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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 Khris Bharath – September 29, 2026

Mecum Auctions Nashville 2026: Top 10 Results and Highlights

Last week, Mecum Auctions made its first major collector-car stop in Tennessee, taking over Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon for its inaugural Nashville auction. Held from September 22 through 26, the event brought roughly 1,750 vehicles featuring 17 collections, a substantial increase over the approximately 1,200 cars originally projected when the event was announced in March. The top result, however, came from Maranello. A 316-mile 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione Aperta, closed at $4.05 million, selling after the auction through Mecum’s Bid Goes On department. It accounted for more than a third of the $10.5 million generated by the Top 10 alone. The 812 Competizione featured in our recent list about top front-engine V12 Ferraris. Ford occupied much of the remainder of the top-end results. The 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra “Nobody’s Fool” IMSA road-racing car brought $935,000. Built by Roush Racing and driven by Paul Newman at the 1995 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Mustang won the GTS-1 class and finished third overall. Its race history, period bodywork, and association with Newman give it a level of provenance that separates it from the production-based cars elsewhere in the sale. Another Roush-built Mustang finished close behind: The 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA Trans-Am racer, which sold for $825,000. Tommy Kendall drove the car during his dominant 1997 season, when he recorded 11 consecutive victories on his way to the Trans-Am championship. A trio of Ford GTs followed. A track-only 2020 Ford GT Mk II, #14 of only 45 produced and showing 96 miles, brought $792,000. It was followed by two first-generation Ford GTs: a red 70-mile 2005 example at $770,000 and a 1,276-mile 2006 car at $737,000, respectively. The strongest custom result came from a 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, which sold for $693,000. Built around a Roadster Shop chassis and suspension and powered by a supercharged 416-cubic-inch V8 rated at 1,160 horsepower, the truck showed that substantial money continues to follow highly developed American restomods. A 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429, one of approximately 850 produced for the model year, brought $616,000. European machinery was relatively scarce among the leading results beyond the headline Ferrari. A 1965 Aston Martin DB5, chassis DB52025R, equipped with a rare factory sliding sunroof, sold for $605,000, while a 2014 Ferrari 458 Spider with 3,774 miles brought $533,500, rounding out the top 10. Not every high-profile consignment found a buyer. A 2019 Koenigsegg Regera, one of 80 made, reached $2.9 million; a Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti hit $1.95 million; a Marc Philipp Gemballa Marsien hit $1.55 million; and the much-anticipated 2026 Aston Martin Valhalla hit $1.3 million. Collectively, Mecum's inaugural Nashville auction achieved $73 million total sales, and a 75% sell-through rate. View All Exotic and Luxury Cars for Sale ***** Results reflect Mecum Auction's officially reported post-sale figures and include buyer’s premium where applicable. 10. 2014 Ferrari 458 Spider (Lot F154) $533,500 9. 1965 Aston Martin DB5 (Lot S298) $605,000 8. 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback (Lot S131) $616,000 7. 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom (Lot S208) $693,000 6. 2006 Ford GT (Lot S191) $737,000 5. 2005 Ford GT (Lot S69) $770,000 4. 2020 Ford GT Mk II (Lot S299) $792,000 3. 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA Trans-Am Road Race Car (Lot S141) $825,000 2. 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra "Nobody's Fool" IMSA Road Race Car (Lot S140) $935,000 1. 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione Aperta (Lot S261) $4,050,000 Images: Mecum Auctions

By Khris Bharath – August 17, 2026

Mecum Monterey 2026: Top 10 Results and Highlights

Mecum returned to Monterey Car Week 2026 for a three-day sale from August 13 to 15 at the Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California. 526 lots crossed the block at its three-day sale, with 328 vehicles sold for a cumulative $111.4 million and a 62 percent sell-through rate. The top 10 results alone accounted for more than $49 million, led by Ferrari’s modern icons. Leading the sale was a car featured in our list of 10 collector cars to watch leading up to Monterey: a 1996 Ferrari F50 finished in Giallo Modena, one of just 31 examples produced in the color, and #239 of 349 produced worldwide, which achieved $14,575,000. The first of the two eight-figure results established a new public-auction record for the model and marked the second time Mecum reset the F50 benchmark in 2026, following a $12.21 million result at Kissimmee in January. Mike Tyson’s former F50 provided another Monterey comparison at RM Sotheby’s, where it sold for $12.105 million. A 595-mile 2003 Ferrari Enzo followed at $12.1 million, the highest of three examples to sell across Monterey. Broad Arrow’s Nero D.S. car achieved $10.675 million, while RM Sotheby’s Rosso Corsa example sold for $9.41 million. Together, the transactions reinforce the trend examined in our Ferrari Enzo market spotlight, as the model becomes increasingly established in eight-figure territory. One of the biggest outliers was the 2004 Gemballa Mirage GT, number 24 of 25 produced, which sold for $3.96 million and established a new public-auction benchmark for the Gemballa marque. The Carrera GT-based conversion finished $385,000 above a standard 2005 Carrera GT sold at the same auction. That 3,480-mile Carrera GT achieved $3.575 million, while a second example showing just 372 miles attracted a $4 million high bid but failed to sell. During the same weekend, another GT Silver 3,844-mile 2005 Carrera GT, a model making its platform debut on duPont REGISTRY Live and part of our special Monterey Car Week drop, hammered at $3.544 million ($3.7212 million including Buyer’s Premium). These outcomes provide useful context for the CGT market, which has moved sharply higher in 2026. Ferrari rounded out much of the remaining top 10, including three front-engine V12s. A 2017 Ferrari F12tdf reached $3,657,500, coming in close to the $3,635,000 achieved by Broad Arrow for another 2017 example. A 2014 McLaren P1 HDK, 1-of-9 examples modified by Lanzante and sold for $3,575,000, the $3,300,000 Lanzante P1 Spider result set on duPont REGISTRY Live in June. dR Live still holds the record for the standard P1 Coupe at a $2,750,000 hammer price, set earlier this month. Moving on, and breaking the streak of modern exotics, a 1933 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe sold for $3,410,000. A 2023 Ferrari 812 Competizione brought $3,355,000, while a 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO achieved $3,300,000. A 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra Roadster, the second American classic in this list, rounds up the top 10 at $1,980,000. Mecum’s Monterey results reinforced several of the broader themes that defined the week. Ferrari remained the dominant force, making up half of the top 10 results; the Enzo and F12tdf provided unusually clear cross-auction comparisons, and the Mirage GT demonstrated how rarity and specialist reinterpretations can command meaningful premiums over the underlying collector car. View All Mecum Inventory *** Results reflect reported auction figures available at publication and include buyer’s premium where applicable. Cumulative sales totals, sell-through rates and average sale prices are based on reported figures through the conclusion of Mecum Monterey 2026 10. 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra Roadster (Lot S63) $1,980,000 9. 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO (Lot S115) $3,300,000 8. 2023 Ferrari 812 Competizione (Lot S24) $3,355,000 7. 1933 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe (Lot S125) $3,410,000 6. 2005 Porsche Carrera GT (Lot S74) $3,575,000 5. 2014 McLaren P1 HDK (Lot S61) $3,575,000 (New Record) 4. 2017 Ferrari F12tdf (Lot S87) $3,657,000 3. 2004 Gemballa Mirage GT (Lot S120) $3,960,000 (New Record) 2. 2003 Ferrari Enzo (Lot S105) $12,100,000 1. 1996 Ferrari F50 (Lot S123) $14,575,000 (New Record) Images: Mecum

By Khris Bharath – May 18, 2026

Mecum Auctions INDY 2026: Top 10 Results and Highlights

Dana Mecum's 39th Original Spring Classic ran May 8-16 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, offering nearly 3,000 vehicles over nine consecutive days of bidding, and it was once again Ferrari that owned much of the leaderboard. Seven of the 10 highest results at INDY this year carried a Prancing Horse badge, consistent with a broader 2026 pattern that has been with the Italian marque, with multiple record-setting sales, since the season began. Clearly, the market for blue-chip Ferrari is not cooling. The sale-topping lot was S/N 4137, the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder, documented as the last California Spyder built. It hammered at $16.5 million, with buyer's premium bringing the total to $18.15 million. This makes it the second-highest sale for Mecum Auctions this year after January’s $38.5 Million sale of the Bianco Speciale Ferrari 250 GTO to Ferrari collector David Lee at Mecum Kissimmee, 2026. For collectors tracking the SWB California Spider market, this result demands attention. In our recent market spotlight on the 250 GT SWB California Spider, we highlighted how several significant examples have traded hands for well over eight figures in 2026 alone, with the highest being the sale of S/N 2955 GT, a 1961 example bodied by Scaglietti, which achieved €16,655,000 ($19,529,784) at RM Sotheby's Monaco sale last month. S/N 4137's $18.15 million figures is second only to the Monaco Sale, and ahead of the car’s duPont REGISTRY Index (dRi) value of $16,800,000. As the final car of the line, with matching numbers and clean provenance, places S/N 4137 in a position no other example can occupy. This result confirms the upper end of the SWB market has not softened, and classic metal continues to lead the way. But the trend of more modern-metal, i.e., the analog-era supercars commanding premiums witnessed over the past 18 months continues. The runner-up to the top sale was a 2003 Ferrari Enzo in Grigio Titanio over Pelle Rosso, the only Enzo produced in this color combination, which realized $10.23 million all-in. In terms of some top Enzo sales, a Nero 2003 example at $15,185,000 was the top-selling lot at the Broad Arrows Amelia Island auction in March, with the all-time record-setting sale being the Giallo Modena example at $17, 875,000, from the Bachman Collection, also from Mecum Kissimmee this January. Moving on, a 2014 LaFerrari, 57 delivery miles and one of 120 U.S.-specification examples produced, realized $8.58 million, setting a new model record. The 2005 Maserati MC12, one of only 50 produced worldwide, fetched $9.46 million, confirming that ultra-rare mid-2000s supercars with Ferrari Group connections continue to find serious bidders. It also became the most expensive Maserati to sell at auction, a marque record for the Trident, surpassing the previous records of $6.1 million for a 1955 300S Sports Racing Spider set at Goodwood in 2013, and $5.2 millon for another MC12 set at Monterey last year. The 1991 Ferrari F40, 1,773 miles and one of 213 U.S.-specification examples, settled at $5.17 million. The lone American entry in the top 10 was a 1965 Shelby GT350R Fastback. SFM5R106, one of only 34 production R models raced by Dick Jordan, realized $2.75 million. In our recent market spotlight on the Lamborghini Miura, we highlighted how the market is finally paying attention to what is widely considered the world's first supercar, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026. A 1972 P400 SV in Bleu Tahiti with gold accents over white leather, the only example produced in this combination, produced a $4.675 million result. Overall, the fifth consecutive year saw 25 vehicles cross the $1 million mark, across several classic cars and top-tier hypercars, such as a 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and a 2026 Aston Martin Valhalla at $2,200,000 each, a 2020 McLaren Speedtail at $2,090,000, and a 1995 Bugatti EB 110 Super Sport at $1,870,000. Mecum INDY 2026 achieved an impressive $193 million in total sales, a new record for the event, with $127 million on the final day alone and a sell-through rate of 76 percent. 10. 1971 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder | (Lot #S155) $2,530,000 | 1-of-122 Produced, Ferrari Classiche Certified With Red Book 9. 1965 Shelby GT350R Fastback | (Lot #S184) $2,750,000 | 1-of-34 Production R Models, Ex-Dick Jordan Race Car 8. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 | (Lot #S147) $2,860,000 | 1-of-330 Produced, 3.2 L/300 HP Colombo V-12 7. 1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV | (Lot #S148) $4,675,000 | Only Example in Bleu Tahiti With Gold Accents 6. 1991 Ferrari F40 | (Lot #S137) $5,170,000 | 1-of-213 U.S.-Market Examples 5. 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari | (Lot #S191) $8,580,000 | 1-of-120 U.S.-Market Examples (Model Record) 4. 2005 Maserati MC12 | (Lot # S143) $9,460,000 | 1-of-50 Produced (Model/Marque Record) 3. 1995 Ferrari F50 | (Lot #S139) $9,790,000 | 36-of-349 Produced, Only 843.2 Original Miles 2. 2003 Ferrari Enzo | (Lot #S190) $10,230,000 | Only Enzo Produced in Grigio Titanio Over Pelle Rosso 1. 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder | (Lot #S159) $18,150,000 | The Last Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder Built View All Mecum Inventory Images: Mecum Auctions

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