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

Aston Martin News

Aston Martin news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated daily with model reveals, first drives, auction results and current market values. Our coverage runs across the Vantage, the DB12 and the DBX707, alongside landmark engineering projects such as the Valkyrie and Valhalla. We also follow the earlier cars that established the marque's name for British craftsmanship. Reporting comes from first-drive access and from the auction floors where these cars change hands. One thing separates this from other luxury sports car news. Many of the Aston Martins covered here are listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, so the story and the asking price appear together. For Aston Martin news today, and the performance car news around it, start below.

By Andrew Nabors – February 22, 2021

Aston Martin Names Girard-Perregaux As Official Watch Par...

Haute Horlogerie and hand-built supercars are literally a timeless collaboration, and that's why Aston Martin has named Girard-Perregaux as their official watch partner. The first timepiece will coincide with branding on the Cognizant F1 cars this season. Both brands appeal to a discerning clientele, and the press release notes the same functionality in the styling of the original DBR1 from 1956. These new watches represent 230 years of innovative design and style, so check out our latest Wheels x Wardrobe featuring the DBX. As soon as these new timepieces are released you will see them here first. Aston Martin For Sale Images (C) Aston Martin

aston-martin-db5-goldfinger-continuation08-jpg-2.

By Andrew Nabors – December 21, 2020

Aston Martin Unveils DB5 Goldfinger Continuation Cars

Of all the tragedies we have endured this year, the loss of Agent 007 was untimely, to say the least. But his most famous vehicle lives on, as Aston Martin has unveiled the DB5 Goldfinger Continuation cars. Agent Q's famous gadgets were precisely replicated to function as the movie props, unfortunately, the machine guns fire compressed air. Skilled coachbuilders are using original tooling to assemble 25 of these machines, priced at $3.5 million each. Given the value of the original Aston Martin DB5 for sale, it's a bargain. Click the link below to find our Aston Martin dealer near you and stay with us for all your 007 news. Browse Aston Martin For Sale " width="680"> Image (C) Aston Martin

By Andrew Nabors – September 04, 2020

Aston Martin Victor Unveiled at Hampton Court Concours d'...

We hope the weather holds off in London this weekend. The best cars in the United Kingdom have been joined by the latest from English automakers. Not to be outdone by any other make, the Aston Martin Victor has been unveiled at Hampton Court Concours d'Elegance as a one-off creation. It has only been uncovered for a few hours and the automotive world is truly in awe of what Aston Martin has accomplished. Q by Aston Martin was responsible for the Victor and its proved itself to be their most ambitious creation yet. The design was inspired by the V8 Vantage of the 1970s and 80s, as well as the 70s DBS V8. On the body, Q by Aston Martin applied the 'Pentland Green' paint which is joined by satin carbon fiber components. For the lightning, they borrowed technology from the Valkyrie hypercar. Inside, the Victor's cabin featured the Forest Green and Conker Bridge of Weir leathers. These high-grade leathers are joined by the visible carbon fiber of the chassis. Q by Aston Martin also included anodized aluminum and polished titanium hardware, as well as solid walnut features to add an extra touch of finesse. Based on the carbon fiber chassis of the One:77, its naturally-aspirated 7.3-liter V12 sends 836 horsepower and 606 lb-ft of torque to a six-speed manual transmission. That engine actually came from One-77, but it has been rebuilt and retuned thanks to Cosworth. While it shares the inboard suspension and Brembo ceramic brakes as the One:77, this gorgeous coupe stands alone as a statement of what they are capable of. A twin-disk clutch was needed to handle the incredible power. It makes 836 horsepower without turbos or a supercharger. Just incredible engineering to their venerable V12. If you think they should build a few more examples of this masterpiece and stay with us for all your Aston Martin news. Browse Aston Martin For Sale

aston-martin-db5-goldfinger-continuation05-jpg-2.

By Andrew Nabors – July 06, 2020

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation #1 Completed

What once was old is new again, and Aston Martin have completed the first new DB5 in over 50 years. As an iconic continuation car, it was built with original tooling and identical upgrades featured in the James Bond classic: Goldfinger. Less than 900 DB5 coupes were built between '63 and '65, and the car was immortalized with Agent 007 behind the wheel. "Job 1" took over 4,500 hours to build, in cooperation with EON Productions- the owners of the Bond film franchise. Only 25 cars will be built, with each featuring a smokescreen, revolving license plates, machine guns, bullet shields, and other gadgets developed by Q. Under the hood is a 4-liter straight-six with triple SU carburetors. ZF supplies a 5-speed gearbox, and the differential is limited-slip. Power disc brakes and manual steering are linked to coil-over shocks and a thick front sway bar. Deliveries are targeted to be completed this fall, unfortunately, all cars have been sold. The best way to experience the quality and power of Aston Martin is in the new DBS Superleggera, as I was in awe after a weekend review. Click the button below to find yours and stay with us for all your Aston Martin news. Browse Aston Martin DBS Superleggera For Sale

103800465_10159964227525744_4362112660121185527_o

By Andrew Nabors – June 17, 2020

Aston Martin Speedster Arrives at Miller Motorcars

Back in January, we learned that Aston Martin had committed to building a new flagship supercar. Inspired by the Navy's F/A-18 fighter, the wild concept is the work of their Skunk Works division. 'Q by Aston Martin' has combined their twin-turbo V12 along with aeronautical and historic cues. You and your passenger will enjoy 700 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque, with storage behind the seats for a day bag. Aston Martin V12 Speedster Revealed: Two Seats & 700 Horsepower Skyfall Silver and black will leave you standing still as the beast reaches 62 mph in 3.5 seconds. An 8-speed automatic and limited-slip differential sends power to 21" center-lock wheels if you are among the chosen few. The manufacturer has made it clear that only 88 examples will be produced, so a full-size clay model is on a world tour of Aston Martin's most successful dealers. Our thanks to local supercar spotter Clare Saikia and our friends at Miller Motorcars for showcasing the future of Aston Martin. Click the button below to view their inventory and stay with us for all your Aston Martin news. Browse Miller Motorcars Inventory " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – May 27, 2020

How To Draw Your Aston Martin DBX

Master Class is a series of videos unlike any other. Aston Martin has integrated their designers and engineers along with real-world scenarios and lessons. For the 3rd episode, they are tackling the hardest question to-date. Translating their design language to the brand's first SUV was no easy task. That is why Sam Holgate offers his skills to teach us how to draw your Aston Martin DBX. Powered by a Mercedes-AMG 4-liter V8, it sends 542 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque to all wheels via a 9-speed automatic. Other goodies include 48-volt active sway bars, triple-chamber air suspension. If you want the Aston Martin of SUVs, click the button below to find one near you and stay with us for all your Aston Martin news. Browse Listings " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – May 27, 2020

James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 by Carfection

When it comes to Agent 007, we must take the good with the bad. The 25th film in the series has been delayed by the virus, which will allow editors to offer a cinematic masterpiece. Daniel Craig has said numerous times that this is his final appearance, which is a blow to many fans. However, his automotive counterpart is ready and willing to serve Queen and Country. As such, Henry Catchpole was able to get behind the wheel of this iconic Aston Martin DB5. Mark Higgins is one of the best stunt drivers in the industry, so let's see how these gentleman push the limits of the classic Aston Martin. Click the link below to find yours and stay with us for more Bond updates. Browse Aston Martin For Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – April 02, 2020

New Aston Martin Factory is Ready for Production

While production is on hold throughout the civilized world, the Aston Martin DBX is poised to be the world's most luxurious SUV. To raise the bar in terms of quality and quantity, the ancient plant at Gaydon was not suitable. So after years of converting an RAF base into an outstanding assembly plant, the new Aston Martin factory is ready for production. Located in St. Athan, Wales, it will be up and running as soon as the virus threat is over. This plant is dedicated to the DBX and has added 750 jobs to the local economy. Their goal is to deliver a hand-built SUV powered by a 542 horsepower 4.0L AMG V8. It sends 616 lb-ft of torque to all wheels. Mercedes-AMG also supplies the infotainment systems and the 9-speed transmission, signaling a new age of cooperation between the brands. Click the button below to learn more from our dealers and stay with us for all your Aston Martin news. Browse All Aston Martin For Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – November 20, 2019

Aston Martin DBX Revealed

You have been good all year, so why not reward yourself with something amazing. As the first SUV from this historic marque, the Aston Martin DBX is the perfect Holliday gift. Unveiled to the world in Beijing this morning, it is a work of art 106 years in the making. Combining the best features of a sports car and an off-road machine, it is being assembled at their new plant in St. Athan, Wales. The first 500 examples will feature the '1913 Package'. It consists of bespoke badging, and a build book signed by CEO Marek Reichman. Also included is an invitation to a cocktail party at the Waldorf Astoria. Browse All Aston Martin For Sale Under the hood is a 4-liter Mercedes-AMG V8 tuned to 550 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. U.S. pricing starts at $189,900 which includes 3 years of maintenance. Click the button above to find our dealer near you and stay with us for a comprehensive review of the Aston Martin DBX. " width="680"> Related: Aston Martin Wings Series Announced Aston Martin AMB 001 Debuts in Milan

46840411_755662268117860_2089029172288490575_n

By Andrew Nabors – April 18, 2019

Aston Martin Unveils Waldorf Astoria Driving Experience

Regardless of where you have stayed, everyone has a story of the hotel shuttle. It would be nice for a luxury automaker to join forces with the world's most exclusive resorts, so Aston Martin has unveiled the Waldorf Astoria Driving Experience. This upcoming world tour will allow guests to get behind the wheel, and hopefully influence their next purchase. Here are the dates: Palm Springs: April 5-7 Shanghai: June 22-23 Edinburgh: September 20-21 Atlanta: October 12-13 Las Vegas October 19-10 Dubai: November 2-3 Guests can book the one-hour guided tour through the hotel's concierge, but you better act fast. Both the manufacturer and the hotel chain expect the time slots to fill up quickly. This unprecedented collaboration doesn't include their original hotel on Park Avenue. That is because track 66 of Grand Central has a private elevator for wealthy guests, and the streets of NYC would not be kind to these handmade masterpieces. Click the link below to find an Aston Martin dealer near you, and you won't regret the experience. Find Your Aston Martin Here https://www.instagram.com/p/BuJhiDsn2hx/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=ho3zm7osu9t6

Aston Martin News

duPont REGISTRY News

duPont REGISTRY Group

Support

Subscribe