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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 – April 13, 2016

Porsche Just Had Their Best First Quarter, Ever

With an unprecedented 55,974 new vehicles officially delivered in the first quarter of 2016, Porsche has officially named this the best quarter in the company' history. The sales surpass that of the 2015 numbers by ten percent and the maker's new SUV, the Macan, accounts for nearly half of total sales. The company is calling the Macan it's most popular model at this stage in the year. The Chinese market was largely responsible for Porche's first-quarter success, with an increase of nearly a quarter in sales.The company, though, is more focused on job security (and let's face it, they treat their employees pretty well) and customer satisfaction, states a member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing, Detlev von Platen. According to a Porsche company press release, von Platen states, "We do not measure our success by record sales alone."Congrats to Porsche!Porsches For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – April 01, 2016

Porsche's New $6,500 Office Chair RS

Racing inspired office chairs have been around for a few years, but it has always lacked the quality and comfort of production seats. Someone in Stuttgart must have heard our request, because Porsche Design just released the Office Chair RS. In a YouTube video uploaded yesterday, the incredible features are detailed. The armrests have 3 axis of adjustment, and a built-in battery powers the reclining backrest. its hook for your jacket is worth its weight in gold, and the family's coat of arms is embossed into the headrest. Not included is a security system to keep your coworkers from a test ride.It currently comes with a $6,570 price tag. Contact your local Porsche dealer to order or visit shop1.porsche.com, and stay tuned to Autofluence for more 911 accessories.

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – March 31, 2016

Turn Your Tablet into a Porsche 911

In a world where technology is advancing at a rapid rate, brands are trying to make their non-online marketing efforts a little more enticing. Famed car maker, Porsche, is no exception. Porsche understands that their standard 911 ad might not be exciting enough to get to you stop flipping aimlessly through a magazine, so they decided to level up their tactics a bit.With Porsche's new ad for their iconic 911, you can now turn your tablet into a hologram-- a 911 hologram to be exact. Thanks to technology, all you have to do is pull the acetate prism (plastic piece) out of the ad, put it together with a few folds, place the plastic piece on your tablet and with the help of a video from Porsche, your tablet is transformed into a 911 hologram video.Adweek states over 150,000 of these prisms have made their way into production, 100,000 of which will be glass and delivered through the mail.Check out the video below for more information about the hologram.Porsche 911s For Sale

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – March 01, 2016

Revealed: 2016 Porsche 911 R

The 911 series keeps adding hitters and the Porsche 911 R is no exception. The 911 R's history begins in 1967 and the race car was "entered in rallies, in the Targa Florio and in world record runs," according to a press release. The new 911 R will keep the racing tradition alive and is composed of a "systematic lightweight construction" coupled with high-level performance and a focus on driver experience. 2016 Porsche 911 R Specs Price: $184,900 MSRP (excludes $1050 destination charge) Engine: 4-liter flat 6 Horsepower: 500 hp 0–60: 3.7 seconds Top Speed: 200 mph Transmission: 6-speed manual The 911 R's focus is the track, which is exhibited in its ability to hand corners thanks to "specially tuned standard rear-axle steering which offers direct turn-in response and precise handling while maintaining a high level of stability," according to a press release. The race car comes in at 3021 pounds, shaving off 110 pounds than that of the 911 GT3 RS. Interestingly, the car comes without AC or a stereo system, but Porsche is glad to add these features at no cost. The 911 R is limited to just 991 examples so if this one is on your list, you'll need to act fast. Stay tuned for more Geneva Motor Show updates. Porsches For Sale

By Caitlin Duffy – November 05, 2015

Porsche Macan Receives Updates for 2016 Model Year

If you've been in the market for a Porsche that perfectly suits your personality and desire for connectivity, consider the new 2016 Macan. As the German manufacturer described in a press release today, the popular SUV is receiving a host of new updates for its latest iteration, with a heavy focus on furthering customization and infotainment options. The exterior is sportier, the interior is more connected and the style is more "you." The Macan now features the same Porsche Communication Management system that debuted in the 911, offering "real-time route navigation, simplified operation and an integrated Wi-Fi hotspot." A seven-inch touchscreen acts as the user interface, with an intuitive layout similar to a smart phone's. Multi-touch gestures will move you through menu options, while Bluetooth and USB connectivity options makes sure your phone or other music device is hooked up for the whole drive. Directions become even clearer with a 3D GPS display, and voice control helps you command the system while keeping your hands on the wheel. Speaking of the wheel, it's been revamped as well, offering a "re-engineered steering controller" to provide "a more direct handling experience and improved contact with the road." The road ahead is also much more clear, with new headlights featuring the Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS Plus). The light mimics day light and reaches farther while offering decreased energy usage when compared to previous models. Of course, it wouldn't be a complete range with the Macan Turbo packages. In addition to sportier design cues throughout the interior and exterior, the new Macan Turbo for sale can also create up to 400 hp, even when stationary. European prices for the Macan line have been released, as follows: the Macan S is set at €61,143 ($66,428 USD*), Macan S Diesel at €60,548 ($65,782 USD*), the Macan GTS is €73,400 ($79,745 USD*) and the Macan Turbo is €83,753 ($90,993 USD*). Ordering will begin at Porsche dealers in early 2016, though it is available at German dealerships now. Check out the photos of this updated Macan below, and if you can't quite wait for 2016 to come, find an earlier Macan from our exclusive listings. *According to exchange rates at the time of publication. Macans For Sale Gallery (via Porsche) See More Porsche News

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