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 – February 10, 2023

Bugatti Takes The New W16 Mistral To Where The Mistral Wi...

The winds of change are sweeping through the Bugatti brand. It’s quite appropriate that Bugatti named its final W16-powered hypercar the W16 Mistral, as the origin of the name is in a wind that has its presence in southern France. As the Mistral is not only named after the wind, but is a roadster itself, the wind is incredibly relevant, and as the amazing hypercar embarks on a world tour, one of its stops was to the south of France to feel that very wind. Its characteristics are guiding principles for its eponymous hypercar, as the wind is powerful and blows year-round, and the movement of air was a paramount consideration in engineering the car. MUST READ: Bugatti’s First Eyewear Collection Features A Pair Of $15K Sunglasses Being a roadster, airflow is both a benefit and an important challenge in automotive design, as the Bugatti W16 Mistral is able to deliver a thrilling driving experience with the wind blowing past, but also has to balance the effects of drag, and ensure proper cooling and aerodynamics as the car moves. Being Bugatti, the designers and engineers of course achieved this, with a more advanced version of Bugatti’s signature horseshoe grille, a series of intakes, and the avant-garde x-shaped taillight assembly that allows air to exit. When it comes to the brand, the car itself, and the time in which it arrives, the Mistral wind is a thematically important part of what makes the new Bugatti W16 Mistral so special. View All Bugattis For Sale Source: Bugatti

By Tyler Rampersaud – December 12, 2022

The New Bugatti Baby II Carbon Edition Echoes The W16 Mis...

Even as Bugatti’s latest hypercar, the W16 Mistral inspires new creations. It wouldn’t be difficult to argue that the new Bugatti W16 Mistral is something of an instantaneous legend in automotive history. As the latest and unfortunately final Bugatti hypercar to be powered by the brand’s world-changing quad-turbocharged W16 engine, the Mistral is a no-holds-barred automotive masterpiece. Its roadster body style is an homage to classic sports cars and historic Bugatti models, and its design is both futuristic and full of historical touches that echo Bugatti’s incredible legacy. MUST READ: Record-Breaking 1993 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport Prototype For Sale The Little Car Company’s Bugatti Baby II is a unique and modern homage to classic Bugatti racers, with the look and craftsmanship of a vintage Bugatti, and the engineering and technology of the latest and greatest from the automotive industry. The new Bugatti Baby II Carbon Edition takes it further with carbon bodywork that pays homage to the incredible Bugatti W16 Mistral. Made exclusively for owners of the W16 Mistral, owners of the new Bugatti Baby II Carbon Edition are able to have their Mistral’s configuration match the Baby II at a bespoke level of detail. Priced at roughly $84,400, the Bugatti Baby II Carbon Edition is the perfect complement and homage to the already-legendary Bugatti W16 Mistral. View All Bugattis For Sale Source: Bugatti

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 28, 2022

Bugatti Riyadh Will Host The New W16 Mistral's Exclusive ...

Bugatti’s latest masterpiece visits Saudi Arabia. Bugatti has accompanied lots of fanfare with the new W16 Mistral’s introductions to various parts of the world, and rightfully so, as the W16 Mistral is the brand’s final iteration of the W16 powerplant that brought the legendary brand to the highest echelon of 21st-century fame. With almost 1,600 horsepower, the engine uses engineering that is still ahead of its time even after almost two decades of being one of the most potent powertrains in the automotive industry. However, the Mistral marks the end for it and the greatest in a very long line of Bugatti roadsters. MUST READ: The Best Bugatti Chirons You Can Buy Today The Bugatti brand is known for its combination of the best of luxury and performance, and with woven leather, a recreation of Rembrandt Bugatti’s Dancing Elephant, and an incredibly-engineered roofless design, the Mistral is a masterpiece at any speed. With the Middle East being one of the world’s luxury car capitals, Riyadh made for the perfect place for the Mistral to visit, and it will do so with an event at Bugatti’s Riyadh showroom, which was opened just last year with cars like the Chiron Pur Sport front and center. At the exclusive event, invited guests will get to see and experience the bespoke beauty, engineering, and attention to detail of the incredible Bugatti W16 Mistral. While Bugatti is saying goodbye to the W16 with the Mistral, it isn’t letting its heroic engine go out without a bang. View All Bugattis For Sale Source: Bugatti

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 14, 2022

The New Bugatti W16 Mistral Makes Its Middle Eastern Debu...

The new Bugatti W16 Mistral introduces itself in one of the places where it can be appreciated most. This past August, the new Bugatti W16 Mistral was revealed to the entire world at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, as the final swan song of Bugatti’s incredibly legendary W16 engine that will be talked about for generations to come as one of the 21st century’s greatest engineering marvels. It also introduced itself in Europe at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance event, and now the incredible hypercar comes to the Middle East at a launch event at Dubai’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. MUST READ: Why The New W16 Mistral Is One Of The Greatest Bugattis Ever Made The region is important to the Bugatti brand, with Dubai’s Al Habtoor Motors selling Bugatti cars since 2006, and earning the distinction of Bugatti Service Partner of Excellence in 2013. Despite being a small country geographically, the United Arab Emirates accounts for the world’s largest fleet of Bugatti Veyron cars, with over 50 examples there. In addition, the Arabian Peninsula is responsible for roughly a quarter of all Bugatti Chiron orders. The reception of the W16 Mistral in the country, as expected, was immense. The car promises to be Bugatti’s fastest-ever roadster, and in order to live up to that honor, it was engineered carefully with thermodynamics and aerodynamics at the top of the engineers’ and designers’ minds. The stunning hypercar is limited to 99 examples, all of which have already been claimed for a price above $5 million. Deliveries of the already-legendary W16 Mistral are set to begin in 2024. View All Bugattis For Sale Source: Bugatti

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 10, 2022

Why The New W16 Mistral Is One Of The Greatest Bugattis E...

Performance, luxury, design, and craftsmanship, the Bugatti new Bugatti W16 Mistral has it all. The new Bugatti W16 Mistral had an important responsibility when it was revealed: it served as the grand finale of the revolutionary W16 engine that brought Bugatti to everlasting worldwide fame in the modern automotive era. The powertrain, which used pioneering technology to combine 16 cylinders and 4 turbochargers with an all-wheel drive system brought Bugatti’s hypercars to record-breaking speeds and the pinnacle of the global automotive stage for nearly 20 years. With the Mistral, however, the engine sings its swan song, giving way to future revolutionary feats to be achieved by Bugatti, however, the Mistral is its own masterpiece in more ways than just its powertrain. MUST READ: How The New 10-Example Bugatti Centodieci Is Test Driven Over 200 Miles Before Delivery Bugatti says that the W16 Mistral is able to reach speeds above 260 mph, and especially with the car being an open-top machine, this requires incredible engineering. Striking the balance between evoking Bugatti’s well-known incomparable beauty and meeting the requirements for thermodynamics, structural integrity, and aerodynamics required careful work. However, that balance was struck incredibly, with stunning craftsmanship inside and out, with features like the X-shaped taillights, woven leather in the door panels, and a gear shifter milled from a solid block of aluminum, with a wood and amber insert featuring Rembrandt Bugatti’s ‘dancing elephant,’ famous for being featured on the incredibly luxurious Type 41 Royale of the past. All 99 examples that will be made of the W16 Mistral have been spoken for, with deliveries set to commence in 2024, and once they do, the car will begin to make its name as one of the most loved and aspired-to cars ever made. View All Bugattis For Sale Source: Bugatti

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