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

Audi News

Audi news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated daily with model reveals, first drives, technology launches and verified performance figures. Our coverage runs across the RS models and the expanding e-tron range, together with the road cars that sit beneath them. Audi is moving quickly on electrification, and we report each development as it is confirmed. Plenty of publications carry performance car news, but few carry it beside live inventory. Many of the Audis covered here appear on the duPont REGISTRY marketplace, so a review and a genuine asking price sit together. That combination is difficult to find anywhere else in luxury car news. For Audi news today, begin with the stories below.

Blue sedan parked on a concrete surface, viewed from above. The car has a sunroof and black wheels, and it's casting a shadow on the ground. A metal railing is visible in the foreground.

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 03, 2025

Audi Of America Reports 8% YoY Sales Increase In March

Audi enjoys a strong March 2025. Audi of America is known for its celebrated luxury cars, and especially in recent years for its rapidly expanding and evolving lineup of electric and electrified vehicles, sitting at the forefront of innovation with advances like its PPE platform and a range of electric vehicles that embody performance, luxury, and practicality. With the first quarter of 2025 coming to a close, Audi has strong sales numbers to report for the month of March, with an 8-percent increase in sales for the month year-over-year. Its sales for the first quarter of nearly 43,000 new vehicles saw some of its most iconic models carrying the torch. Compared to last year’s numbers, sales of the iconic Audi Q7 SUV increased by 21 percent, while sales of the SUV-coupe luxury flagship, the Audi Q8, increased year-over-year by a significant 71 percent. As Audi of America continues to change and evolve its lineup of luxury vehicles, the celebrated factors like sharp style, spirited performance, and ample creature comforts remain along with rapid electrification and cutting-edge innovations throughout. With strong sales results in the month of March, Audi is aiming for success as the year 2025 continues. View All Audis For Sale

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 21, 2025

Audi Preserves 5-Cylinder Legacy With The New 2025 RS 3

Audi preserves its high-performance 5-cylinder legacy. The Audi RS 3 is a unique example of a small performance machine, brandishing a turbocharged 5-cylinder engine under the hood to develop immense power in a small car that gets sent to all four wheels, delivering enough performance to earn it the title of the fastest compact production car to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Preserving the decades-long legacy of Audis powered by turbocharged five-cylinder engines with performance-oriented character. For the 2025 model year, Audi is continuing to preserve the incredible legacy of five-cylinder Audis, which began with the 1976 Audi 100, and includes legends like the Sport Quattro S2. The 2025 Audi RS 3 is the closest modern car to the Sport Quattro S2, which was also the first Audi race car to use a dual-clutch transmission. With the signature 1-2-4-5-3 firing order, the unique and unmistakable sound of the engine remains, as well, an audible call to a legion of passionate enthusiasts. With 394 horsepower, the small RS 3 gets from 0-60 in just 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of up to 180 mph with the Dynamic plus package, as opposed to the limited speed of 155 mph for the standard car. Compared to the previous year, a new torque splitter and a further optimized chassis setup allow for the Audi RS 3 to have even better performance in the corners than before. Visually, 2025 also introduces a new single-frame grille design, larger intakes, a specifically-designed diffuser, and a flattened steering wheel for a performance-oriented look. Holding on to the heritage of five-cylinder performance cars, the new 2025 Audi RS 3 is a compact performance masterpiece. View All Audi RS 3s For Sale Image Source: Audi

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 10, 2025

1-of-85 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant GT For Sale

While it’s celebrated today for its extensive lineup of luxury cars including a burgeoning selection of electric and electrified vehicles, one of the most celebrated aspects of Audi as a manufacturer by enthusiasts is its rally and motorsport legacy, where a major highlight is quattro, and its incredible success in the rally arena. Obtaining a record at Pikes Peak that will never be broken since the road has been paved, the Audi quattro is a legend in the rally world, one that has been celebrated by a limited edition of one of its current performance cars. The Audi RS 6 Avant is one of the few luxury performance station wagons available on the market, and with a twin-turbocharged V8 sending power to all four wheels, it combines a formidable ability for speed and spirited driving with the luxury and practicality of a large station wagon body style. However, it served as the canvas for a collector-grade limited edition, the Audi RS 6 Avant GT, which features a livery and special details that pay homage to Audi’s racing legends like the quattro of the past. Only 85 Audi RS 6 Avant GT examples were designated for the United States, out of 660 manufactured globally. It’s a collector-worthy masterpiece that combines the benefits of Audi’s incredible luxury performance wagon with the splendor of historically-inspired limited-edition models. With only 85 US-market examples, it’s a difficult car to find for sale. However, one is available for sale at The Collection in Coral Gables, Florida, listed on duPont REGISTRY. Featuring the Audi RS 6 Avant GT’s signature livery, wheels, and body kit, as well as an interior upholstered in elegant black leather, the 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant GT for sale fits perfectly into any garage. View the price and listing for this 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant GT for sale by clicking the button, including flexible financing options through dR Finance, powered by Westlake Financial. View Listing & Financing

A sleek, dark-colored Audi A6 Avant Wagon glides effortlessly along a forested road under a partly cloudy sky, its hybrid engine whispering with every turn.

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 04, 2025

Audi Reveals New Hybrid A6 Avant Wagon

The new Audi A6 Avant combines luxury and practicality for the future. Many automotive enthusiasts champion station wagons, an underappreciated body style that few car manufacturers still champion. Audi is one of those manufacturers, and it recently unveiled its new A6 Avant, a new generation of its iconic station wagon model that combines luxury with the practicality of a station wagon. Expanding on the qualities of the previous generation, the new Audi A6 Avant features mild hybrid technology, air suspension, all-wheel steering, and an impressive drag coefficient to evolve a celebrated model. Introduced with a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, as well as a six-cylinder turbo gas engine, both variants of the new A6 Avant feature mild hybrid technology that allows for reduced emissions, and limited capability for fully electric driving. Air suspension and available all-wheel steering offer superior comfort and driving agility, while luxury and practicality are provided with ample space, station wagon cargo capacity, Bang & Olufsen sound, optional four-zone climate control, and more. With a revised design and new, innovative features throughout, the new Audi A6 Avant will start to be delivered to customers in May 2025. Available first in the European market with a starting price that roughly equates to $62,000, hopefully the sharp luxury station wagon makes it Stateside. View All Aud A6s For Sale Image Source: Audi

A new unveiling reveals the sleek Audi Q6 e-tron, an offroad concept parked gracefully on a snow-covered forest road, its black SUV body accented with roof lights and surrounded by towering pine trees.

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 27, 2025

Audi Unveils New Q6 e-tron offroad Concept

Audi’s latest concept continues to build electric off-road legacy. Audi has spent decades being known for its off-road legacy, with an epic rally heritage and a celebrated lineup of quattro all-wheel drive creations. However, Audi has also been known for its rapidly expanding lineup of all-electric vehicles, with more e-tron models continuously cropping up at a breakneck pace. Combining the two aspects of the celebrated luxury manufacturer together, Audi has revealed a new concept vehicle: the new Audi Q6 e-tron offroad concept. Based on the new PPE platform that undergirds Audi’s latest high-tech electric vehicles, the new Audi Q6 e-tron has already begun expanding Audi’s burgeoning lineup of electric SUVs. In its concept off-road iteration, the Q6 e-tron transforms from a luxury electric SUV to an adventure-ready machine from the future. Lauded by Audi’s CEO, Gernot Döllner, as a “highly emotive reinterpretation of quattro,” the new Q6 e-tron offroad concept features a 6.3-inch lift to its ride height, a wider track, and conventional portal axles for increased torque. While the portal axles mean that the top speed is limited to 108 mph, the increase of torque by as much as 50 percent at the wheel means that the vehicle is able to climb grades of as much as 45 degrees. While the Audi Q6 e-tron served as the proof of concept for the PPE platform, being the first ca to use the platform as its basis, the new Audi Q6 e-tron offroad concept shows off the wider breadth and greater potential of the platform to create niche vehicles like formidable off-roaders. View All Audis For Sale Image Source: Audi

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 13, 2025

Audi Reports Its Global 2024 Sales Results

Globally, 2024 was a year of transformation for Audi. As one of the largest names in European automotive luxury, Audi has committed to being at the forefront of futuristic electrification, with a lineup that is expanding at a breakneck pace with the goal of providing customers with electric and combustion-powered options that are both packed with high-tech features and plush appointments. In 2024, the Audi Group delivered over 1.7 million vehicles globally, and that includes a total of 164,000 fully-electric examples, a decline of 8 percent compared to last year’s number. The total amount of deliveries is down by 12 percent compared to the previous year, and Audi cites reasons like increased competition, a challenging economy, and limited part availability. In addition, the year is part of a period of transition for Audi, with 20 new models debuting between 2024 and 2025. However, despite challenges for Audi across its lineup and in global markets this past year, certain models showed success. In the United States, Audi Sport’s more than 9,000 deliveries represented an increase of 4 percent compared to the year before, and represented its best year ever in the market. Overall, deliveries in Italy increased, including deliveries for electric vehicles. Along with Audi’s new lineup of electric vehicles, the Q5 sold well at 298,000 examples globally, along with the A6 at 244,000 and 215,000 Q3s. Despite challenges this past year, Audi continues to transform its lineup and looks forward to a 2025 with strength and innovation, especially as it gears up to enter the Formula 1 racing stage in 2026. View All Audis For Sale

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 26, 2024

Audi Reveals The New Q5 Sportback

Audi continues to expand its athletic SUV coupe lineup. Recently, Audi unveiled the new Q5, introducing a new generation of its staple luxury SUV model. With a range of variants available for customers to enjoy its smart styling and ample luxury features, the new Q5 is the latest evolution of one of Audi’s most popular and celebrated models. However, alongside the standard SUV body style available of the Q5, Audi has also unveiled the new Audi Q5 Sportback, the more athletic SUV coupe style of the model. The new Audi Q5 Sportback continues what the last generation did, combining a stylish, athletic silhouette with the practical benefits of SUV ownership, like a roomy interior, ample cargo space, and elevated ride height. The design of the new generation is sleeker than the last, with enhancing design elements featured as standard that imbue the vehicle with a sporty look. All versions of the new Audi Q5 Sportback are available with mild hybrid technology, with a 2.0-liter engine in the standard Q5, and the more hot-blooded Audi SQ5 Sportback featuring a 3.0-liter V6 engine with 361 horsepower. With its sleek and stylish SUV coupe silhouette, the new Audi Q5 Sportback and the new Audi SQ5 Sportback offer a stylish new evolution of one of Audi’s most favored models. View All Audi Q5s For Sale Image Source: Audi

The sleek black Audi RS e-tron GT, known for its quickest accelerating performance, is parked in a rooftop lot at sunset.

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 21, 2024

New Audi RS e-tron GT Performance Is Audi's Quickest Acce...

Audi’s new electric flagship is its quickest car yet. Recently, Audi expanded its e-tron GT family, adding the new RS e-tron GT performance variant, which takes the title of Audi’s most powerful roadgoing production model yet. With 912 horsepower going to all four wheels with near-instantaneous electric torque, the new Audi RS e-tron GT is a high-performance machine the likes of which has yet to wear an Audi badge. However, the new Audi RS e-tron GT performance has another crowning achievement to its name, as its radically quick 0-60 acceleration time makes it the quickest-accelerating production model that Audi has ever produced. Rocketing to 60 mph from a standstill in just 2.4 seconds with launch control, the new Audi RS e-tron GT is not only Audi’s fastest accelerating production model, but one of the fastest accelerating production cars in the world. In an echelon of performance with hypercars and some of the world’s most uncompromising performance cars, the Audi RS e-tron GT is especially impressive thanks to it boasting its incredible 912 horsepower, and getting from 0-60 in less than 2.5 seconds as a four-door grand tourer. Starting at an MSRP of $167,000, the new flagship all-electric high-performance Audi RS e-tron GT performance is available to order through US Audi retailers now, and its introduction marks a new era of Audi performance. View All Audi RS e-tron GT For Sale Image Source: Audi

A white ABT XGT race car is parked on a racetrack in the United States, surrounded by fencing and grandstands.

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 18, 2024

The New ABT XGT Race Car Is Available In The United States

ABT brings V10 racing thrill to the States. Known for its celebrated ability to tune and enhance cars from manufacturers like Audi and Volkswagen, ABT is revered for its performance know how. One of the ultimate expressions of that is the ABT XGT, an Audi R8-based race car made as a thoroughbred Audi R8 LMS GT2 DTM racer. Now, that racing thrill is available to experience in the United States, with customers now able to purchase the stunning ABT race car for use on the track. Limited to 99 units, the car is powered by a 5.2-liter V10 engine with 640 horsepower and a weight of just 3,086 pounds. ABT’s extensive experience as a racing team since 2000, as well as the new ABT XGT’s extensive testing, including thousands of miles on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and Sachsenring and the Hockenheimring, ensure its prowess as a truly formidable Audi R8-based racing machine. The car's features combine luxury and gorgeous design with racing readiness. These include power-adjustable mirrors, air conditioning, and a dual-adjustable suspension with modified springs to allow for various setups. For North American customers, the price of the new ABT XGT race car starts at 599,000 Euros, which equates to roughly $635,000. If you’re looking for an exclusive race car with V10 performance thrill, the new ABT XGT has an answer and is available now to purchase Stateside. View All Audi R8s For Sale Image Source: ABT

A person with short dark hair, reminiscent of F1 Driver Gabriel Bortoleto, stands against a gray background in a black polo shirt, smiling confidently.

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 06, 2024

Audi Announces Gabriel Bortoleto As Its New F1 Driver

Audi announces the newest driver behind its F1 ambitions. Formula 1 is the most prestigious, exclusive, and high-stakes stages in the motorsport world, and with only a handful of teams racing on renowned tracks at incredible speeds in their battle for victory, becoming worthy of consideration as a Formula 1 driver is a feat that takes an incredible amount of skill, let alone winning. However, the Formula 1 universe is set to be shaken up in a big way very soon, as Audi has been preparing to make its entrance to the contested series in 2026. Audi’s entrance into F1 will come through the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber becoming the Audi factory F1 team. Along with Nico Hülkenberg, an experienced 37-year-old driver from Germany, Audi has announced Gabriel Bortoleto, a 20-year-old Brazilian driver, is joining the team. Bortoleto comes from São Paulo, and in 2023, he won his debut season in Formula 3. Now, he’s leading the Formula 2 standings. His career started at the age of six with kart racing, and by twelve, he’d moved to Europe to chase the dream of racing in F1, a dream that is going to be realized very soon. With a new talent behind the wheel, Audi’s upcoming F1 team is even more exciting than before. View All Audis For Sale

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