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

Bugatti News

Bugatti news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated as each story breaks, covering the Chiron in its many forms, the Mistral roadster and the track-only Bolide. Our reporting also follows the V16 hybrid Tourbillon and the auction results that set values for the earlier cars. Bugatti builds in very small numbers, so a single sale can reset the market for a whole model. That is where our marketplace helps readers most. Bugattis covered here are often listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, which puts the reporting and a real asking price side by side. For Bugatti news today, and the hypercar news and exotic car market news around it, start below.

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 23, 2022

The New Bugatti Newport Beach Showroom Is The First In No...

With a new showroom, Bugatti’s Newport Beach dealership leads the charge in North America for the new Bugatti. The Newport Beach Bugatti showroom in Orange County, California, has been in operation since 2019 in one of the world’s premier supercar markets. In 2021, the Newport Beach location was one of the top retailers for the brand, which is why it’s been chosen to be the inaugural location to show off Bugatti’s new brand identity. That new Bugatti brand identity is translated to visitors to the showroom through a modern and sleek design and open floorplan that embraces the pleasant climate of the Newport Beach area, making an incredible space for the Bugatti events that will be hosted there. MUST READ: Bugatti Unveils The Chiron L’Ébé, A Special Edition Series Honoring Ettore Bugatti’s Daughter The opening event will feature the new showroom, where visitors can see current Bugatti models and purchase Bugatti branded merchandise, and it will also feature a hand-rolling experience provided by Payne Mason Cigars, personalized leather products from Royce New York, Carbon Champagne, and a display of incredible ultra-luxury watches from Jacob & Co., all there to mark the beginning of an exciting new presence for the Bugatti brand in North America. View All Bugattis For Sale Source: Bugatti

By Edward Jones – February 04, 2021

Bugatti Newport Beach Breaks Ground in Southern California

Ground has just been broken on Bugatti Newport Beach, a 1,500 sq-ft space in Southern California that will be led by Dealer Principal Pietro Frigerio and be under the Newport Beach Automotive Group umbrella. Other Newport Beach Automotive Group dealerships include Lamborghini Newport Beach, McLaren Newport Beach and more. This new location will be one of the very first in North America to include Bugatti's new corporate identity. The new contemporary design aesthetic and state-of-the-art configuration table are just part of what will make this dealership a perfect place for customers to create their new hypercar. “Located in the heart of the country’s largest super car market, the new showroom will offer Bugatti customers the elevated experience they expect from this historic company,” said Frigerio. “With a substantial Bugatti community already existing in Orange County, the brand’s exclusive clientele will have a lot to see when the doors open to the new home of Bugatti Newport Beach.” Source: Bugatti

By Andrew Nabors – January 18, 2021

2021 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Deliveries Begin

Greenwich, Connecticut is an ideal location to offer the world's most exclusive cars. That's why the first 2021 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport deliveries have begun. Like every other new Bugatti for sale, the Chiron Pur Sport is built to express every aspect of the owner's personality. First Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Delivered by Miller Motorcars As such, this stunning supercar is finished in Quartz White and Gray Carbon. Accents in Gunpowder give it a menacing demeanor, and the optional Sky View (moonroof) brightens the interior. While the Divo is aimed at all-out track performance, the new Bugatti Chiron for sale is the purest amalgam of 1,500 horsepower and impeccable luxury. 2021 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Customer Test Drives By sacrificing a few mph on the top end, shorter transmission gearing, and a redline of almost 7,000 rpm translates into unparalleled acceleration. Click the button below to begin your adventure. Browse New Bugatti For Sale Image (C) Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.

By Andrew Nabors – December 24, 2020

Three Bugatti Divos Delivered By Bugatti Beverly Hills

Almost three years ago, Bugatti owners were invited to a private dinner party in Beverly Park. While the official purpose was to celebrate the arrival of the Chiron Sport, a few guests were invited down into the wine cellar. There, Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann presented them with drawings and a few details of his upcoming project. Fast forward to Christmas 2020, and three Bugatti Divos have been delivered by Bugatti Beverly Hills. Bugatti Divo Hypercar Unboxing by Bugatti Beverly Hills – First on the West Coast In order for their customers to fully experience what the cars are capable of, O'Gara Motorsport is located at Thermal Club raceway. It was there that owners saw the cars in their natural habitat, on the track. These three cars (Blue, Grey & Silver) represent a focus on outperforming every competitor. Having 1,500 horsepower, speed and acceleration is not a problem. Therefore, the engineers turned their attention to handling and cornering. Albert Divo won the Targa Florio race racing for Ettore Bugatti, so these cars are an homage to his abilities. To compete on the world's toughest tracks, downforce was increased by 200 lbs. This lowered the top speed to ONLY 236 mph but whose counting? Being able to hold 1.6g in the corners is an attribute only shared with purpose-built race cars, and it took a clean-sheet redesign of the suspension to pull it off. Because the Divo doesn't share many components with Bugatti models past or present, only 40 cars will be offered. Having a trio of them in one location is an event that won't happen again. Because they have a finger on the pulse of the SoCal supercar scene, only O'Gara Group could pull this off. " width="680"> Working with Mr. Winkelmann, this event was over two and a half years in the making. Tim O'Hara is the General Manager of Bugatti Beverly Hills, and he had this to say: "The process of designing the liveries of these cars has been cathartic for both the clients and me. It showed us what's possible and reinvigorated our excitement for what's to come. To see these spectacular automobile works of art go from that piece of paper to sitting here in front of me is a phenomenal feeling. It was a very involved and lengthy process that demanded our best skills and expertise. To deliver 4 of only 40 to be built in the world and see the project through fruition is deeply gratifying.” Needless to say, only the O'Gara Group could procure four of the forty Bugatti Divos to be offered, each one being built to order. Your dreams can become a reality thanks to having a dedicated team at your disposal. Images (C) Robert Grubbs

By Edward Jones – August 10, 2020

See the Unboxing of the First Bugatti Divo in the US

It was just a week ago that Bugatti announced the deliveries of the first customer Divos. Now, we are happy to announce that Miller Motorcars x Bugatti Greenwich has received one of those examples and they did a complete unboxing video of the hypercar. This Divo made is one of the 40 that will be produced, making it a rare gem in the automotive world. Thankfully, Bugatti took very special care when shipping this Divo from Paris to New York, ensuring its safe arrival. The giant box holding the hypercar inside had to be very specifically disassembled so that the Divo could roll out. You can see the process from start to finish by clicking play down below. View Miller Motorcars' Inventory https://www.instagram.com/p/CDoD3eUF1qR/?igshid=8ud9drpr8arl

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