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

BMW News

BMW news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated daily with model reveals, first drives, M division launches and electric range developments. Our coverage runs from the 7 Series through the M cars and across BMW's growing electric line-up, alongside the earlier models that still trade strongly. Reporting comes from first-drive access and from the auction results that determine collector values. Many sites carry performance car news, but few carry it beside live inventory. A great many of the BMWs covered here are listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, so a review and an asking price appear together. For BMW news today, and the luxury car news around it, start below.

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 12, 2023

Electric Vehicles Drove Strong Q4 2022 Results For BMW

EV’s make for a good end to a challenging year. In total for the year 2022, BMW sold 332,388 vehicles in the U.S., representing a slight decrease compared to last year’s total of 336,644, specifically a decrease of 1.3%. This decrease is indicative of the supply chain issues that spent the entire year plaguing the entire automotive industry, stalling deliveries and making for a challenging market. However, 101,738 of those vehicles delivered were in the fourth quarter alone, and BMW says that the introduction of various all-electric vehicles to the United States market was quite a positive contribution to the total sales for the year. MUST READ: The New BMW i Vision Dee Concept Is A Color Changing, VR-Capable Sedan March 2022 saw the introduction of the new BMW iX and i4 Gran Coupe to the United States market, and the flagship all-electric luxury sedan, the i7, joined the party in November. Sales for these electric vehicles in the fourth quarter of the year, at 8,689, came in higher than the previous three quarters of 2022 combined, with a total of 15,584 electric vehicles sold, a 4.7% share of the year’s sales. With BMW’s success in fully-electric vehicles, the manufacturer is also counting on hybrids, like the X5 xDrive45e, 330e, 530e, and the exciting new plug-in hybrid XM coming soon to continue driving success. An exciting part of BMW’s news for the domestic industry is the fact that 60% of BMW vehicles sold in the U.S. last year were made at the manufacturer’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant. With the new XM being built there, even more success is yet to come in 2023. View All BMWs For Sale Source: BMW

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 15, 2022

BMW Group Celebrates Record-High Performance In 2021 Fina...

2021 was one of BMW’s greatest years for profit, sales, and sustainability. With a new financial year ahead, the BMW Group celebrates a year of success and the beginning of an incredibly bright future for its brands, a large focus of which is electrification. The financial year 2021 ended for BMW with all-time record revenue, earnings, and net profit, thanks to increased sales, and a significant investment in research and development. MUST READ: BMW Group Announces Its Acquisition Of ALPINA Over 2.5 million cars were delivered globally by BMW Group this year, and the shocking (pun intended) aspect about it is that 13 percent or over 300,000 of those cars were electrified vehicles, showing a genuine enthusiasm for moving towards electric cars in the future. BMW’s fourth quarter of the 2021 financial year remained successful despite supply chain bottlenecks and other factors that drove up costs and slowed deliveries. However, despite the hiccup in deliveries, orders were as high as ever, with electrified vehicles alone accounting for nearly 100,000 orders in the fourth quarter. With a bold strategy moving to electrification, and a product lineup that doesn’t fail to impress, BMW’s success is no surprise. Hopefully, this year is even more exciting. Source: BMW

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 13, 2022

BMW Group Sets Sales Records For 2021, and Electric Cars ...

As a whole, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million vehicles worldwide in 2021. The BMW brand celebrated 2.2 million sales last year, which puts them at the top of the food chain in the global premium segment. This surpassed their previous all-time high by 9.1 percent compared to 2019, and BMW Group cites the introduction of electric vehicles as one of the biggest contributing factors. In Germany, one in every four BMWs sold is electrified, and MINI’s electric model has become their highest volume seller. As BMW announces a continuing move towards electric powertrains, the success of those models indicates that it is a welcome change. BMW plans to sell 10 million electric cars worldwide in the next decade. MUST READ: 3 BMW M4 Competition x KITH Editions Now Available At Sarchione Auto Gallery BMW’s M models also celebrated an all-time sales record, with the M3 and the M4 having a massively successful 2021. Rolls-Royce sold almost 6,000 cars in 2021 as well, which is the most that the brand has sold in one year in it’s entire 117-year history. The Ghost and the Cullinan sold especially well, and with record numbers of bespoke orders, Rolls-Royce plans to make Rolls-Royce Coachbuild a permanent fixture in its offerings. We learned that Rolls-Royce also plans to move to offering electric cars, and the inaugural electric Rolls-Royce, the Spectre, is set to be released at the end of 2023. With a record year on the books for BMW Group, it looks like everyone is ready to welcome the future of the automotive world with open arms. BMW For Sale Source: BMW

By Andrew Nabors – January 19, 2021

Fast Financials 2020: BMW M Stays On Top

While other brands have taken a hit in performance sales, our latest Fast Financials report for 2020 shows that BMW M is staying on top. It is nice to see M remaining a separate automaker. Officially listed as BMW M Gmbh, these gearheads are accountable for their own profit, loss, and engineering expenses. Going so far as publishing their own press releases, the latest shows a sales increase of 6% last year. Fast Financials 2020 Q4: BMW Bounces Back The launch of an all-new X5M and the continued evolution of the M2 CS were welcomed by new customers. Digging deep into the details, a series of YouTube uploads explains the M3 Competition sedan and the M4 Competition coupe. We are anticipating big power from the upcoming M5 CS, so stay with us for the unveiling later this month. In total, BMW M delivered 144,218 vehicles, and they are on a path to crush that number this year. " width="680"> Image (C) BMW M Gmbh

By Edward Jones – January 11, 2019

BMW Group Sees Best-Ever Sales Figures in 2018

BMW Group is on a roll in terms of sales, having achieved eight consecutive years of sales records. In 2018, BMW Group (BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce) sold a total of 2,490,664 cars that were delivered around the world-- that's an increase of 1.1 percent year-over-year. The BMW brand was, by far, the main contributor to the sales record with a total of 2,125,026 cars delivered in 2018-- an increase of 1.8 percent. Sales of the X family increased by 12.1 percent, for a total of 792,590 cars delivered (33.8 percent of total sales). BMW M GmbH increased their sales by 27.2 percent with 102,780 cars sold. This allowed BMW M to reach their goal of 100,000 cars sold in a year two years early. BMW Group also saw an increase in the amount of electrified (hybrid, electric, etc) cars delivered. When you combine electrified models sold by both BMW and MINI, there was a 38.4 percent increase over the previous year. As we reported earlier, Rolls-Royce also had a record-breaking year with 4,107 cars sold. That's a 22.2 percent increase of the previous year and an all-time high for the luxury brand in their 115-year existence. In December 2018 Compared with previous year % In ytd Compared with previous year % Europe 97,568 -5.2 1,097,654 -0.3 - Germany* 29,400 -0.1 319,134 2.5 - UK 21,766 2.8 237,895 -1.4 Asia 84,716 8.8 874,828 3.2 - China (Mainland) 62,895 20.9 639,953 7.7 - Japan 8,664 2.5 78,001 -2 Americas 45,176 -5.9 456,325 1.4 - USA 37,154 -4.4 354,698 0.5 - Latin America 5,107 -6.3 54,858 8.1

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