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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 – March 01, 2020

Zenith & Habanos Unveil Watches Inspired by Romeo & Julie...

Three decades ago duPont REGISTRY was founded in Cigar City (Tampa, Florida). We are accustomed to fine tobacco, even building a mobile humidor in 2013. That being said, the only thing better than a fine cigar is a quality timepiece. That is why we are proud to announce an unprecedented collaboration. Zenith Watches has unveiled a pair of equisite timepieces based on Habanos' Romeo y Julieta cigars. A perfect blend of his and hers, these chronographs evoke the detail and intrigue of Zenith's hand-rolled masterpieces. With each watch displaying the moon's face, their goal is for them both to meet according to Shakespeare's timeless plot. I can think of no other way to spend time with my wife at midnight. From Zenith: "Established in 1875 and celebrating its 145th anniversary this year, Romeo y Julieta is one of the most revered names in the world of Cuban cigars. Between 1885 and 1900, the brand won numerous awards at different tasting exhibitions, which the brand honours as medals on its logo. The brand garnered international acclaim under the ownership of Jose "Pepin" Rodriguez Fernandez at the start of the 20th century. Being a very cosmopolitan man, Rodriguez constantly travelled across Europe and the Americas to promote the Romeo y Julieta brand, with his racing horse Julieta taking part in prestigious races across the globe. Among the many avid devotees of Romeo y Julieta was Sir Winston Churchill, to whom the brand has named its flagship vitola in his honour." From the Cigar Maker: We have always said that our relationship with Zenith is marked by the emotion that unites our brands, and we are proud to witness the series of unique watches that are the result of the alliance of these two icons of luxury. In 2016, it was the time of Cohiba, the most prestigious Premium tobacco brand in the world, with which we started this partnership, reaffirmed with new special editions of Zenith watches for Cohiba in 2017 and 2018." "Then it was the time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our Trinidad brand in 2019, and Zenith surprised Habano collectors and lovers with 3 unique watches. Today, at the dawn of the new decade, it is the time of passion, of living every second with intensity. That's why Romeo y Julieta and Zenith have come together so that we appreciate every moment that we carry this exclusive watch in our hands while enjoying this magnificent Habano” José María Lopez, Habanos Vice-president of development. Click the button below to learn more, and stay with us for the latest in chronographs. Learn More

By Andrew Nabors – November 01, 2019

Richard Mille Unveils RM 52-06 Tourbillon Mask

Nothing is as enigmatic as a performer behind a mask. Something subliminal makes us question why the face is obscured. Taking inspiration from their Skull of 2012, Richard Mille has unveiled the RM 52-06 Tourbillon Mask. Disguises have been worn by heroes and villains, kings and peasants. They can be soothing or apprehensive, so it is up to you to determine how it will be used. Adding this timepiece to your collection will give you that ability. The case is Grade 5 anodized Titanium that has been micro-blasted from a solid billet. Your mask is visible from both sides, and it offers hints at the movement inside. Eight arms extend from the case to the mask, each one cut with precision not found outside of the Space Industry. Learn More This mask will allow you to be whoever you want, and that is why it is limited to 18 examples of all four case materials. Choose from Carbon TPT, All Quartz TPT, Blue/White Quartz TPT, and Red/White Quartz TPT. They are only available at Richard Mille boutiques, so click the button above for more info. Related: New Richard Mille RM 62-01 Has Vibrating Alarm New $1 Million Alfa Romeo Racing Team-Inspired Richard Mille RM 50-04

By Andrew Nabors – October 31, 2019

TAG Heuer Unveils Monaco 2009-2019 Limited Edition

Time flies when you begin to study the details of this masterpiece. It has been 50 years since this iconic design was released. Five watches were styled to commemorate half a century of Swiss precision, and now the collection is complete. Tag Heuer has unveiled the Monaco 2009-2019 Limited Edition. Each of its four predecessors were styled to celebrate each decade since it was introduced in 1969. Many of us have been waiting for this one to see how the Monaco has evolved into its current form. The world's first square, automatic chronograph, it has been worn by celebrities and commoners alike. It is named for the famous race through the streets of Monte Carlo, and production is limited to 169 examples. It is still 39x39 millimeters with 100m water resistance. View Price & Specs Sapphire and blasted stainless make it sturdy for the ages, an heirloom that will outlast us. Click the button above for details and pricing, and stay with us for more TAG Herer news. " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – October 30, 2019

Project LpX Unveiled by Loupe System and MB&F

When it comes to jewelry and fine watches, immense beauty can be found in the smallest details. That is why you need a loupe to bring them into view. In order to store these delicate optical devices, Project LpX has been unveiled by Loupe System along with MB&F. This retro-inspired rocked is machined from billet aluminum and is stored in a heavy-duty travel case. A hands-free phone clip is included with 3x and 6x magnification lenses. Stored inside the rocket, it makes a perfect accessory for the watch collector in your life. MB&F builds amazing timepieces and Loupe System provides the best way to view them. That is why this collaboration is unlike anything else on the market. Form & function are combined into a perfect accessory, and they are anodized in black, blue, red, or green. As an added bonus, a machined block of tritium in the rocket nozzle will stay glowing for decades. Along with the included 3x and 6x Loupes, you have one open payload bay for storage. It can house a 3rd Loupe or make a great place to store something important in plain sight. Only 99 examples of each color will be made, so act quickly before this rocket leaves you behind. Click Here To Learn More " width="680"> Related: MB&F Legacy Machine No.2 Red Gold Blue Edition Announced MB&F + L'Epee 1839 Have Created Robot-Clocks

By Andrew Nabors – May 28, 2019

Mercedes-Benz Wristwatch Collection 2020

We are almost two decades into the 21st century. So why is your watch not keeping up with the times? If you need a new timepiece, we present you the Mercedes-Benz Wristwatch Collection 2020. This year's design philosophy is "Sensual Purity", through the synthesis of functionality and emotion. First up is the Sport Fashion M3 Chronograph watch for men. It has a black anodized stainless housing with PVD coating. The mineral crystal is anti-reflective on both sides and all three hands are coated in Super-LumiNova. This allows them to easily be seen in the dark. For the ladies, the Women's Sport Fashion M3 wristwatch also has a stainless housing. It is PVD coated in rosé-gold. It has Swarovski crystals on the hour and the Mercedes star at 12:00. It also makes use of the same luminescent coating and anti-reflective coating as the Men's version. The most exquisite member of the collection is the new Automatic Chronograph watch for men. It combines black carbon fiber with steel colored indices. It has a superimposed bezel with blue highlights in the top right corner, and the Mercedes star at 3 o'clock. The back has another sapphire allowing the movement to be seen. The internals are Swiss ETA 7750, and the externals are a leather strap with a folding clasp. It would be nice to see an AMG watch, but it is too fast for time. If you are interested, click the link below to find great deals on the new G Wagen and stay with us for all your Mercedes-Benz updates. Browse Mercedes G550 For Sale

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