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 Edward Jones – May 17, 2021

24 Classic Bentleys Gather to Celebrate 100th Anniversary...

A centennial celebration. It was 100 years ago on May 16, 1921 that the first race win for a Bentley automobile occurred. The race took place at the Brooklands circuit and the car was the EXP2, the second Bentley built by W.O. Bentley himself and currently the oldest Bentley in the world. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the win, EXP2 was joined alongside 24 3-liters at the Brooklands circuit where it took the checkered flag. Putting on the event was the Bentley Drivers' Club. The chairman of the club, Richard Parkinson, had this to say regarding the celebration: "Motorsport success is a huge part of Bentley’s heritage, as it is for the Bentley Drivers Club. We were therefore determined to mark the centenary of the first Bentley racing win on 16 May 1921 at Brooklands on the very same date this year with the actual car, EXP2 itself, kindly provided by Bentley Motors." 3-liter Bentleys are quite expensive, so this was most definitely a multi-million dollar gathering of classic British cars. What's more, the vehicles that showed up for the gathering are so incredibly unique. If you check out the image below, you can see just how varied the collection of Bentleys really was. If you'd like to get a Bentley for yourself, click the button below to see what's currently for sale. See All Bentleys For Sale Source: Bentley

By Andrew Nabors – May 05, 2021

2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed Arrives On A Solid Foun...

Biggest brakes of any production car! Four score and seven days ago we told you the new Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible was ready for Summer. Along with the coupe version, the styling, power, and luxury are everything you would expect from the leaders in English luxury. But what sets the GT Speed twins apart from the competition? Under the hand-painted body are the strongest and most advanced chassis and suspension they have ever offered. Let's start with stopping. The new ceramic brakes are 17.4". Not only are those rotors larger than the wheels on my car, but they also cut 73 lbs in un-sprung, rotating weight. This allows the 5,500 lb car to leap to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The top speed of 208 mph is made possible by a dozen cylinders and twin turbos. At your disposal are 659 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. It is sent to all wheels with a nominal torque bias of 36% going to the front wheels in Comfort mode. Dial-in Sport mode and the front wheels only receive 28% to allow the meaty rear tires to dig in. They receive power from an electronic differential, and rear-wheel steering will hold almost any corner. Should you enter a drift, the computer cuts torque by 90%, in a twinkling of an eye. With several driving modes to choose from, it can be a daily driver that doubles as a leather-lined track machine. Our dealers have all the details, so click the button and hang on! Browse All Bentley Continental GT For Sale Images (C) Bentley Motors

By Edward Jones – April 30, 2021

Bentley Home Reveals Four New Furniture Designs for 2021

Bentley Home's new furniture designs will add style and elegance to your household. The new Bentley Home 2021 Collection has been revealed and it contains four new furniture designs that are as lavish as you'd expect. These designs include the Aldford Table, the Ramsey Sofa and Loveseat and the Styal Desk. This new collection stars both a new Degradé lacquering technique, as well as the new MARM \ MORE fabric that's made from marble powder. Bentley Home is offering the Degradé lacquer finish in a variety of options, including Deep Ocean, Midnight Walnut, Black Kenya, Dark Shadow, Rust Degradé, Silver Degradé and Bronze Degradé. As for the MARM \ MORE fabric, which is offered in either light grey or natural green. The new Bentley Home 2021 Collection can be view by clicking here.

By Andrew Nabors – April 13, 2021

2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible Is Ready Fo...

How much power does a convertible need? While their racing division is preparing to conquer Pike's Peak, the drop-top engineers have announced that the 2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible is ready for Summer. As the most driver-focused convertible they've ever offered, it starts with the innovative chassis that debuted on the coupe. Without a roof, the team added beefy reinforcements to the windshield frame and suspension mounts to give it the same (if not more) strength as the coupe. The reason for this is under the hood. Any Bentley with Speed in the title is an invitation to hang on. A new flavor of the W12 engine is conservatively rated at 659 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. Check out what it is capable of in the GT Speed Coupe! Riding on handsome 22" wheels, you will reach 62 mph in 3.6 seconds on your way to a top speed of 208 mph. Handling is superb thanks to electronic differentials and rear-wheel steering. Inside you have more areas for customizations from their Mulliner bespoke department. The most intriguing among them is the option for machined anodized aluminum trim for the center console. No less than 7 colors of fabric can be had for the roof, including tweed! Several thick layers of sound and heat insulation make up the convertible top, allowing the interior to be as quiet as the last-generation coupe. What is it all worth? Pricing is available from our dealers, so click the button if you need the world's most refined convertible and stay with us for all your Bentley news. Browse Bentley Continental GT For Sale Images (C) Bentley

By Andrew Nabors – April 12, 2021

2022 Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak Will Attack The M...

Oil companies might want to take notice One of the best attributes of Bentley's high altitude races is how the turbos adjust to thin air. While other manufacturers struggle up the 9,000-ft ascent, Bentley makes it look easy. In the past this meant spewing harmful exhaust directly into the stratosphere once they got above the treeline, but now the English engineers are taking the lead in eco-friendly racing. It is easy for anyone to make renewable fuel, all you need is a still and a few bags of corn. You can make moonshine legally for private consumption, just don't sell it and the Feds will leave you alone. Therefore, your corn liquor, white lightning, or mountain dew makes a great evening spirit and the perfect fuel for turbocharged supercars. Rhys Millen will return to drive the beast up the mountain, and he will be at the helm of a 4-liter V8. It has the largest aerodynamic surfaces Bentley has ever made, along with larger coolers for the water and oil. The turbos dump into stylish sidepipes for the perfect soundtrack. We wish him and everyone at Team Bentley good luck on this, the 99th race at the historic mountain. Tell us your opinion of ethanol as a race fuel in the comments below. Browse Bentley Continental GT For Sale Images (C) Bentley

By Andrew Nabors – April 09, 2021

Bentley Residences Miami Offers Unparalleled Opulence

The car elevator keeps your chariot close at hand Florida is the flattest state in the union. Because the highest point is a hill of dirt, a change in elevation never fails to release endorphins. That's why you should open your eyes to the Bentley Residences breaking ground in Miami. Designed by Sieger Suarez Architects, the project is in the hands of Dezer Development. Each owner will have unparalleled views of the ocean to the East and the Intercoastal to the west. All parties are focused on the holistic health of the residents' thanks to sustainable materials throughout the building. Of course, each home is being built to order in order to appeal to Bentley's most discerning owners. Luxury automakers This is a welcomed addition to the South Beach skyline, and the edifice will be at home in close proximity to the Aston Martin Residences and the Porsche Tower. You can't call it home without a new Bentley, so check out the incentives our dealers have on the Bentayga and stay with us for all your Bentley news. Shop Bentley Bentayga Image (C) Bentley Motors

By Andrew Nabors – April 06, 2021

Bentley Continental GT3 is Aiming For Triple Crown Triump...

Can they hold off the Americans again? Who would have thought there would be a Union Jack at the top of a mountain in Colorado? Looking for another victory at this historic event, the Bentley Continental GT3 is aiming for a triple crown triumph at Pike's Peak. What began in 2018, the Bentayga clinched the record for the fastest SUV. With a time of 10:49.902, it climbed 9,390 feet and conquered 156 corners. The racing version of their flagship makes use of a 4-liter V8 to send 550 horsepower to all wheels. It dominated the 12 hours of Bathurst last year, and now its ready to take on the mountain. The race is going down (going up) on June 27th, so click the button to see what makes the Continental unlike anything else and stay with us for all your Bentley news. Browse Bentley Continental For Sale https://www.facebook.com/BentleyMotors/videos/529432418447955 Image and film (C) Bentley Motors

By Andrew Nabors – March 31, 2021

Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Goes Green for the Shanghai Auto ...

Mulliner pulls out all the stops in their latest commission China sees green as pure. A color for regeneration, hope, and harmony is seen in nearly every aspect, as the exterior is Viridian and the interior is Cumbrian. The customer took a deep dive into the Mulliner Personal Commissioning Guide to find the colors originally first seen on the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept. The metal flakes are actually amber and gold buried under several coats of clear. The leather is embroidered with over 330 feet of white stitching, a process that takes 44 hours by hand. Perhaps the best feature is the fridge. A new option this year, it has a soft close lid with an illuminated bottle chilling ring. There are literally billions of possible configurations for your Betayga Hybrid, and each one includes a turbocharged 3-liter V6. When the battery is fully charged you will have 443 horsepower and the ability to reach 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Sipping fuel is another great way to go green, so tell us your ideal spec for the Bentley flagship in the comments below. Browse Bentayga For Sale Images (C) Bentley Motors

By Andrew Nabors – March 26, 2021

Bentley Celebrates 200,000 Cars & Counting

Their Beyond 100 Strategy Is Unstoppable! What began in 1919 is still going strong, as Bentley celebrates 200,000 cars & counting. To mark the occasion, a gorgeous Bentayga Hybrid was joined by the oldest surviving EXP 2 at their historic factory. The modern era began in 2003 with the Continental GT, and since then they have built 155,582 examples of old-world craftsmanship. Registration records show that 84% of cars built for the UK are still on the road, a testament to quality and reliability that is unmatched in the luxury market. The late Ferdinand Piech saw an opportunity to inject the brand with unlimited resources, so Bentley became a part of the Volkswagen empire in 1998. Since then, they have led innovations like the W12 engine that offers 650 horsepower at all wheels in the new Continental GT Speed. No other brand offers such innovative technology along with hand-built perfection. Tell us your best Bentley story in the comments below. Shop Bentley Images (C) Bentley Motors

By Andrew Nabors – March 23, 2021

New Bentley Continental GT Speed Arrives With More Power ...

Bentley has never built anything like this before! Luxury cars with a dozen cylinders have been overpowered for years. Trying to contain massive torque in a smooth package is now made easier thanks to a proactive chassis, and that is why the Bentley Continental GT Speed arrives with more power and comfort. Their flagship grand tourer is becoming more distinct from the W12 and V8 siblings. In a quest to harness 650 horsepower, the chassis has gained four new technologies. Starting with the center differential, the torque distribution has been recalibrated to send more power to the rear wheels. It is there they encounter Bentley's first electronic limited-slip differential. Predecessors were forced to use the brake calipers to control torque left or right, but now it can be done in a twinkling of an eye. When that refined power reaches the rear wheels, they can turn with or against the fronts using the latest in all-wheel steering. Not only does this cut the turning circle of the big girl, it adds incredible grip at high speeds. Also onboard is the 48-volt active sway bars pioneered on the Bentayga. They can add or pull 959 lb-ft of vertical torque against each hub to keep the car flat in hard corners. Each one of these systems has unique tuning between Comfort and Sport modes, and they represent months of relentless testing by professional drivers and engineers. The largest silicon-carbide rotors they've ever offered are clamped by 10-piston calipers. To put their abilities into perspective, they convert 9,478 BTU of motion into heat. You will have 664 lb-ft of torque across most of the tachometer. It launches you to 60 mph 3.5 seconds on your way to 208 mph. Most of the time you will be cruising on six cylinders, and because the valves and injectors are shut down you won't notice the switch. Power and technology meet old-world leather and wood to become a car that is unmatched by anything else before. Browse Bentley Continental GT For Sale Images (C) Bentley Motors

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