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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 Andrew Nabors – August 10, 2016

2018 Ford Mustang GT500 Spied Testing in Dearborn

Automotive manufacturers work hard to keep their designs undercover, but camouflage only goes so far. The avid Mustang fans over at Mustang6G.com have been waiting for the arrival of the GT500 since the launch of the GT350, so it's no surprise they spotted it first. In a video uploaded last night, a disguised Mustang test mule was spotted returning to the Dearborn Proving Grounds and it could be the heavily anticipated GT500.Rolling on carbon fiber wheels from the GT350R, the unique exhaust note is leading many to believe the GT500 will have forced induction. Being absent from the lineup since 2014, it has large shoes to fill. The previous GT500 made 662 hp and 631 lb-ft of torque from a 5.8L supercharged version of their modular V8. In the meantime, they've built a naturally aspirated monster with the 5.2L-powered GT350. It uses a flat-plane crankshaft to deliver 526 hp and 429 lb-ft by screaming to 8,250 rpm. Rumors are that Ford has taken the lessons learned in this design and added a supercharger or turbos for an unprecedented level of power in the GT500. If you can't wait for 2018, check out the listings from our dealers by clicking below.View All Mustangs For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – August 02, 2016

Lamborghini Centenario Formally Unveiled at Nardo Ring

Last week we found footage of AutoBild behind the wheel of the Lamborghini Centenario. It was a quick glimpse of the formal unveiling, which saw journalists from around the world converge at Italy's famed Nardo Ring. Used as a proving ground for many European manufacturers, the facility takes its name from a 7.8-mile circular track which contains a road course and a drag strip. Alongside the Huracan and Aventador SV, the Centenario was filmed in action, with the active rear spoiler working hard under braking.(Related - Afrojack Pulled Over in his Lamborghini Aventador SV)With the eyes of the world upon them, Lamborghini engineers were probably nervous about how the new model would perform for the press, and the drivers were probably hesitant to push the incredibly rare car in the manner it was designed for. The exterior has more exposed carbon fiber than any predecessor, and it is symmetrical at every axis. Inside is a sharp departure from previous models, with a 10" touchscreen offering Apple CarPlay integration. Looking to the future while celebrating Mr. Lamborghini's 100th birthday was a tall order to fill, so stay with us for updates on this Italian masterpiece.Aventador SV For Sale|Huracan For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – July 29, 2016

Eye Candy: 13 Koenigseggs Gather for Owners Tour 2016

In a perfect world, all cars would be V8 engines with over 600 horsepower. For fourteen years Christian von Koenigsegg is trying to build that world one car at a time. In what has to be the largest gathering of his cars we have seen, the highlights of Koenigsegg's 2016 Owners Tour were uploaded earlier this morning. Like a proud father calling his children home, over 10 percent of their production models gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark. In what has to be one of the most scenic rallies ever created, they drove north for a tour of southwestern Sweden before returning to Denmark.(Related - Lamborghini Italian Tour: Beautiful Scenery, Beautiful Cars) Take a second to comprehend how much power was combined here. The CCX was the first model for world production and it even on a bad day it ovvers 795 hp. Each successive model has raised the bar in terms of light weight construction and incredible power levels. Nascar fans should probably stop reading here, because the One:1 is capable of shaming even the most powerful Sprint Cup car. We hope they upload more footage of this event, as they are the state of the art in supercars. Stay with us for more Koenigsegg news.View Koenigseggs For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – July 26, 2016

Audi R8 Almost Crashes at the Ring

We have told you why you should buy an R8, but here is the best reason yet. The old north circuit of this hallowed track (Nordschleife) has claimed 78 lives and countless cars since 1928, which is why Eifeler888's crash footage has such a following. If you are reading this, you probably remember what cars were like without stability control and ABS. Everyone of us has had moments when power overcomes traction and your car takes you on a wild ride. In what has to be the best advertisement for Audi's quattro system, one brave spectator captured an R8 GT in an unscheduled drift.(Related: Koenigsegg One:1 Suffers Major Wreck, Explanation On What Happened)Cornering is fun with all-wheel drive, but toss in an elevation change and the tire's contact patch to the pavement becomes very small. The 2017 R8 uses the Huracan's electronic center differential to instantly transfer power front to rear. But the first generation models used a viscous coupling similar to the Diablo VT (Viscous Traction). It relies on clutch plates suspended in thick oil that are activated when the rear tires lose traction. While it might not respond as quickly as the new model, this video is proof that all-wheel Drive can be the difference between a soiled seat and a hospital bill.Although that noise of the end didn't sound too good...View R8's For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – July 19, 2016

Lamborghini Centenario Hot Laps at the Nardo Ring

Sprechen sie Deutsch? Our German speaking fans have always asked why we don't publish more content in their native tongue, so here we go. As a celebration of Mr. Lamborghini's 100th birthday, the Centenario LP 770-4 is based on the Aventador, and it might be a foreshadowing of their next flagship. Auto Bild is celebrating their 30th Anniversary as Germany's authority on everything automotive, so the decided to test the new Lamborghini in Italy at the famous Nardo Ring.(Also Check Out - Lamborghini Centenario On The Road For The First Time)I wish we could offer more in terms of a translation, but the performance speaks for itself. Power is rated by Lamborghini at 770 ps or metric horsepower, which is equivalent to 759 hp when converted to SAE. Only 20 coupes and 20 roadsters will be produced, and they have all been spoken for. Stay tuned to Autofluence, because we hope to find the opposite video next week. Who wants to see an Italian driver flogging the latest Huracan at Nürburgring?View Lamborghinis For Sale

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – June 21, 2016

Bugatti Chiron Makes Debut at Le Mans in France

Le Mans is known for bringing out the contenders. Each year, car enthusiasts crowd the streets and the stands to catch a glimpse of their favorite supercars. This year's 24 Heures de Mans in France was no exception, as the Bugatti Chiron was spotted at the event. During the driver's parade, crowds gathered to get a first-hand look at Bugatti's newest supercar. Photographers snapped away in a frenzy and fans watched in awe as the modern marvel made it's way down the proverbial red carpet.View Bugatti Chiron InventoryAfterward, the Chiron made its way to the track to the cheers of thousands more car aficionados. Le mans echos Bugatti's sentiments of the Chiron as, "the most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive production supercar" to greet the streets of France. To recap, the Chiron features an impressive spec sheet, which includes an 8-liter W 16 engine capable of 1500 horsepower and 1180 lb-ft of torque. This powerhouse propels from 0-60 in a mere 2.5 seconds with a top speed of 260 mph. This elegant, beast of a supercar comes in myriad color combinations perfectly suited for its owners.Bugattis For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – April 14, 2016

ICON FJ #101 Pre Delivery

In the Dark Ages, alchemists struggled to find ways to turn simple metals into gold. Jonathan Ward and his team at ICON 4x4 have perfected this lost art by transforming oxidation and abandonment into the most coveted vehicles on the market.Many builders would be content to hand over a vehicle as soon as the paint has dried, but Mr. Ward chooses to take us along for a shakedown ride in their latest FJ44. Because rust is so prevalent on the original FJ models, ICON fabricates an all-new body of 5052-H32 aluminum. Since only the best will do, this expensive alloy body is powder coated inside and out, making it virtually indestructible.A Chevrolet LS3 V8 and automatic transmission send power to Dana style Dynatrac axles. Working with Brembo, ICON has developed a big brake kit which utilizes hydroboost instead of vacuum assist. This allows for great feedback through the pedal, and no meddlesome ABS interruptions. To fully list the finer points of this build would take a few hours, but here is a quick run down for your viewing pleasure. Stay tuned to Autofluence for more ICON builds.Icons For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – April 13, 2016

2018 BMW Z5 Prototype Spied

Cold weather testing is a critical phase of development for any new car, especially one intended for sale worldwide. We have heard rumors of BMW and Toyota collaborating for years on a new sporty roadster, and it looks like the program is well underway.In a YouTube video uploaded yesterday, Car Spy News somehow battled white out conditions to capture something new in action. With more camouflage than Duck Dynasty, this two-seater looks very capable on frozen roads. The rumor mill suggests that Toyota's version will feature a retractable hard top while the BMW retains cloth, but that is all we know for now. The exhaust note suggests it won't be the next Z8 or turbo Supra, but let's hope they offer a manual transmission to make it the ultimate driving machine. Stay tuned to Autofluence for more spy footage.BMW Z4s For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – April 01, 2016

Ben Collins Thrashes McLaren 570S Around Goodwood

Former Stig, Ben Collins, knows a thing or two about driving.By now you have probably seen reviews of the McLaren 570S, but having a proper British driver flog the newest McLaren around Goodwood is entertainment at its finest. In a YouTube video uploaded Wednesday, Collins extols the virtues of the new supercar. I had the opportunity to drive one around Baltimore's Inner Harbor back in January, so I am only slightly jealous.He doesn't mention it, but the door sills of the 570 are much lower than previous McLaren models, and the 12-speaker audio system by Bowers & Wilkins is unreal. If you have an opportunity to drive one, don't pass it up. Stay tuned to Autofluence for more McLaren news.McLaren 570S For Sale

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

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