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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 Jordan Aquistapace – December 02, 2024

Neymar Jr. Buys A $54.5M Sky Mansion Penthouse Inside Dub...

Neymar Jr. will surely enjoy the view from his Bugatti-inspired penthouse. For those who enjoy a taste for the finer things in life, affluential hobbies may include collecting rare, multi-million dollar hypercars or expanding a real estate portfolio of breathtaking properties. But when both worlds collide as part of an ultra-luxury collaboration, you best believe that the biggest names with the biggest bank accounts will have their hands in it. For Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar Jr., this proves to be true as the 32-year-old just recently purchased a jaw-dropping $54.5 million penthouse inside the all-new Bugatti Residences by Binghatti. News of the eight-figure real estate acquisition broke after Muhammed Binghatti posted on his Instagram, welcoming Neymar as the newest owner by saying, "I am pleased to welcome global football legend Neymar Jr as a Sky Mansion Penthouse Owner in Bugatti Residences by Binghatti in Dubai." Nestled in Dubai's coveted Business Bay, the residence takes shape as the world's first Bugatti-branded residential project. With less than 200 available floor plans, including 171 Riviera Mansions, Neymar Jr. opted for one of the 11 Sky Mansion Penthouses. Drawing inspiration from the charm and elegance of the French Riviera, Bugatti and Binghatti have crafted interiors that effortlessly combine comfort, functionality, and sophistication. Future residents will enjoy an array of luxury amenities, including a Riviera-inspired beach, private pool, jacuzzi spa, fitness club, chef’s table, private valet service, an exclusive members' club, and two car lifts that transport vehicles directly from the garage to the penthouse. Bugatti Residences by Binghatti aims to capture the spirit and luxury of the Riviera lifestyle in the heart of Dubai. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Muhammad Binghatti (@m_binghatti) Source: @m_binghatti/@wealth Instagram

By duPont REGISTRY – October 15, 2024

Magnus Walker Lists His Iconic Downtown Los Angeles Wareh...

Magnus Walker is selling his iconic 26,000 sq ft Porsche-packed warehouse. Magnus Walker, the celebrated British-American designer, real estate entrepreneur, and Porsche collector, has officially listed his iconic warehouse in Downtown Los Angeles. Magnus' creative journey started with the launch of Serious Clothing in 1994, a brand that became a staple in LA’s punk and rock scenes, worn by renowned artists like Gwen Stefani and Alice Cooper. In 2001, he moved into this massive 26,000-square-foot space originally for Serious Clothing, which soon evolved into a workshop, art gallery, film location, and home for his incredible collection of rare and classic Porsches. Gavin Cater Built in 1903, the warehouse has a storied history as it became a creative hub over the decades. Its walls have witnessed countless film shoots, music videos, and commercials featuring stars like Kevin Costner and Heidi Klum. Nestled in the Arts District, this property stands out for its adaptive reuse, giving potential buyers a rare opportunity to own a piece of both LA’s history and artistic future. The building’s evolution perfectly mirrors Magnus' busy lifestyle, with every corner of the space serving as a canvas for creation. Gavin Cater Inside, the two-story brick warehouse shows off its vintage style, with exposed brick walls, patinated wood floors, and industrial skylights. It features a gated courtyard that offers parking for up to 12 cars, an operational freight elevator, and extensive rooftop views of downtown LA. With over 25,000 square feet spread across three lots, the property provides plenty of room for both residential and commercial. Gavin Cater This one-of-a-kind property is listed by Canyonhaus at Compass and Normal Properties, and it offers an opportunity to own a true gem in DTLA. Whether you’re a business visionary, car collector, or artist, the Magnus Walker Warehouse is ready for its new owner. Interested buyers can learn more at www.themagnuswalkerwarehouse.com and connect with agents Tori Horowitz, Rinat Greenberg, or Geoff Anenberg to schedule a private tour. Interested in working with duPont REGISTRY Realty to discover more luxury automotive properties, click the link below. Discover duPont REGISTRY Realty Source: www.themagnuswalkerwarehouse.com Photos: Emmanuel Soriano, Gavin Cater and Leanna Creel

By Jordan Aquistapace – July 18, 2024

NBA Champion Boston Celtics MVP Jaylen Brown Lists His $4...

Jaylen Brown's luxurious Boston penthouse, complete with high-end amenities and Celtics memorabilia, is now on sale for $4.75 million. Living in one of Boston's best penthouse residences is a dream come true for many, and now it's possible with Jaylen Brown's stunning home hitting the market. Owned by the NBA Boston Celtics Eastern Conference Finals MVP, this upscale penthouse is nestled in a converted textile factory, offering a unique blend of industrial charm and modern luxury. With 2,964 square feet of space, three bedrooms, and a $4.75 million price tag, this apartment boasts all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a three-time NBA All-Star who recently inked a five-year, $304 million contract. Surette Media Group Located in the vibrant Fort Point neighborhood, Jaylen's penthouse epitomizes top-notch factory conversion living. It features an open-floor layout, 12-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls, expansive windows, and original wood beams. The walkable neighborhood offers easy access to all of Boston, and one of the city's best steakhouses is conveniently situated in the same five-story Necco Landing building. The luxurious apartment is adorned with designer furniture, top-of-the-line appliances, a pool table, and Celtics basketball memorabilia, making it a comfortable and stylish retreat. Surette Media Group At just 27 years old, Jaylen Brown has crafted a home that reflects his success and personality. The industrial-size windows and accent lighting tie the entire apartment together, creating an elegant yet cozy man cave. The expansive roof deck, accessed via a spiral staircase, offers a perfect spot for relaxation and entertainment. Born and raised in Marietta, Georgia, Jaylen's journey from being a top high school recruit to an NBA star is inspiring. Selected third in the 2016 NBA draft after a standout year at the University of California, Berkeley, Jaylen's career and this stunning penthouse are examples of his incredible achievements. Source: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com/Photos: Surette Media Group

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