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.

Three convertible sports cars from the Thrillseeker Collection drive along a coastal road, with the ocean and rocky shoreline in the background.

By Khris Bharath – August 14, 2025

Aston Martin Marks 75 Years in the Americas With Thrillse...

If you’re heading to Monterey Car Week this year, Aston Martin’s lineup is one that you will want to see up close. The British automaker is celebrating 75 years in the Americas with a series of debuts, headline cars, and exclusive experiences that go well beyond static displays. The biggest news is the Thrillseeker Collection, set to be unveiled on the 15th of August at The Quail. They are a trio of open-top sports cars (Volante in Aston-speak) created by ‘Q’ by Aston Martin, the marque’s in-house division that specializes in bespoke builds and commissions. Each is painted to represent a different moment in a Carmel Bay day: a Vantage Roadster in Mako Blue for dawn, a DB12 Volante in Seychelles Blue for midday, and a Vanquish Volante in Ultramarine Black for dusk. Bronze wheels, matching trim, and a custom luggage set tie them all together. Only nine exist, all already sold, with deliveries starting in late 2025. Then there is the long-awaited 1,064-horsepower Valhalla, making its production debut after years of teasers and concept appearances. This is Aston Martin’s first mid-engined series production model and its first plug-in hybrid, with a dedicated EV driving mode. Built using Formula 1-derived technology from Aston Martin Performance Technologies, it is aimed squarely at those who want hypercar performance with daily usability. The Valhalla will be on display both at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering and the Pebble Beach Concept Car Lawn, giving you two chances to see it without a glass barrier in the way. Besides the Valhalla, you can also get to see the DBX S and Vantage S models, which debuted earlier this year. Aston Martin is also turning the week into a customer experience event. At the brand’s private House of Aston Martin villa, near Spyglass Hill Golf Course, guests will get to spec their next car, sample exquisite Glenfiddich whiskey, and join evening gatherings with executives and VIPs. From the DBX707 SUV and DB12 Super Tourer to the V12 Vanquish, guests will also get exclusive access and the opportunity to drive some of the latest models from Aston’s lineup on the winding backroads of Carmel Valley. If you’re attending the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, make note that Aston Martin will host its inner circle, providing exclusive access from the early Dawn Patrol through the Best in Show, ensuring a front-row experience of this world-renowned event. With the Valhalla finally entering production and performance-oriented “S” models returning, Aston Martin is using Monterey and its Diamond Jubilee celebrations in the Americas to show it is leaning forward. If you are in town, it is worth asking yourself: would you pick one of the nine Thrillseekers, or does Valhalla’s F1-bred engineering win you over? View All Aston Martins For Sale Source: Aston Martin

By Jordan Aquistapace – November 16, 2023

Aston Martin Electrifies Las Vegas With An Interactive F1...

Aston Martin is set to dazzle Las Vegas with its most significant Formula 1 marketing stunt to date, celebrating its British ultra-luxury performance identity. In line with the much-awaited Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Aston Martin brand is spotlighting its high-performance lineup of cars and SUVs through an array of VIP experiences and track activations. Key to Aston Martin’s presence is their partnership with the Las Vegas Grand Prix. This includes its largest VIP customer program, thrilling track experiences, and dynamic displays of Aston Martin content on the Sphere throughout race week. The company is also integrating the new street circuit into its luxury configurator, a first for an F1 track. Marco Mattiacci, Aston Martin's Global Chief Brand and Commercial Officer, highlights the significance of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in their largest race marketing and VIP hospitality presence. Aston Martin's immersive advertising debut on the Sphere brings the brand’s performance cars to life, featuring the iconic Aston Martin wings and Scarab Beetle, leading to the dramatic reveal of the AMR23 racecar and the DBX707 and DB12 supercars. This advertisement uses advanced CGI technology to create a depth illusion, showcasing Aston Martin’s high-performance supercars on an unprecedented scale. At the Grand Prix, Aston Martin will celebrate its 110th anniversary with 45 Hot Laps of the unique track in DBX707 and Vantage F1® Edition, a bespoke hospitality experience for over 100 loyal customers, and an off-road DBX707 adventure in the Nevada desert. Additionally, Aston Martin is innovating with its online configurator, allowing global customers to customize their cars in the Las Vegas Strip environment. This digital innovation highlights Aston Martin's commitment to ultra-luxury and bespoke customer experiences. View all Aston Martin models currently for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking the link below. View All Aston Martin For Sale Source: Aston Martin F1

By Andrew Nabors – January 28, 2021

Aston Martin Is Ready To Race At Daytona

Although it is chilly outside, Speedweeks is heating up here in Florida. With teams preparing for the Rolex 24, Aston Martin is ready to race at Daytona. Two factory-backed teams will field the latest Vantage GT3 in the historic race, while the Vantage GT4 will star in the Michelin Pilot Challenge on Friday. This 4-hour opening event is a kickoff to a long weekend, and the weather is looking great. Team TF Sport has won LeMans in GTE, and they are excited about their Daytona debut. Car #23 starts from 7th place, and #97 starts in 13th spot. They will have their work cut out for them with Corvette Racing starting 1st and 2nd, so we're looking for a great race. Aston Martin Vantage For Sale Images (C) Aston Martin Racing

the-gte-pro-aston-martins-took-a-double-podium-jpg.

By Andrew Nabors – September 21, 2020

Aston Martin Wins LeMans & Manufacturers' Trophy

Our hats are off to the drivers and crewmembers of AMR. If you missed the live stream over the weekend, Aston Martin won LeMans along with the Manufacturers' Championship trophy. Even with one race remaining this season, Aston Martin's 1-2 finish for both Vantage GTE teams earned enough points to win the Manufacturer's Championship. " width="680"> Team TF Sports was head by Aston Martin Works drivers Jonny Adam and Charlie Eastwood took 2nd place while Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin hammered car #97 to 1st place. Tobias Moers, Aston Martin CEO, commented: “I am extremely proud of everyone who has played a part in this momentous victory today. To win both GTE classes and the WEC Manufacturer’s title is testimony to the quality of both the team, the Vantage GTE and the Vantage road car that is the basis of the race car.” If you are curious as to how the Vantage is so potent, click the button below and stay with us for all your Aston Martin news. Browse Aston Martin Vantage For Sale

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