Chevrolet

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 Gabriel Vega – March 22, 2023

Chevrolet Camaro Discontinued After 2024 Final Collector'...

Chevy says, "this is not the end."

By Andrew Nabors – May 06, 2021

2022 Camaro ZL1 1LE NASCAR Unveiled In Charlotte

Humpy Wheeler made Charlotte Motor Speedway a mecca for all things racing. As such, NASCAR collaborated with GM, Ford and Toyota to engineer the 7th-generation race cars. Becoming closer to stock cars once again. Known as "Next Gen" the Camaro ZL1 1LE is kinda close to what you can buy at our Chevy dealers. Chevrolet’s new look on the racetrack will more closely connect to its cars in the showroom when Chevy campaigns its Next Gen Camaro ZL1 race car starting next season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Chevrolet’s Performance Design studio worked closely with racing engineering to optimize aerodynamics on the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 race car while incorporating features that undeniably showcase the similarities between the race car and production Camaro ZL1. The ZL1 Super Speedway Camaro has a lower greenhouse and shorter trunk lid. The symmetrical body offers great downforce, and the independent rear suspension offers incredible grip on the high-banked turns. Instead of the traditional 4-speed transmission, a new rear-mounted transaxle was borrowed from the Corvette ZR1. Chevrolet will be diving deep into the car's details Saturday night at 8, so bookmark this link: This offers perfect weight distribution without adding lead to the corners like the old-timers did. The front and rear suspension ride on subframes can be quickly changed out after friendly contact with the wall or a rookie driver. I might have to get back on the NASCAR bandwagon, but I wouldn't trade my SVE Camaro SS for anything. Their new SVE Yenko Stage II Camaro makes 1,050 horsepower, and you will see it on the Motor Expo field at Amelia Island two weeks from now. Stay with us for all your Camaro news. Browse All Camaro For Sale Images (C) General Motors

By Andrew Nabors – April 29, 2021

Hennessey Performance Builds The Last Resurrection

The ultimate Camaro All good things must come to an end. John Hennessey and his team only made enough unique parts to build 20 examples of the Resurrection. Their 1,200 horsepower supercar starts with a forged 416 (6.8L) V8. Then the ZL1 1LE Camaro is taken apart to start over with Hennessey hardware. It follows the same attention to detail previewed in their new Mammoth SUV. The 1,200 horsepower Resurrection was only offered to owners of the Hennessey Exorcist, but they still have a special blend of boost and tuning to take your Camaro past 4-digit horsepower. Click the button to see what they offer for your daily driver and stay with us for all your Hennessey news. Learn More

By Andrew Nabors – January 03, 2020

2020 Hennessey HPE850 Camaro ZL1 1LE Shakedown Runs

Need a little more excitement in your life? There is no doubt that the latest Camaro is a great car, but we know a guy who reliably take it beyond 800 horsepower and throw in a warranty. So sit back and get ready for the 2020 Hennessey HPE850 Camaro ZL1 1LE shakedown runs. The ZL1 1LE is the culmination of decades of Camaro development. John Hennessey and his team port & polish the heads and install larger valves. After only changing the lower supercharger pulley, it consistently offers 850 horsepower and 860 lb-ft of torque. In fact, it is their base model package, as they offer the 1,000 horsepower Excorcist and 1,200 horsepower resurrection. Click the button below or call 979.885.1300 for all the info. " width="680">

Chevrolet introduces the 2020 COPO Camaro John Force Edition at

By Andrew Nabors – November 04, 2019

2020 COPO Camaro John Force Edition Arrives at SEMA

One name strikes fear in the hearts of Top Fuel and Funny Car competitors: Force. That's because John Force and his daughters have redefined the sport for over 3 decades. Because his career began with Team Chevrolet, the 2020 COPO Camaro John Force Edition has arrived at SEMA. Announced in a press release this morning, the 16-time NHRA champion has partnered with Chevrolet to build this 1 of 1 Camaro. It will cross the auction block at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale next year, with proceeds going to DonorsChoose.org. It will be the centerpiece of the booth, surrounded by the new 2020 Corvette, Silverado, and a host of upgrade parts from Chevrolet Performance. Browse All Camaro For Sale In other Forceful news, Brittany Force won the Las Vegas Nationals yesterday running 3.652 at 338 mph. A new Top Fuel speed and time record. Related: Camaro ZL1 Price, Specs, Photos & Review C8 Corvette Stingray Price, Specs, Photos & Review

By Andrew Nabors – September 16, 2019

World's First 5-Second Street Car at Hot Rod Drag Week

If your car has doors, lights, and registration, you can participate in the hardest road trip of all time. The world's fastest street legal cars have been chopping down 6-second passes, but this news is resonating around the world. Filmed by our friends at 1320video, you can watch the world's first 5-second street car at Hot Rod Drag Week. World's Fastest Cars For Sale If you have never participated, Drag Week is a rolling tour of the world's fastest cars. Your spare parts, tires, fuel, and tools must be brought along, so the notion of adding a trailer hitch to a pro-mod is not uncommon. Tom Bailey is a Drag Week Veteran, and his pro-mod 1969 Camaro has a tall-deck big block and two massive turbos from Precision Industries. Porsche Taycan Sets New 'Ring Record After a week of driving and racing between Virginia and New Jersey, he learned the exact set up his car was asking for. Using a 2-step and transbrake to build boost, he crossed the top end in 5.99 seconds at 250 mph. What you are about to see is faster than any exotic or hypercar. We now live in a world where street-legal cars can outrun dragsters from just a few years ago. Tell us your fastest pass in the comments below, and stay with us for more quarter-mile world record footage. " width="680"> Related: Colorado Radio Station Organized Record-Breaking Burnout Contest

By Andrew Nabors – September 12, 2019

1969 Pro Street Camaro Looking for New Owner

1969 Pro Street Camaro, all-steel professionally built (not some back yard special). Starting with a Chris Alston front clip, it has a complete DOM round tube chassis, roll cage & back half. The rear is a Strange Dana 60 with 35 spline axles and 4.73 gears. A laser straight Z/28 body is covered in Aztec Silver paint. The dash is carbon-fiber style with Auto Meter gauges and a delay box. View Price & Details Under the hood is a Kris Nelson 565 BBC just freshened with Brodix heads, Jesel rocker system & belt drive. It offers consistent 1,050 Dyno Horsepower thanks to Oliver steel rods, Diamond pistons, & Callies crank. Car runs consistent 5.80’s in 1/8 mile, all day long and 8.80’s in the 1/4 mile ALL MOTOR. The transmission is an ATI Pro Glide with integrated trans-brake (1.80 first gear setup). Car and motor are setup for plate kit, and it was only used for a couple of passes. Best pass on a 250 shot was 5.35 1/8th Mile! The car comes with a full set of street tires & wheels as shown in pictures and also a full set of Weld Aluma stars with double bead locks and wheelie bars. Full stainless exhaust and Brand New NOS plate kit! If you are looking for a true Pro-Street car that is as nice as it gets, the car has no A/C or heat and is set up to be an old school style true pro streetcar that pounds the ground. Car is in MINT condition, garage kept, always waxed and professionally maintained, Perfect for Drag week!!! This car could not be built for a fraction of the asking price, as no expenses were spared. Click the button to see all the details! View Price & Details

By Andrew Nabors – January 30, 2019

2020 Camaro ZL1 1LE Receives 10-Speed Automatic

When Chevrolet decided to give the 2019 Camaro a makeover, the updated styling wasn't shared with the most powerful model. That's because the Camaro ZL1 1LE is a track-focused downforce machine. Like the Z/28 that appeared in 2015, the top-dog Camaro has been only offered with three pedals. Those days are over, as their latest press release reveals the 2020 Camaro ZL1 1LE receives the 10-speed automatic transmission. It allows the fancy F-body to lap the Milford Proving Grounds 0.5 seconds faster than the six-speed. Since Ford and GM developed it together, it has also proven to be bulletproof in the latest Raptor. The "normal" ZL1 without the 1LE package has offered this since it was introduced in 2017, but it does without the hardcore aerodynamics and with 50 extra lbs. Our dealers have great incentives on Camaros, so click the link below and stay with us for all your Chevy news. Find Your Camaro Here " width="680"> Related: 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Finally Unveiled 2019 Corvette Drivers' Series Announced

By Andrew Nabors – October 30, 2018

Chevrolet Reveals Electric eCOPO Camaro at SEMA

It has been 50 years since the COPO Camaro dominated the Stock Eliminator drag races. It used the Corvette's 427 (7-liter) V8 to offer 10 second times, something that is difficult even today. So Chevrolet partnered with Hancock & Lane Racing to build a look at the future. The 2019 eCOPO does away with the V8, and replaces it with an 800v electric motor.How many cars are in Jay Leno's car Collection?It is very close to the setup used by Patrick McCue in his "Shock & Awe" electric dragster. It uses a pair of Borg Warner HVH 250-150 motors coupled together under the hood. GM's first 800v battery follows on the successes that Porsche & Rimac have developed for the new Taycan. Each motor makes 300 lb-ft of torque for a total of 600 lb-ft & 700 horsepower. Because the power is available at an instant, the car uses a billet torque converter and the indestructible TH400 automatic transmission.Instead of a solid 800v battery pack, the team placed four 200v modules in all the right places. Two are in the rear seat area, one in the spare tire well, and one directly over the rear axle. The 56% rear weight bias will have the front tires in the air for consistent 9-second quarter-miles. The press release says the eCOPO motor has the same bell housing flange as Chevy's LS & LT V8 engines, so perhaps we will see an electric conversion kit somewhere down the road. The eCOPO joins the other 2019 COPO Camaros in Chevrolet's booth, so stay with us for all your SEMA news.View Camaros For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – October 17, 2018

"Shock Yellow" Chevrolet Camaro SS En Route to SEMA

When the first images of the 2019 Camaro lineup were released, fans and the media were quick to respond to the unconventional styling. Chevrolet has heard our concerns and translated them into a new concept car. In a press release last night, the "Shock Yellow" Camaro SS can be seen for miles. The front end is accentuated by dual-element LED lights and a striking graphics package on the hood.Chevrolet Unveils Restyled 2019 Camaro LineupThe revised front end moves the Bowtie back to the upper grille where it belongs. Also on display will be a new 50-state legal cold air intake, revised aerodynamics, and 6-piston Brembo brakes. Upgrades to the 10-speed automatic include launch control with an integrated line-lock. Several new colors for 2019 include Crush, Riverside Blue Metallic, Shadow Grey Metallic, and Satin Steel Grey Metallic. A new rear-view mirror acts as a full-screen backup camera, and the 4-cylinder turbo model is now available with race-ready 1LE suspension.View Camaros For Sale

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