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 Andrew Nabors – June 07, 2017

Going Over 200 mph in Audi RS7 on the Autobahn

Our friends at AutoTopNL like to film the fastest cars in Europe, and what better way to prove their abilities than a run on the Autobahn. Germans probably leave work on Friday just like we do, so get ready for triple digit speeds. Audi's RS models are the most powerful cars in their lineup, and the RS7 is probably the fastest hatchback sedan ever built. It packs a 4.0 liter twin turbo V8 making 605 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Of course, it has the latest in quattro AWD and an 8 speed automatic. A 3.07 differential is meant for highway brutality as 6th gear is 1:1. The best part of the video happens at top speed, as the speedometer gets confused by a speed it can't comprehend. The owner of this RS7 couldn't resist the urge to keep it stock. It is a show car for MF-RS750, a racing and car show company in Germany. Adding the MF prefix to any car will let the public know it means business, but it might not fare so well at Sunday School. If you would like to experience this yourself, our dealers have several nice examples to choose from. We at the duPont Registry do not endorse or condone breaking the law, so keep your top speed runs in Munich or Mexico. Stay with us for more Autobahn action from AutoTopNL.

By Andrew Nabors – April 26, 2017

One of Only 25 Built - 2017 Audi R8 V10 plus exclusive Fo...

It has been several years since Audi pioneered the use of Laser headlights, but the wait is over. Our incredibly fast reacting federal government finally realized that they are not weapons of mass distraction. Fears of blinding oncoming motorists led to a delay in revisiting 50-year-old legislation, which manufacturers and enthusiasts have been asking for since HIDs took over the aftermarket. The innovative high beams are generated by a 450nm laser aimed at a phosphor (a compound that glows when energized by the laser). To celebrate being first to market, Audi has built 25 exclusive examples of the 2017 R8 V10 plus.Also Check Out - Top 10 Reasons Why You Need to Buy a Ferrari 488Each car is finished in Quantum Gray with Titanium-Black trim. Carbon fiber rocker panels and a Solar Orange stripe compliment a black and orange leather interior. A diamond-stitched Alcantara headliner and luggage compartment are unique to these cars, and we're proud to have the first one available. Located in Atlanta, it is still wearing the white plastic protection installed at the factory. With only 34 miles, it is still in new condition. The other 24 cars are probably already spoken for, so don't pass up this rare opportunity. Click here for more information and stay with us for more Audi updates.View Price and ListingAudi R8 For Sale

By Edward Jones – October 24, 2016

Audi's Idea of a Perfect Sunday Drive is a Rally Fan's Dream

You wake up, roll out of bed and head towards the bathroom. After freshening up and getting ready, you head to the kitchen where you prepare you first meal of the day, drinking the pot of coffee that was timed. Once your stomach is full and you realize it's time to head out, you search for the keys, which should be resting on the kitchen counter. There they are, the keys to your Audi allroad. You pick them up, open the door and see that every road is not made of dirt. What do you do?You drive like you freakin' stole the car.A new video from Audi shows us what it would be like if our neighborhood roads ditched concrete and were made of a looser material: dirt. Naturally, they chose their allroad as the vehicle of choice for this video, displaying the car's capabilities on a type of terrain not many are accustom too.Check out the video below to see what Audi thinks is an acceptable Sunday Drive.All Audi For Sale

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – March 30, 2016

2016 Audi S3: Price, Specs, Review and Photos

2016 Audi S3 Specs Price: $42,500 Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline 4 Horsepower: 292 hp 0–60: 4.7 seconds Top Speed: 155 mph Transmission: 6-speed automatic ReviewThe Audi S3 stays true to its natural sport sedan niche. With the 2.0-liter turbocharged TFSI engine, it makes 292 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, all pumped through the nowstandard quattro all-wheel-drive system. Going through the gears is a breeze using its six-speed S Tronic automatic transmission.Standard features include a backup camera, rear sensors and a Bang & Olufsen entertainment system. Regardless of the safety features and comfortable leather interior, the S3 is still a sport-oriented vehicle. Atop its magnetic adjustable suspension system are exterior details unique to the S3. With a 0-60 mph time of just 4.7 seconds, this is track-worthy. Buy Your Issue Now

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By Andrew Nabors – March 04, 2016

In the Driver's Seat: 2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron

It happened last year. We were crossing Tampa Bay on I-275 when we encountered a new Audi wagon sporting manufacturer plates. Volkswagen has a not-so-secret testing & quality control facility less than a mile from duPont REGISTRY headquarters; what we witnessed was the first A3 Sportback e-tron®.Once their relentless testing phase was over, they let us borrow the car for a week of electrifying fun. In a real world test, we loaded up the wagon with children and luggage and set out for Rock Springs, Georgia. Tampa to Rock Springs is a hair under 510 miles on the interstate, with not a single charging point along the way. The e-tron® is capable of pure electric cruising for 31 miles on paper, but with a family and luggage, mileage may vary.When it comes to family riding, this wagon is very user friendly. The first VW product we have encountered without an iPod cable, the lightning connector made integrating our iPhones a piece of cake. The only connectivity issue is the lack of a call button. That means if you want to end a call, you must pick up your phone to hang it up. Everyone else has a button on the steering wheel or on the radio. The A3 in Sportback form has plenty of cargo room, and the kids had plenty of space between them and the front seats. It comes with both 120v and 240v charging cables, and the port is located behind the grille badge. Probably due to the hybrid systems, both the glove box and center console are too small. Lockable storage is in short supply.Driving the A3 is quite fun, regardless of how much luggage you are carrying. Power steering is electric (shocker), but well weighted and with great feedback. Most of the controls are intuitive, but still very German in terms of ergonomics. Our biggest gripe was the useless cup holders. Even in bad weather, the LED matrix headlights make night driving very enjoyable.With a family and their luggage, we averaged 33 mpg over the 1020 miles. The window sticker weighs in at $37,900, which isn’t unreasonable for the utility and comfort. We would have liked to see more range in pure electric, but it is perfectly reasonable for a daily driver. Stay tuned to Autofluence for more Audi news & reviews.Audi A3 Sportback e-trons For Sale

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – February 26, 2016

2016 Audi TTS: Price, Specs, Review and Photo

2016 Audi TTS Specs Price: $51,900 Engine: 2.0-liter TFSI Horsepower: 292 hp 0–60: 4.9 seconds Top Speed: 155 mph Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic ReviewThe Audi TTS is lighter, faster, and coupled with a wicked aesthetic revamp, packs a punch much larger than its displacement. Fitted with a 2.0-liter TFSI engine, the TTS produces 292 horsepower with 280 pound-feet of torque. Audi’s all-wheeldrive Quattro system, now in all trim levels of the Audi TT, will change its front wheel and rear wheel bias automatically. This keeps the front-wheel-drive roots that returning aficionados hoped to see.A 12.5-inch central display unit contains all of the usual cluster controls, but also contains Audi's latest Audi Connect technology, allowing 4G LTE speeds. The Audi TTS impresses mechanically, electronically and in its interior design.Audi TTS For Sale Buy Your Issue Now

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – February 12, 2016

2016 Audi TT Clubsport Turbo: Price, Specs, Review and Ph...

2016 Audi TT Clubsport Turbo Specs Price: TBD Engine: 2.5-liter 5-cylinder Horsepower: 600 hp 0–60: 3.6 seconds Top Speed: 192.6 mph Transmission: 6-speed manual Torque: 479 lb-ft ReviewThe Audi TT Clubsport turbo shines above the rest. The five cylinder, turbocharged 2.5-liter TFSI pumps out 600 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, however, the true gem is what Audi calls their “electric twin turbo.” The electric twin turbo system is so well integrated that the Audi TT Clubsport turbo is ready to unleash any time the gas pedal is depressed. Of course, a model of this caliber stands out from the rest in more ways than one, including its wide-body aesthetic. The Clubsport turbo is wider, edgier, more streamlined and instantly recognizable, even when sitting among its fellow teammates. The Audi TT Clubsport turbo is certainly not for the faint of heart.Audi TT For Sale Buy Your Issue Now

By Caitlin Duffy – November 10, 2015

Audi R8, RS 7 & S8 plus All to Premier at LA Auto Show

It's November, which means the highly anticipated Los Angeles Auto Show (LAAS) is just around the corner. Scheduled for Nov. 20-29, with press days on Nov. 17-19, it's one of the world's largest shows, and an opportunity for manufacturers to share the best of their best to a West Coast audience - an opportunity Audi is taking full advantage of.In a press release today, the German marque announced they'll be arriving in California with a trio of performance cars. Joining the 2016 RS 7 and 2016 S8 is the 2017 R8, the second generation of Audi's flagship supercar and the "pinnacle of performance for any model with the four rings."“The Audi Sport and performance models have always been an essential part of our brand’s character,” said Filip Brabec, Director of Product Management for Audi of America, in the release. “The Audi R8, RS 7 performance and S8 plus represent the maximum of Audi performance, premium design and technology for our customers.”Two powertrain variants are available for the R8, which goes on sale in the spring of 2016. A 5.2-liter V10 will create 540 hp, while the R8 V10 Plus offers up 610 hp to its driver. The base RS 7 creates 560 hp, while performance model will boast a peak of 605 hp. For the S8, you can expect a 4.0T twin turbo V8 "that breaks the 600-hp barrier."Check out the interior and exterior shots of these three models in the gallery below, then find one of their predecessors for your collection from our exclusive listings. Stay with us for more updates as the LAAS draws closer.R8s For Sale RS 7s For Sale S8s For SaleGallery (via Audi) See More Audi News

Audi Toolmaking prints “Auto Union Typ C”

By Caitlin Duffy – November 05, 2015

Audi 1936 Grand Prix Car With 3D Printer

The advent of 3D printing has already done quite a bit to disrupt and revolutionize the process of production for countless industries. Entire items can simply be printed by using the proper materials, which can range from something as simple as chocolate to something as complex as glass and metal.Audi has not failed to notice the opportunities that 3D printing bring to the automotive world, and in a test to see what they were capable of, the German marque created a 1:2 scale replica of one of their most iconic cars. As a press release issued today shows, they created an exact model of the 1936 "Silver Arrow" Auto Union Typ C, their grand prix sports car emblazoned with the number "5."The use of 3D printing to create metal components is one of Audi's primary focuses for development of technologies, and creating this replica is a test of their abilities thus far. It's not the first car to be created using a 3D printer - a man in Australia created an Aston Martin replica in 2013, while American Jim Kor released his 3D-printed Urbee 2 car design that same year. 3D printers have even been used to create items from carbon fiber; February 2014 saw the release of the Mark One 3D printer, the world's first to use carbon fiber.To see what the full version looks like, check out the actual size of the 1936 Auto Union Typ C in the video below, shared to YouTube by F1KillerQueen in July 2013. Hopefully, we'll be seeing Audi implement more 3D printed components in their future models, but in the meantime, find your own car with four rings from our exclusive listings.Audis For Sale (via Audi, YouTube) See More Audi News

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

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