which is about an hour away from Barcelona. Currently available are 11 different attractions. Ferrari says their most spectacular attraction is Red Force, "the highest and fastest vertical accelerator in Europe." This ride goes up to 367.4 feet high and hits 112 mph in just five seconds (take that, LaFerrari). Other attractions include Racing Legends and Flying Dreams, two rides that allow riders to "fly" through F1 and GT history. To see all of the available rides, check their website.

By Edward Jones – March 30, 2017

Is a LaFerrari Going to be Crushed in South Africa?

Update 3/30/17 (12:09 AM EST): Stefano Siciliano commented with the following, regarding the car: "The owner of the other LaFerrari in South Africa (residing in Cape Town) has said that he knows the owner and said that it is being handled. He claimed that the officials here told him to take it out the country and bring it back in with the correct credentials, he supposedly has done that (Congo bit) and for some reason it was detained but shouldn't be a huge issue." Awesome input and even more awesome news for the LaFerrari. Thanks, Stefano!Are you a fan of the LaFerrari hypercar? You may not be a fan of what you're about to read.In 2014, an owner of a gorgeous red LaFerrari decided to try and bring his hypercar into South Africa. Upon his attempt, according to Fin24, the owner didn't pay the needed custom duties and value-added tax (VAT). Because of this, the car was stored in a warehouse where it sat from 2014 until recently. In February of this year, the owner went to export the car to the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, just a day the owner went to have the car reenter South Africa through the same port it was exported through. Unfortunately for the owner, the car was detained upon reentry.The South African Revenue Services (SARS) have issued the owner a letter of intent, meaning the owner must make a case for the import of the car. Carbuzz states that if the owner is unable to do so, the car could be crushed. After a quick bit of research, a forum post on Carforums.co.za notes that illegally imports can be "disposed of in terms of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964 (Act 91 of 1964)." That word "disposed" leads me to believe that this car could actually be squashed. Let's hope that this doesn't happen to the poor, unsuspecting car.If you have any more information regarding the import law and what can happen to illegally imported cars in South Africa, please let me know in the comments below!All Ferrari For Sale

Articles

duPont REGISTRY News

duPont REGISTRY Group

Support

Subscribe