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

Bentley News

Bentley news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated as each story breaks, covering the Continental GT, the Bentayga, the Flying Spur and Mulliner's bespoke commissions. Our reporting takes in model reveals, first drives and the auction results that establish what these cars are worth. Bentley Motors news tends to move slowly and matter for years, so we follow how values hold across a generation. This is where the marketplace becomes useful. Many of the Bentleys covered here are listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, placing the reporting and a genuine asking price side by side. For Bentley news today, and the luxury car market news that surrounds it, begin below.

By Jordan Aquistapace – June 14, 2023

Bentley Edison Showcases An Incredible Bentley Bacalar Build

With only 12 examples built in the world, this Bentley Bacalar by Mulliner has to be one of the most spectacular configurations.

By Jordan Aquistapace – December 19, 2022

Bentley Releases Its Sold Out Bacalar And Continental GT ...

With accurate paint schemes and interior details, these Bentley models are the closest to the real thing. Growing up as car enthusiasts that aspire to own a garage full of supercars and hypercars, the passion began on a much smaller scale with miniature die-cast models. The automotive professionals at Bentley Motor Cars are proud to keep traditions strong by introducing two new exquisitely detailed models of its most recently released limited-production supercars. Bentley’s all-new 1:43 scale models showcase the Continental GT Speed and the limited-edition Bacalar by Mulliner. Offering a more affordable option aside from the real thing, collectors and enthusiasts can proudly display the exclusive models and their incredibly accurate features. MUST-READ: How Bentley 3D Prints Gold For The New $2M Bentley Mulliner Batur The Bentley Continental GT Speed presents a striking Candy Red paint scheme that also includes a carbon fiber Styling Package. Inside, the bright red interior configuration is complete with custom Speed embroidery and diamond quilting design. The more affordable version of the $1.9 million Bentley Bacalar by Mulliner depicts the Yellow Flame exterior of the bespoke Barchetta, matching the launch spec of the 12-chassis release. A wraparound cockpit blends the interior and exterior design, with a sophisticated Grey Tweed and Beluga colorway. Each model comes in chic Bentley boxes and is currently available for $122 on Bentley’s website. View all current Bentley examples for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking on the link below. View All Bentley For Sale Source: Bentley Motors

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 08, 2022

Bentley Düsseldorf Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary With T...

20 years of success warrants one year of celebration. SInce 2002, Bentley Düsseldorf has brought the brand’s exquisite level of luxury and performance to Germany from its futuristic glass building, and as the dealership celebrates its 20th anniversary, it looks on a successful first 9 months of 2022 thanks to the expanding personalization that Bentley’s Mulliner division offers. Finding its original roots in the world’s oldest coachbuilder, Mulliner specializes in being able to offer the craftsmanship, design, and attention to detail that allows unprecedented expression through a Bentley. MUST READ: Bentley’s Profits Increase By 109% For YTD Q3 2022 Results Celebrating the incredible anniversary is a wide range of Bentleys displayed in the dealership, going from the incredibly rare Bentley Mulliner Bacalar, to its classic counterpart, the 1978 Bentley Corniche II Coupe by Mulliner Park-Ward, along with the new S range of Bentleys. Kicking off the year of celebrations was a “Bentley & Friends” event at the dealership, but more is to come as Bentley’s German flagship showroom looks forward to being the place to go for even more luxury, performance, and peerless craftsmanship. View All Bentleys For Sale Source: Bentley

By Tyler Rampersaud – October 19, 2022

How Flexjet Owner Made His Rare Bentley Match His Private...

The splendor of the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar extends across the luxury dream lifestyle. While having a luxurious car is one of the greatest aspects of living it up, flying luxuriously plays an immense role in the perfect luxury lifestyle as well. Whether it’s owning and flying a private jet, or waving goodbye to the ground in a helicopter, flight can be one of the most pleasurable parts of luxury living. One aviation entrepreneur, and part of the small handful of only a dozen owners of the incredible, bespoke, $2 million Bentley Mulliner Bacalar was inspired by the stunning car, and it’s no wonder why. With the vehicle’s incomparable finishes, futuristic design, and admirable craftsmanship, there was no doubt that when this client worked with Mulliner Design to create a Gulfstream G650 private jet and Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to match his Bacalar, both would turn out to be amazing. MUST READ: Bentley Riga Celebrated Its 15th Anniversary By Introducing The New Bentayga EWB To The Baltics Who is this entrepreneur? Ken Ricci is the owner of Flexjet, a private aviation company with an incredible fleet of aircraft. After over a decade of being a Bentley client, he enlisted Mulliner design to collaborate with him on “The Bacalar Project,” in which a private jet and helicopter were designed to match his stunning ultra-rare Bentley. How do the plane and helicopter match the car? On the outside of the Gulfstream, the Flexjet livery is revised and given a paint color that matches the Julep paintwork of his Bacalar. The interior features seats that have a shape, stitching, and quilting pattern that matches the Bacalar, as well as a similar color of Linen and Beluga leather. Also included is a wood veneer that matches the 5,000-year-old Riverwood featured in the Bacalar, satin bronze fittings, and a diamond-patterned carpet that match, as well. The helicopter shows off the Julep green and Satin Bronze featured throughout the Bacalar, and the interior features similar accents against its black and white as well. After the Bacalar revived the ultimate level of detail and craftsmanship to traditional coachbuilding for Mulliner and Bentley, that dedication and artisanal quality reached across to inspire other vehicles as well, and they are just as stunning. View All Bentleys For Sale Source: Bentley

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 03, 2022

Bentley Nears Completion Of The 12 Few-Off Bespoke Mullin...

The noble art of coachbuilding takes time, and for the Bentley Bacalar, that time has almost come to an end. Bentley’s Mulliner division is the oldest coachbuilder in the world, and it defined and continues to define the artistry and craftsmanship of automotive bespoke and set the standard for the attention to detail and exclusivity that its creations involve. The Bacalar is one of Mulliner’s most exquisite pieces of automotive craftsmanship to date, and that’s because it’s a truly unique open-air, two-seat roadster that while based on the Bentley Continental GT, is unique in its bodywork and will only be made in 12 examples. The styling takes cues from the Bentley EXP 100 GT concept car, a car that Bentley designed to show off what its more sustainable future would look like with its Beyond100 plan, and the Bacalar doesn’t just reflect the concept’s looks but also its dedication to sustainability, using the same ethically-sourced, sustainable materials like ash from rice husks in the paint for a metallic finish, natural British wool, and 5,000-year-old Riverwood. MUST READ: Shmee150 Takes The 1-Of-12, $2 Million Bentley Bacalar For A Spin Out of the 12 Bacalars that will be produced, 8 have already been delivered to their customers. Each one goes through a highly involved process in which the car is made completely according to the customer’s wishes, making each unique from the 11 others. The attention to detail in the car is quantified by the 148,199 individual stitches embroidered in the interior of each seat in the car, and the fact that it features components never before seen in any Bentley. The final 4 Bacalars are in the process of being prepared for delivery to their owners, and this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed featured the delivery of a beautiful example of the car to its owner, finished in Sunset Orange with an interior finished in black and white with accents of Mandarin Orange. The Bacalar is one of the greatest examples of the most luxurious aspect of Mulliner Bentley ownership: the luxury of choice and personal expression. View All Bentleys For Sale Source: Bentley

By Tyler Rampersaud – July 28, 2022

Shmee150 Takes The 1-Of-12, $2 Million Bentley Bacalar Fo...

YouTuber Shmee150 experiences one of the world’s most special modern Bentleys. The Bentley Bacalar is a very special car, as only 12 of the stunning roadsters exist in the world, but it’s special for more reasons than just being rare. The Bacalar, while based on the Bentley Continental GT, is a roofless roadster that’s entirely coachbuilt by Bentley’s Mulliner division, and that unique design is a vision of the future of the Bentley brand, with inspiration coming mainly from Bentley’s EXP 100 GT concept car, down to the smallest details like the Riverwood veneer on the dashboard. MUST READ: Bentley Celebrates 20 Years In China With Four New Exclusive Mulliner Models YouTuber Shmee150 got to take this incredibly special car for a drive, and experience for himself the completely bespoke craftsmanship of the car, from the hundreds of thousands of stitches in the interior, the detailed bodywork including the Scarab Green color, stunning sweeping lines, and futuristic yet timelessly beautiful touches. The Riverwood in the dashboard is 5,000 years old. The car is powered by Bentley’s W12 engine, and while powertrains like those are a dying breed, the Bacalar signals a renaissance of the art of coachbuilding. Across the industry, more automotive brands are rolling out highly exclusive and bespoke models that evoke the unmistakable beauty of the coachbuilt cars of old. While the Bentley Bacalar is beautiful to look at and exciting to drive, the most incredible aspect of it is the attention to detail and Mulliner’s dedication to making the car truly and irreplaceably special. View All Bentleys For Sale Source: YouTube/Shmee150

By Andrew Nabors – April 06, 2020

Design Your own Bentley Bacalar

Henry Jervis Mulliner began building custom coaches in 1897. Although they were only rated for 1 horse power (horse not included) they were opulent carriages inside and out. Now after 123 years, Mulliner is about to undertake their most ambitious project. As the custom shop for Bentley, they accepted the challenge of building a dozen cars. Each one priced at nearly $2 Million dollars, here is how to design your own Bentley Bacalar. Bentley Mulliner Bacalar Unveiled: Limited to 12 Examples We've learned the intricate details in their latest press release. Because each car will be custom-built "down to the last stitch", Mulliner has offered six virtual examples of what they are capable of. No detail is too small or inconsequential. If you have been chosen to be part of the 12 lucky owners, the team will help you visualize your perfect car. I offered to pay cash, but my American Flag Bacalar was rejected. Nevertheless, you can design your own with their "design-your-own Bacalar competition" on Twitter. Winners will have their car shared across Bentley's Social Media accounts to showcase your abilities. Click the link here to design your own, or browse our dealers for your new Bentley in the button below. Browse All Bentley For Sale

By Edward Jones – March 03, 2020

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar Revealed: Limited to 12 Examples

Engine: Twin-Turbocharged W12 TSITransmission: Dual-Clutch Eight-SpeedHorsepower: 650 bhpTorque: 667 lb-ftProduction Run: 12 Examples Introducing the new Bentley Mulliner Bacalar, an extraordinarily exclusive two-seater that emits luxury from every facet. Limited to just 12 examples, the Bacalar will be very hard to find out in the wild. It will be even harder to get your hands on because all 12 examples have been spoken for. Each of the twelve examples will be handcrafted in Bentley Mulliner's headquarters in Crewe and will be personalized to the customer's preference. For its overall appearance, it has a "Barchetta" design-- open-top with a wrap-around cockpit. The front of the Bacalar has a very unique appearance that's highlighted by the headlights. These headlights have a circular portion and horizontal portion that's unlike anything we've seen in a production Bentley. However, these headlights are clearly inspired by the EXP 100 GT concept car. See All Bentley Continental GTs For Sale Another aspect borrowed from the EXP 100 GT is the sustainable materials Bentley Mulliner is using for the Bacalar's construction. This includes wood from fallen trees that have been preserved in peat bods, lakes and rivers, as well as paint with sustainable characteristics and sustainable wool. Yes, you read that correctly, sustainable paint. The pigment used in the paint is made through a synthetic process that uses rice husk ash, a byproduct of the rice industry. By using this material, they're reducing the amount of rice husk put into landfills. Now, onto the engine. Bentley Mulliner has placed a twin-turbocharged W12 TSI engine under the front hood. This engine is rated for 650 bhp. In the press release detailing the Bacalar, acceleration or a top speed were not mentioned. The Bentley Mulliner Bacalar is a true luxury automobile that brings the historic coachbuilder back into the world of bespoke coachbuilding. It's a car that needs to be seen by all, so do yourself a favor and check out all of the images in this article.

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