Concept Cars

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 – March 02, 2020

Audi Unveils Two New e-tron S Prototypes

Audi's push for more electric models is now stronger than ever as the automaker unveils two new prototypes. These new prototypes are meant to be test mules for the e-tron S-models. To power these prototypes, Audi has installed three electric motors. A large electric motor powers the front axle, while two small and identical models are in the rear. Together, they provide 496 horsepower and 717.6 lb-ft of torque, power that's good enough for a 0 to 62 mph sprint in 4.5 seconds. Furthermore, when these e-tron S models hit production, they will be the first electric cars with three motors in mass production. We're definitely excited to see Audi's electric movement and what comes out of it. Maybe we'll have that electric R8 soon.

Audi and Sony Pictures Entertainment Team Up On Spider-Man

By Edward Jones – June 20, 2019

Spider-Man Shows Off Audi e-tron GT Concept in Science Fair

The upcoming "Spider-Man: Far From Home" movie is right around the corner (July 2, 2019). To build up even more hype around the film, Audi teamed up with Sony Studios to create a brilliant new short film. In the film, Peter Parker and his best friend Ned are about to show off their new electric battery for their school's science fair. Once they walk in and see what everyone else has created, they doubt themselves. This prompts Peter to put in a call to S.H.I.E.L.D. to see if he could get "access to "2025."" We then learn that "2025" is actually the Audi e-tron GT Concept. Why this car? For one, it's Audi's commercial. Secondly, Peter notes that it's the "greatest electric motor of all-time." I genuinely enjoyed this little short film due to its humor mirroring what's found in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." You should definitely give it a watch down below. See All Audis For Sale

By Edward Jones – August 24, 2018

High Performance Audi PB18 e-tron Concept Car Revealed

Audi has surprised the world with their first ever concept car unveiling at the Monterey Car Week. The car being debuted is the Audi PB18 e-tron, a high-performance car that the German automaker says is a "radical vision for the high-performance sports car of tomorrow." It's obvious to see that they planned this car's Monterey unveiling ahead of time when you learn that the "PB" in PB18 stands for Pebble Beach. The "18" refers to its close relationship with the Audi R18 e-tron LMP1 race car.Powering the car are three electric motors - one in the front and two in the rear. The one up front delivers 150 kW of power, while the pair in the back pushes out 350 kW. That results in a total output of 500 kW, which equates to about 670.5 horsepower. There's also 612.2 lb-ft of torque that the driver can experience in a no time at all. All of this results in a 0 to 62 mph time of just over 2 seconds.Highest Torque Cars - Check Out the List However, Audi didn't design this car just for racing. When daily driving the PB18 e-tron, the driver can limit the maximum speed of the car. This results in better range and no fear of getting the urge to drive like you're on the track. Additionally, the electric motors can have their energy restored through regenerative braking technology. All of the power gets routed back to the liquid-cooled, solid-state battery that can hold 95 kWh. When fully charged, this battery will provide a range of over 310 miles. And in a world of "fast charging" tech, Audi says the battery can be fully recharged in 15 minutes. View the Sultan of Brunei CarsWhen looking at the images of the car, you may realize that it seems like a single-seater car with a driver's seat positioned smack dab in the middle of the cockpit. Here's where a bit of brilliant engineering comes into play. The driver is always sitting in a monocoque that holds the seat and instrument cluster. When alone, the driver can be positioned in the center of the cabin. If they need to include a passenger, the monocoque (seat and instrument cluster included) can be moved over to make room for an additional seat. Essentially, the PB18 e-tron is both a single and two-passenger car at any given time.The Audi PB18 e-tron concept car sure looks close to a production model, if you ask me. This could very well be a sign of a real car that will be added to their lineup in the near future. Keep your eyes open and check back with us for more news as it breaks.

By Andrew Nabors – August 09, 2018

Audi Tests e-tron Prototype's Brake Regeneration at Pike'...

Acceleration tests are fun, unless your brakes don't respond. Audi tests every system to failure, and that includes the new regenerative brakes on the e-tron ptototype. Starting from the summit of the famous mountain, four prototypes were loaded with journalists and engineers. The e-tron will arrive with 3 distinct modes for recharging the battery when the brake pedal is pressed.See the Historic VW I.D. R Pike’s Peak Run (RIP Headphones)Trains have been using this technology for decades. To slow down, the electric motors are reversed which makes them generators. While locomotives waste the recovered energy as heat, Audi sends it back to the batteries. After averaging the data from several downhill runs, each kilometer coming down added another km to the range. The Park Service won't let you down the mountain if your brakes are overheated, and the nominal temperature of passenger cars is 100 degrees. The e-tron rotors were only 48 degrees, which was 3 degrees above ambient temperature.This presents a problem, as traditional disc brakes don't work well at comfortable temperatures. If you never get your calipers hot enough to boil away the night's condensation, the pistons will become rusty in their bores. Audi has addressed this by developing low-temperature pads and rotors that will only be used for 10% of braking in normal driving. With 90% of the braking energy going back into the batteries, it makes the e-tron one of the most efficient electric cars ever built.Amazing Audi Incentives- Click Here

By Andrew Nabors – April 20, 2018

Audi e-tron Has 400 Volt Charging!

A few days ago we learned that Porsche's Mission E Cross-Turismo concept can be charged in 15 minutes. This shocking news has also been echoed by their cousins at Audi in a press release this morning. What VW's luxury brands are doing is poking fun at the "current" state of electric car charging standards.Porsche Mission E Fully Electric Concept UnveiledThe photo alone is ironic, as the Audi e-tron is mentioned to be inside a Faraday cage. It is not the cage that does any work, it is the objects behind them. Audi calls them "Impulse Voltage Generator". Everyone else in the world calls them Tesla coils. No, not the hair band, Nikola Tesla invented AC current and someone also named a car company after him.Porsche and Audi want us to know that cars can be charged quickly. They want the world to embrace high-voltage DC power. Your normal wall charger can push 11 kW into a car. If you have an electrician wire another dryer plug, 240 volts yields 22 kW of charging. Audi envisions 150 kW charging, which Porsche hinted at when the 918 Spyder was introduced.Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo: Charge Time RevealedGermans are brutally efficient, which is why their home electrical systems have 230 volts while we have 120 volts. Tesla chose 110 volts for safety, if you are in good health it will just make you mad. I personally don't want to be in or near any car being force-fed 150 kW (at 400 volts)...Have you seen "The Green Mile"? The reason the photo was taken at Siemens electric, is because the world will need to buy a boatload of Siemens HV products to support a few minutes of additional charging.The press release supports AC or DC charging equally, so we forwarded this to AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson for clarification. The only musical analogy they need to understand is "Ride The Lightning", due to the deadly implications of high voltage DC systems. VW Group would like to see Tesla on death row, but DC should be left to power companies, heavy metal, and prisons.Porsche is working on installing 800-volt charging stations at all 189 US dealers as the Mission E gets closer to launch, so stay with us to see how the industry responds.View Audi For Sale

By Edward Jones – March 15, 2018

Audi to Release Full-Electric e-tron GT by 2020 Very Soon

Audi is ramping up the engineering behind their electronic drivetrain, and it's more apparent now more than ever. You see, Audi is now saying that the new e-tron GT will be released by the year 2020. This announcement came from a tweet by Audi Sport. In it they say "The four-door Gran Turismo with purely electric drive will be the spearhead of Audi Sport by the year of 2020." Adding upon this news was a press release from Audi. In one paragraph, Audi notes their electrification roadmap and the e-tron GT itself. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, says in the press release: “We interpret sportiness very progressively with our fully electric e-tron GT, and this is how we will take our high-performance brand Audi Sport into the future.” The four-door electric car will come with a price tag that sits around $100,000, and that's pretty much all of the information we have regarding the car as of right now. So, be sure to check back with us for more information regarding the Audi e-tron GT as it's released.2018 Audi RS 5 Coupe Has Entered the Battlehttps://twitter.com/audisport/status/974232251595739136

By Edward Jones – December 22, 2016

Audi Reveals Bizarre-Looking Q8 Concept

In a press release titled "Foretaste of a production model: Audi Q8 concept premieres in Detroit", Audi unveiled their latest design for their upcoming large and in-charge SUV model.(Also Read - Here it is: Mercedes-Benz Concept X-Class Truck Revealed)At the Detroit Auto Show in January of next year, Audi will be presenting the Audi Q* concept to the public for the very first time. Audi notes that the styling of this car represents how the upcoming models will be stylized, ultimately "unlocking a new segment for the full-size category."“With the Audi Q8 concept, we have created a new spearhead within our Q model line. Its design strongly evokes sportiness and prestige,” declared Audi Head of Design Marc Lichte in the press release. “What’s more, we believe an important aspect of this showcar is that it offers a spacious interior with four equally comfortable seats, even with the flat roof line.”For more news on the Detroit Auto Show, stay tuned with Autofluence.All Audi For Sale

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