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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

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 09, 2024

David Donohue Sets Record COTA Lap Time In John Hennessey...

The Circuit of the Americas was taken on by an American performance hero. John Hennessey is known for having an insatiable penchant for the ultimate American performance, whether that means tuning, acquiring, or building from the ground up, some of the greatest American performance cars ever seen. In the automotive world, the Hennessey name has become synonymous with speed, power, and engineering prowess, and despite not being tuned, John Hennessey’s stock C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 now has a feather in its own cap. Recently, Hennessey announced a partnership with racing legend David Donohue, with the two setting their sights together on achieving incredible records behind the wheel of Hennessey’s Venom F5 hypercar, but the new Corvette Z06 also took part in achieving racing success this past December, when Donohue took it to the Circuit of the Americas. The car is equipped with Chevrolet’s Z07 performance package, which adds to the already-formidable Z06 track ready carbon fiber aero and carbon fiber wheels. While conditions were less than ideal and prevented the lap time from being even faster, Donohue managed to clock an incredible 2 minutes and 19.18 seconds, recorded through the on-board lap time recorder in the Corvette Z06. This puts the car in the Austin, Texas circuit’s record books as the fastest Corvette Z06 at the track, and Hennessey filmed the entire lap for fans to experience both the performance prowess of the C8 Z06, and the driving skill of the legendary David Donohue, whose partnership with Hennessey has already proved fruitful. Watch the incredible lap below. View All Vehicles For Sale From Hennessey

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 28, 2023

Watch The Hamilton Collection Drive The New Hennessey Ven...

One of the greatest American hypercars joins an incredible collection. Hennessey has achieved icon status in the world of high performance, and its Venom F5 is one of its most revered creations, boasting immense power, incredible engineering, and the lofty goal of a top speed above 300 mph. Its prowess as a game-changing hypercar has attracted the attention and interest of a great deal of high-profile car collectors, even including notable names like Michael Jordan. Now, a new YouTube video from The Hamilton Collection announces the addition of a new Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution to the prolific supercar collection. To configure the revolutionary hypercar, The Hamilton Collection paid a visit to Hennessey’s Sealy, Texas headquarters. Along with the configuration, the visit also included a tour of the factory, and a test drive of the Venom F5 on Hennessey’s Pennzoil Proving Grounds to see what the Venom F5 Revolution can do. Managing to squeeze an incredible 1,817 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter “Fury” V8 engine and a weight of under 3,000 pounds, the Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution is just that: revolutionary. With a V8 exhaust note evoking muscle cars, and performance that rivals the world’s greatest performance machines, the hypercar wowed The Hamilton Collection, reaching 175 mph on the Pennzoil Proving Ground’s drag strip. With this incredible new hypercar becoming a part of The Hamilton Collection, the highest echelon of American performance is now within one of the greatest supercar collections. View All Vehicles For Sale From Hennessey

By Jordan Aquistapace – March 18, 2021

Joe Rogan Talks About His Hennessey Velociraptor 600 On H...

Joe Rogan is commonly known for hosting The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the most listened to podcasts in the world. As a true car enthusiast and collector, Joe occasionally mentions one of the many desirable vehicles in his collection, whether it be a performance-focused track car or a 4x4 set to tackle any terrain. In a recent Instagram post by Hennessy Performance Engineering, the team thanks Joe Rogan for mentioning how much he enjoys his Hennessey Velociraptor 600 during his interview with former CIA agent Mike Baker. The heavily modified Ford Raptor is equipped with an upgraded twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder, which delivers 600-bhp and a 4.2 second 0-60 time. On the topic of highly-modified vehicles, Joe explains that the Hennessey Ford Raptor was his first truck purchase and is best described as his “Texas Truck”. He then goes on to voice his disbelief behind the performance upgrades that Hennessey Performance is able to accomplish on project chassis like the 1,000-horsepower C8 Corvette. Check out The Joe Rogan Experience podcast featuring Mike Baker on Spotify. Joe Rogans Car Collection: Click Here

By Edward Jones – March 26, 2019

The Rock's New Hennessey VelociRaptor V8

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is no stranger to fine automobiles. In fact, we've written about him plenty of times, like when he arrived to a premiere in a Pagani Huayra or when he surprised his longtime stuntman with a new truck. Today, I'm writing about his custom Ford Raptor: a Hennessey VelociRaptor V8. Instead of having a 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine, this truck has a powerful 5.0-liter V8 engine. With this upgrade comes a long list of other additions, like a 2.9-liter supercharger system and various other mechanical upgrades. Now that is one tough truck. Congratulations to The Rock on the new addition to his garage! view hennessey's inventory Source: Instagram

By Edward Jones – December 24, 2018

Post Malone Gets Massive Hennessey VelociRaptor 6x6 for C...

Back in October, Post Malone posted a pic to his Instagram of him with John Hennessey. Now, if you're familiar with John Hennessey, you know that he is the madman behind the Hennessey car brand. They specialize in some of the craziest cars, like a 1,000 horsepower Cadillac CTS-V and 1,200 horsepower Dodge Demon Redeye. Hennessey Performance has also created the VelociRaptor 6x6, which was apparently what John and Post were meeting about in the pic he posted up earlier this year. See Post Malone's Exotic Car Collection Hennessey Performance revealed on their Facebook page that they have delivered a gorgeous white VelociRaptor 6x6 to the famous Post Malone. " width="680"> This custom Ford Raptor comes with an extra set of rear axles that turn the truck into an off-road monster. Whether Post opted for the twin-turbo upgrade is unknown, but I would not be surprised he went for the additional power. Congrats are in order for Post on his new truck, because it's a beauty! Images by Taylor Sanger Photography via Hennessey Performance

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