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.

By Jordan Aquistapace – July 28, 2023

Audi Reports Strong 2023 Performance, Boosting Electric V...

The Audi brand celebrated its best-ever June, with a total of 182,075 vehicles sold.

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 04, 2023

Audi Had Its Best-Ever EV Sales Again In Q1 2023

Audi credits its continued success to electrification.

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 16, 2023

Audi Group Celebrates $8B Profit In 2022

Audi and its brands continue to enjoy success.

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 05, 2023

Audi of America Reports Best-Ever EV Sales In 2022

With 2022 in the books, Audi is optimistic about the electric future. With Audi’s lineup of e-tron all-electric vehicles, the four-ringed brand has been one of the automotive industry’s most aggressive when it comes to making the transition toward electrification. With 2022 coming to a close, Audi’s end-of-year results show that its move toward electrification has been well received, as in the last year, electric vehicle sales increased year-over-year by an incredible 47 percent, marking double-digit percentage growth for year-over-year EV sales for the third year in a row. In general, fourth-quarter sales increased year-over-year by 63 percent as well. MUST READ: 2022 Audi RS 6 Avant Review: Putting It All Together In the future, Audi looks forward to further expanding its all-electric lineup, with the goal of having a U.S. model lineup that is 30 percent electrified by 2025. With Audi’s newest all-electric models, the Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron, showing impressive growth and popularity in sales, the introduction of new all-electric Audis, including the reintroduction of the e-tron SUV as the Q8 e-tron, is what Audi plans to do to not only continue but increase its existing success. With electric vehicles as a prominent focus, Audi is fully charged for its bright future. View All Audis For Sale Source: Audi

By Tyler Rampersaud – October 31, 2022

Audi Group Enjoys Financial Success In Q3 2022 Despite Su...

Audi has a positive present and an even brighter future. The automotive industry is still facing major challenges, but after the first 3 quarters of this year, Audi and its brands have continued to show their ability to remain strong and successful despite the unique circumstances. As a matter of fact, the Audi Group’s portfolio has plenty of future ventures to look forward to in the coming years, and on top of its current financial success, these new opportunities look promising. MUST READ: Audi Selects Sauber As A Strategic Partner For Its 2026 Formula 1 Debut While deliveries are down for the group due to remaining supply chain bottlenecks year over year, they increased by almost 12% for the Audi brand this quarter. Year over year, Audi’s own electric vehicles increased in deliveries by over 45%, proving their positive reception among customers. Starting in 2026, Audi will only launch new models that are fully electric. Audi is also announcing that the e-tron’s successor will be announced soon. This year marked Audi’s announcement that it will participate in Formula 1, and this quarter, Audi announced that it chose Sauber as a partner for the venture, with Audi planning to invest in Sauber Group as part of the partnership. Revenue for the group as a whole increased by 10.4% for the first three quarters of the year, with the Lamborghini, Bentley, and Ducati brands all enjoying success that contributed to the entire Audi Group. Finishing the year strong is in the Audi Group’s sights, with new electric ventures and future racing success to come. View All Audis For Sale Source: Audi

By Tyler Rampersaud – October 26, 2022

Audi Selects Sauber As A Strategic Partner For Its 2026 F...

We knew Audi was entering Formula 1, but now we know how. Audi has already achieved an incredible legacy and success in the motorsport world. Now, the brand is looking to prove itself in what is arguably the most notorious arena in racing: Formula 1. Audi has already announced its plans to partake in the intense series, and now the brand is announcing that it will enter Formula 1 by selecting the storied Swiss racing team Sauber as a strategic partner. MUST READ: Watch Ken Block Drift His Audi S1 Hoonitron In Hoonigan’s Electrickhana Las Vegas Video In doing so, Audi plans to acquire a stake in the Sauber Group. From 2026 onwards, what is now the Sauber racing team will compete as Audi’s factory team. The Audi power unit for the race car is being developed and will be manufactured at Audi’s Neuberg facility, while the rest of the car will be developed and manufactured in Switzerland by Sauber, who will also be responsible for racing operations. Audi and Sauber’s history includes the use of Sauber’s world-class wind tunnel in developing Audi’s famously successful Le Mans cars. Audi is entering the racing series at an important and deliberate time, as 2026 is when Formula 1 plans to make a significant turning point toward sustainability. As Audi’s entire brand is making a similar shift, Audi and Formula 1 are looking forward to innovating for sustainability and efficiency simultaneously. Sustainable and CO2-neutral fuel will power the F1 engines of 2026, and the entire series plans on being carbon-neutral by 2030. View All Audis For Sale Source: Audi

By Tyler Rampersaud – July 29, 2022

Audi Group Shows Increased Revenue And Profit In The Firs...

The Audi Group stays strong while the auto industry struggles. The Audi Group, consisting of Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Ducati, has good news to share when it comes to the financial numbers the group has achieved in the first half of the year. The group was able to deliver a total of 797,587 cars to customers in the first six months of the year, and while that’s down from 2021’s number of 986,567 number, that comes as a result of the ongoing semiconductor crisis and lockdowns still being in place in China. Despite this, both Lamborghini and Bentley increased sales. MUST READ: The New Netflix Movie, The Gray Man, Features Four Audi Models In The Action One of the most important parts of these results is the fact that electric vehicles continue to be a successful venture for Audi. 50,033 electric vehicles were delivered compared to 2021’s number for the same period, 32,775. The Audi Q4 e-tron grew significantly in sales, and now, electric vehicles account for 6.3 percent of Audi’s sales. Total revenues increased compared to the first half of 2021, with a total of €29.9 billion euros compared to €29.2 billion last year, and the consolidation of Bentley since January 1 contributed greatly to this. Along with that, the period’s operating profit of €4.933 billion marks a new all-time high for the group, representing a 58.5 percent increase compared to last year’s number of €3.113 billion. Based on these strong results, Audi Group plans on continuing its success and finishing the second half of the year strong, with total deliveries of 1.8 to 1.9 million vehicles, and with the amazing lineup of vehicles from Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and Ducati, their success will mean exciting new cars on our roads. View All Audis For Sale Source: Audi

By Tyler Rampersaud – May 06, 2022

Audi's Q1 2022 Shows Increased Profit And Dramatically In...

Audi and its brands stay successful in a tough environment. The results are in, and the Audi Group, which consists of Audi, Lamborghini, Ducati, and Bentley, was able to grow operating profit to €3.5 billion in the first quarter, and Audi says that the group is on track to deliver nearly 2 million vehicles this year with an operating margin of 9 to 11 percent. MUST READ: The New Audi RS3 Is The Fastest Compact Car Around The Nürburgring Vehicle deliveries struggled while the pandemic and supply chain crises still plague much of the world, but in better news, fully electric vehicle deliveries increased by over 66 percent compared to Q1 2021, going from 14,583 to 24,236 fully electric vehicles delivered worldwide. With Bentley being the group’s newest member, revenue increased to nearly €14.3 billion, with an operating return on sales at 24.3 percent, over double the 10 percent of Q1 2021. With Lamborghini, Ducati, and Bentley all experiencing similar success, Audi is on track to meet and possibly surpass the great expectations it set out for 2022, and with a portfolio full of amazing cars, it’s far from impossible to achieve them. View All Audis For Sale Source: Audi

By Andrew Nabors – January 06, 2021

Fast Financials 2020 Q4: Audi SUVs Lead The Way

Four rings and All Wheel Drive make for a perfect family hauler. That's why we were glad to see that Audi SUVs lead the way into 2021. Sparked by a full year of production, the E-Tron is up 10% YTD. With a total of 58,373 deliveries, a hit of 17% is also what we saw from their competitors at BMW. Sedans of all brands are down when compared to SUVs, but the A3 (including S3 and RS3) was only off by 5%. For Certified Pre-Owned models, the Q8 saw a record explosion of 186% over 2019. The fresh & compact Q3 is up by 84%, and they saved the best for last. Spurred by the addition of RWD to the lineup, sales of the R8 are up by 10%. The fourth quarter saw a rise in every model except the TT (which left us). This is proof that a quality car is stronger than even a pandemic, so click the button to find your new Audi. Browse Audi For Sale Images (C) Audi USA

Hybrid locomotive at Audi plant in Ingolstadt

By Caitlin Duffy – October 30, 2015

Audi Introduces a Hybrid Train to Transport Vehicles

Audi is at the forefront of development for the transportation industry, but not just in the automotive sector. Four rings on rails: A new plug-in-hybrid-locomotive transports components and finished Audi models in a more climate-friendly way at the Audi plant in Ingolstadt.Check out the photos of this hybrid train, and find your own Audi, transported via sustainable tech, from our exclusive listings.Audis For Sale (via Audi) See More Audi News

Audi News

duPont REGISTRY News

duPont REGISTRY Group

Support

Subscribe