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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 Edward Jones – April 06, 2016

Vaughn Gittin Jr. Tests Out His New 900 hp Mustang RTR

Automotive madman Vuagh Gittin Jr. unveiled the new Mustang RTR back in 2014. According to the car's website, the “Mustang RTR takes the best of multiple automotive cultures and tastefully meshes them together into a final product that anyone can immediately appreciate and see themselves behind the wheel of – whether they are ‘slaying’ a set of tires, blasting a straight, carving some turns, linking a section on the drift circuit, or simply just cruising along with their better half.”If you need to be convinced more about the power of the RTR, check out Gittin testing very own 900 hp 2016 Mustang RTR in a new video from Ford Performance found below. Now this is how you spin tires and burn rubber in a Mustang.Mustang For Sale

By Edward Jones – April 01, 2016

F1 Driver Scares Girlfriend With High-Speed NASCAR Donuts

If you're the significant other of a Formula One or IndyCar driver, there's a darn good chance you've never had them drive you around in their race car. That is unless they have access to one of those two-seater cars. For Max Chilton, IndyCar Series race and former F1 star, he wanted to give his girlfriend, Chloe Roberts, a taste of speed. Unfortunately, he didn't have a two-seater IndyCar on hand, but he did have access to an 800 hp NASCAR.Roberts strapped herself into the passenger seat, while Chilton was taught how to start the powerful American racecar. Once he was ready, the two took down the Goodwood Circuit, doing donuts along the way.After their spin in the car, they stopped and Roberts said it was "terrifying." And I'm not sure if it was from the vibrations of the car or not, but her hand was visibly shaking.Check out the video below to see her ride for yourself!

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – March 11, 2016

Senator John McCain's Wife, Cindy McCain, the... Drifter?

At one time, Cindy McCain thought she might find herself in the White House. Tagging along on the campaign trail with her husband, John McCain, Cindy was thought of as quiet, reserved, and even referred to as a "Stepford Wife."What the world didn't know, though, was that McCain has a love for cars, and driving cars... and drifting apparently. In an interview with ESPN, then 54-year-old White House hopeful, McCain says her son is responsible for her love for drifting, even though she'd been a race car fan for quite some time before that. In fact, she loves it so much she's spent extensive time in Japan learning how to drift from some of the best instructors available. She also attended Brondurant driving school.She and her son actually built a car together and she's participated in racing and drifting events. What's more, she claims driving saved her life. In 2004, McCain suffered a stroke and was paralyzed for a time. She fell into a depression that she thought would cloud her life forever. Her son, knowing what driving and drifting did for her, signed her up for driving school and got her back on the road and back in the game of life.Pretty awesome story, we think. Check out her story in the video below.

By Edward Jones – March 01, 2016

Ken Block's Gymkhana Eight Tears Through Dubai

With most attention going toward the Geneva Motor Show, there's something else that released today that automotive fans need to see: Gymhkana Eight.Taking place in Dubai, this latest drift-filled video features supercars, the Dubai Police supercar fleet, luxury houses and hotels and completely empty roads, begging for some burning tires.While the drifting was most definitely spectacular, there was one part where the little Ford Fiesta takes on a row of supercars, including a Lexus LFA, Lamborghini Aventador, Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari F12berlientta. I won't say who wins, but just know that his Fiesta makes 650 hp and runs 0-60 mph in 1.8 seconds. For comparison's sake, I'm included the 0-60 of the cars it races below. Lexus LFA: 3.6 seconds Lamborghini Aventador: 2.8 seconds Bugatti Veyron: 2.4 seconds Ferrari F12berlientta: 3.1 seconds Ken Block's Ford Fiesta: 1.8 seconds You need to see it for yourself. Click play below.

By Edward Jones – February 29, 2016

Horacio Pagani Flies Around Monaco In His Huayra

Horacio Pagani, the man behind Pagani Automobili S.p.A., has always had an intense passion for everything automotive. In fact, Brett David of Prestige Imports told me in an interview that his father, Irv David, noted that Pagani would create "the next benchmark supercar." And if the Zonda or Huayra have anything to say about it, David was correct.After years of having a successful automobile brand, it only makes sense that Pagani treats himself to leisurely drives in some of the finest cars in the world, including his own Huayra.We've seen him in a McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder and now Supercars of Austria has spotted him driving his Huayra through the streets of Monaco. In the video, he can be seen cruising by in his matte gray Huayra, which is downright stunning. Check it out below.Paganis For Sale

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – February 19, 2016

Danica Patrick the... Lyft Driver?

It's just a normal weekday and you're ready to call Lyft for a ride home from work. The driver, though nice enough, keeps making strange references to racing and challenges other drivers to stop light drag races. She seems a little aggressive, talking about how she takes turns too fast and hates waiting at stop lights. Maybe a little panic comes over you, or maybe this is exactly the kind of ride you needed after a long day at the office. Well this is different, you think to yourself, and then that Lyft driver reveals that's she's actually the famous race-car driver, Danica Patrick. Day. Made.Danica Patrick, the most successful woman race driver in American history, turned heads and made a name for herself when she stepped out on the scene at the Indianapolis 500 in May 2005. During the race, she led for 19 laps and took home 4th place-- a first for a woman in the industry. She continues to dominate the scene today, and only gets better with time.Concealing her identity with some oversized aviator glasses and a floppy beanie, Danica Patrick gives a few unsuspecting Lyft customers a ride they won't soon forget. In the video below, watch the hilarious reactions from the Lyft passengers at Patrick's mercy. All we know is we're wishing we were in Charlotte, North Carolina and in need of a Lyft that day.

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