Aviation

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 Edward Jones – December 16, 2015

Macro Jets: On-Demand Jet Charter

Going on vacation for the holidays? If so, you know that researching the best prices for flights and picking an exact date in the future can be a real hassle. That's why Macro Jets provides their Global On-Demand Private Jet Charter Service.Macro Jets' founder, Dan Fletcher, has spent a decade traveling and he was taken by the lack of quality and consistency in the private aviation industry.With inspiration to create a product that would offer the most unique and effortless flying experience available on the market, he created Macro Jets.With their real-time instant price quotes and live-feed of global empty legs, you can find the perfect flight using their website or mobile app. The Macro Jets platforms also provide you with price as well as interior and exterior images of the aircraft.Sound too good to be true? It gets even better.Download Free AppYou can receive these instant quotes with absolutely no membership fee. What's more, they're currently offering up to $5,000 credit torwards your first flight by signing up for their company weekly newsletter. To sign up, head over to MacroJets.com.Imagine, you need to book a rushed flight for tomorrow. You'll more than likely have to go through the hassle of researching the best flight on multiple websites and you may end up on a commercial flight jammed next to five other people.Instead of going through that headache, just use their app or website. All you do is select either a one-way or round-trip flight, the dates and how many passengers you will be traveling with. After searching their database that includes over eight thousand available charter aircraft worldwide, you'll be greeted with the various categories. Then, select from Turboprops, Light jets, Midsize jets and Heavy jets, and they'll create an itinerary that includes flight time, fuel stops and the price.It doesn't get much easier than that.To learn more, be sure to click the button below.Learn More Sponsored by:

By Edward Jones – November 05, 2015

Jetpack Daredevils Escort Emirates A380 Plane

It's not surprising that many people dream of having a jetpack, because... well, they're jetpacks. Now, in the year 2015, jetpacks are becoming more feasible thanks to new propulsion and fuel technology.How far along is jetpack technology? Far enough to have two daredevils fly beside an Emirates A380 passenger plane above the skies in Dubai.In a video released by XDubai yesterday, Nov. 4, we see Jetman Dubai pilots Yves Rossy and Vince Reffet soaring alongside a massive passenger plane for a stunt that needs to be seen.If passenger planes aren't your gig and you prefer to travel privately, be sure to check out the upcoming January issue of duPont REGISTRY for our annual Buyer's Gallery of Fine Aircraft. Different private air travel solutions from some of the world's most prestigious brands can be found in these pages. (via YouTube) More Aircraft News

By Caitlin Duffy – July 24, 2015

The Nextant G90XT: A Customizable & Economical Private Ai...

When Nextant Aerospace first emerged in 2007, they were the only company to have perfected the remanufacturing process for business jets. Today, they still are.The 400XTi was the first aircraft available from Nextant Aerospace, offering an affordable alternative to purchasing a brand new aircraft without buying one that was used. The bodies of Beechjet 400A/XPs are modified, modernized and completely revamped, resulting in a luxurious and cost-effective private jet.The Nextant G90XT is the next step in expanding the company's options, a slightly smaller, but more efficient model with increased speed, range, payload and economy - arguably, as a July 15 press release from the company tells us, the best in all four of those categories for any legacy airframe. G90XTThank you to everyone who visited our tent at NBAA Las Vegas last week! We had a such a great show with several major announcements including our new product offering the G90XT. Watch the video above for more information.Posted by Nextant Aerospace on Monday, October 28, 2013 First introduced in 2013, as you can see in the Oct. 28, 2013 video from their Facebook page above, the G90XT is just around the corner from being available for purchase. A test flight program proved to be a success, and the model was featured at the Oshkosh, Wisconsin Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) AirVenture airshow from July 20-26. Attendees were invited to contribute ideas for the final interior design and details.Sports Cars UsedSimilarly to the 400XTi, the G90XT models will all be completely refurbished, and feature customizable cabin configurations. The Standard arrangement features two seats in the cockpit, five seats in the body, room for refreshments and space for baggage and a lavatory. For those who desire a little more space, the Executive configuration sees only three seats behind the two in the cockpit, but each has a table. The lavatory is larger and includes a vanity sink, and baggage is stored in the back.If the G90XT for your plans requires a service-oriented configuration, it can be modeled after the Special Missions Air Ambulance. The cockpit only has one pilot's chair, the right side of the cabin has five forward facing seats and the left side has enough room for a full stretcher.This last design arrangement comes from an existing use of the 400XTi; the New Zealand Air Ambulance organization utilizes the 400XTi because of its safety, reliability and speed - three crucial factors when transporting patients in critical conditions around the South Pacific.When it comes to creating a craft that is luxurious, fast, reliable and affordable, no other company yet has been able to compare to Nextant Aerospace. To learn more about their company and the G90XT, be sure to visit their website by hitting the button below.Nextant Aerospace Article Sponsored by:

By Caitlin Duffy – July 17, 2015

NICHOLAS AIR: Customized and Cost Efficient Private Air T...

For the most innovative, efficient and customizable options for private air travel, look no further. NICHOLAS AIR provides flexible solutions to fit your specific needs and has an extensive service area for the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.NICHOLAS AIR offers a private jet membership club that provides immediate access to a fleet of Pilatus PC-12s, Phenom 100s and Phenom 300 jets, all of which are five years or newer. The comfort and convenience of private air travel makes getting to your next destination a memorable experience.After nearly 20 years and more than 100,000 flights, NICHOLAS AIR has grown to be one of the country's most prestigious private air travel companies. They offer the best service in their class at the most cost-effective rates. From their dedicated personal travel representatives, to the aircraft, pilots and all services in between, they can be trusted as private aviation experts.There are three customizable program options that can meet unique travel needs, as well as Aircraft Management Services. The BLUE Jet Card includes from 15 to 60 hours of travel, with prices of these cards ranging from $3,400 per hour to $5,800 per hour. Cards can be renewed in increments of 15 hours at a time, and hours can be split between the different types of jets available.The Jet Lease program is ideal for anyone who flies between 90 and 200 hours per year. A Jet Share is a perfect option for those who fly between 100 and 300 hours per year. It's a fantastic opportunity to create your own travel schedule and enjoy the advantages of ownership without the hassles and at a fraction of the cost.The Aircraft Management Services are ideal for those who want to enjoy all the benefits of whole or joint aircraft ownership without the hassles of complex flight operations and regulatory compliance. NICHOLAS AIR manages all administrative and regulatory aspects of aircraft ownership while clients turn idle time into revenue with a dry lease pool, offsetting operating costs.When you fly with NICHOLAS AIR, you work directly with them, the owner and operator of all aircraft in the fleet. To learn more about the different options available, be sure to visit their website at www.nicholasair.com, and stay with us for more updates from the luxury world.More InfoGallery Sponsored by:

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