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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 Edward Jones – December 18, 2018

Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe V8 Models Get Priced

Mercedes-Benz USA has gone ahead and announced the pricing for the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe V8 variants. This new model was inspired by the incredibly successful SLS and AMG GT models and was the third vehicle that AMG has developed independently. You can view the pricing of both the AMG GT 63 Coupe and AMG GT 63 S Coupe, as well as their key performance/data points in the table below. Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Coupe Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S Coupe MSRP $136,500* $159,000* Engine Handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 biturbo Handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 biturbo Displacement 3,982 cc 3,982 cc Drive Config. AMG Performance 4MATIC+ variable All-Wheel Drive system (optional drift mode) AMG Performance 4MATIC+ variable All-Wheel Drive system (standard drift mode) Performance 577 hp @ 5,500-6,500 rpm; 590 lb-ft @ 2,500–4,500 rpm 630 hp @ 5,500-6,500 rpm; 664 lb-ft @ 2,500–5,000 rpm Transmission AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9-Speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9-Speed 0-60 mph (sec) 3.3 (est.) 3.1 (est.) Top speed (mph) 193 (electronically limited) 195 (electronically limited) Also Check Out: 2020 Mercedes-AMG AMG GT R Pro Revealed Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S Breaks Four-Door Nurburgring Record 2019 Mercedes-AMG G63 Price & Specs Revealed

By Andrew Nabors – December 05, 2018

2019 Brabus A-Class is a Compact Sledgehammer Sedan

Big news in the world of small cars just arrived from our friends at Brabus. Popular culture will tell you that all Mercedes-Benz fans aspire to own a G63 or an S600 Maybach. But for those who appreciate the nimble A-Class, get ready to race! Constantin Buschman and his team are using his father's prescription for performance. It starts with Vitamin B- Boost! Digging into the computer tuning has allowed them to achieve 267 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. Their B 25 S performance kit was based on the A250, but it also applies the A220 that was recently released in the US. Brabus 700 Widestar: Wicked Details The A-Class arrives with conservative lines in order to appeal to everyone. That's why Brabus added spoilers to the chin and roof, along with a rear diffuser. Forged Monoblock wheels are available in 17" to 20", wrapped in Continental, Pirelli or Yokohama rubber. They are a perfect compliment to the Brabus suspension upgrades for the ultimate in compact performance. Click the link below to find your new A-Class then contact Brabus here View Mercedes-Benz For Sale Also Check Out: Mercedes-AMG G63 and G65 For Sale LaFerrari Specs, Price, Review and Photos 2020 Mercedes-AMG AMG GT R Pro Revealed

By Andrew Nabors – August 16, 2018

Stolen Car ALERT: 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing

Thieves are the worst part of our hobby, so please forward this to everyone you know. This is the ONLY 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL with a chopped top and ostrich leather interior. Hemmings is reporting this gorgeous black beauty is one of the 30 steel-bodied cars to have the NSL engine. This was the engine normally found in the alloy-bodied cars, and it has serial number 5500434.RENNtech SLS AMG: A Legend Re-BornIn 1999, the previous owner decided to chop 3" from the roofline, which isn't easy to do on a Gullwing. Maintaining all the right proportions, it includes roof bubbles for extra headroom. It was stolen Saturday night from the parking lot of the Dorint Am Nürburgring Hocheifel, a hotel next to the finish line of the historic track.Black Rudge wheels, the custom bumpers and Marchal fog lights make this car unmistakable even at a distance. Photographer Remi Dargegen knows the owner personally, so if you or anyone you know has information please contact us or Hemmings.com. A reward of $284,128 (€250,000) is being offered, so we hope this slimeball is apprehended quickly. If you have been dreaming of a Mercedes-Benz Gullwing, our dealers have over 40 examples of the SLS AMG waiting for you!Browse Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG For Sale

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ 4-Türer Coupé

By Andrew Nabors – April 13, 2018

Mercedes-Benz Announces Car Subscription Service

If your current situation precludes you from buying or leasing a new Mercedes-Benz, they have a new & unique option for you. In a press release early this morning, the Mercedes-Benz Collection is a great way to enjoy their products. In what looks to be a long-term rental, all service and maintenance are included.You can also change vehicles at any time, and this is arranged with the collection's Concierge. Customers eligible for the top-tier level can even choose from AMG's impressive lineup. The monthly fee includes insurance, 24/7 roadside assistance, and no-cost service visits. This experimental program will be launched in Nashville and Philadelphia, but we anticipate it will be a smashing success. Get your application in early by clicking the link below and have a great weekend!View Details

By Andrew Nabors – March 20, 2018

2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R Becomes Fastest F1 Safety Car

Formula 1 racing has been known to have rather interesting cautions, so the FIA chose a new Safety Car for the 2018 season. In a press release this morning, Mercedes-AMG announced their AMG GT R has been chosen.This season marks the 23rd consecutive year that Mercedes-AMG has provided the safety car.To set the pace during caution events, the new GT R is equipped with an LED strobe light bar. Instead of hacking into the gorgeous carbon fiber roof panel, a new roof was made to optimize aerodynamics around the lights. Formula 1 cars are engineered to run in a very unique set of circumstances, so the Safety Car must be fast enough to keep the brakes and tires from cooling off and to stay at a constant speed to prevent the engines from overheating.New Mercedes-AMG Hypercar-Inspired Boat RevealedThe 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 makes 585 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, and it can reach 62 mph in 3.6 seconds. Charlie Whiting is the FIA's F1 director, and he said: "When a Safety Car intervention is required during a Grand Prix it’s vitally important that we have full confidence in the car’s ability to lead the Formula 1 cars around the track safely. That means we need a car which is not only capable of dealing with the extreme demands a Grand Prix circuit puts on a vehicle travelling at high speed, but also one which is capable of setting a pace that allows the F1 drivers to keep tyres and brakes working at the right kind of temperature so that they do not struggle while waiting for racing to resume. With the latest versions of the FIA F1 Medical and Safety Cars, that confidence is once again assured.”Should an unfortunate injury happen, the Medical Car will be there in a hurry. It is a Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Wagon. It has plenty of room for first responders along with storage for a defibrillator and respirator. Watch this year's F1 races very closely and you might catch a glimpse of these lightning fast cars. If you want to know how you can get in on the action, click on the link below to find an AMG GT R of your own.Mercedes-AMG GT R For Sale

By Edward Jones – March 15, 2018

2019 Mercedes-Maybach Pullman: Limo Built for Royalty

If you've ever felt like being treated as if you were royalty, then being driven in the 2019 Mercedes-Maybach Pullman should be on your bucket list. The extra-long, absolute top-of-the-range car is essentially the Mercedes limo you've dreamt about. While the Pullman isn't new for 2019, there are a few new updates that are being added to the car that make it more exquisite than before.Mercedes has announced that for 2019 they've added a new radiator grille to the Pullman, which features vertical struts. They say this grille was inspired by the stripes of a pinstripe suit. Fancy! The exterior can also be ordered with a new range of exclusive paint finishes, as well as the new two-tone paint scheme announced for the S-Class.Mercedes-AMG Unveils GT 4-Door Coupe In GenevaThe new, 21.3-foot long 2019 Mercedes-Maybach Pullman can be ordered starting today. It comes with a price tag that starts around $600,000 USD.

By Edward Jones – March 07, 2018

2018 BRABUS 800 Coupe: An S63 Taken to the Limit

The Mercedes-AMG S63 4MATIC+ is already a formidable car on its own, but that doesn't mean BRABUS won't take it and turn it into a supercar. Enter the new 2018 BRABUS 800 Coupe, a new vehicle based on the S63 4MATIC+. Thanks to the BRABUS 800 performante upgrade, the new 800 Coupe's biturbo four-liter V8 to push out 800 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque. With the all-wheel-drive system, this German supercar will run 0 to 62 mph in just 3.1 seconds and hit a top speed of 186 mph (electronically limited). Visual touches added to the car include new naked carbon fiber aerodynamic upgrades, 21- or 22-inch forged wheels and an exclusive leather interior. Mercedes-AMG Unveils GT 4-Door Coupe In Geneva BRABUS is allowing customers to order the 800 as either this coupe, a sedan or wagon. They can also convert any current E 63 4MATIC+ to this level at once or in stages.

By Edward Jones – February 28, 2018

Mercedes X-Class Truck With V6 Diesel Headed to Geneva

Mercedes-Benz continues to build up the new X-Class with the addition of a new V6 diesel engine variant that will be landing at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. This new 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine produces a decent amount of power at 258 horsepower, but it's the torque rated at 406 lb-ft that's a bit more impressive. This new variant will have the model name "X 350 d 4MATIC". Notice that 4MATIC at the end? That's because Mercedes will be implementing permanent all-wheel drive in this new truck.Coming with the new V6 is also the Dynamic Select system that has five different driving modes: Comfort, Eco, Sport, Manual, and Offroad. The Offroad mode will go well with the truck's all-wheel drive, the capability to ford depths of 23.6 feet, maximum ground clearance of 8.7 inches and the ability to climb gradients up to 49-degrees.Why a Truck Needs to be the Next Addition to Your Collection

By Edward Jones – February 20, 2018

Four-Door Mercedes-AMG GT Shows Off Green Flames

The upcoming four-door Mercedes-AMG GT keeps on getting teased, but these more recent teaser shots are pretty hot. Because, you know... it has green-flame camo.There honestly wasn't a whole lot to this recent release from Mercedes other than the images. Granted, this camo is one of the hottest we've seen yet... Alright, I'll stop with the "hot" puns.Mercedes-AMG Teases AMG GT Sedan With Test PhotosMercedes says these images show the new Sedan testing in diverse driving conditions, including city streets, country roads and race track tarmacs.Check back with us for the car's release at Geneva on March 6th.

By Andrew Nabors – February 15, 2018

Mercedes-AMG Teases AMG GT Sedan With Test Photos

AMG was started by Mr. A and Mr. G. They are Mercedes-Benz engineers who were bored with what they were building. From their small garage, they began to stuff the biggest Benz engines into every model. Customers would receive ported heads, big cams, and exhaust they would fit a locomotive. The result was AMG becoming a powerhouse in the German aftermarket.Of course, they became so popular that Mercedes-Benz bought them so that their expertise could be utilized on the assembly line. The first car designed and built by AMG only was the SLS AMG. It proved to be such a potent machine that our publisher bought the first roadster when it arrived in the US.The cockpit was so far behind the nose that I felt it was prone to understeer, but it was a stunning machine finished in "Alubeam Silver". It was such a hit that they followed up with the AMG GT that includes a GT S roadster and the mean GT R. We never guessed they would have a sedan in the works, but the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-doors looks to be a CLS that is training for MMA. In a teaser press release earlier this morning, we've learned that the production car will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. A camouflaged prototype can be seen strapped to a dyno wind tunnel. Downforce is a major player in the market for luxury performance sedans, so take at these photos:It looks like a production version of the hybrid AMG concept they uploaded to YouTube last year. Rumors abound that it will be aimed at the Panamera Turbo S E Hybrid, so as soon as we have the specs you will see them here first. Tell us what you think will be under the hood and stay with us for all your Mercedes-AMG updates.Browse AMG GT For Sale

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