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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 – February 01, 2022

Rare Unboxing of a Lamborghini Sian at Lamborghini San Diego

What could be considered a more "aggressive gentleman's spec." Just 63 examples of the Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 will be created, making it an extraordinarily rare creation out of Sant'Agata. Just recently, one beautiful example of the Sian was delivered to Lamborghini San Diego of O'Gara Coach San Diego and documented its unboxing for the world to see. In the images below, you'll see the unboxing process from start to finish. As for the specifics, this Sian is finished in Verde Ermes with matte bronze accents and a Terra California Alcantara interior. The Lamborghini Sian is the automaker's first hybrid supercar and it's a groundbreaking one at that. As for the name, it translates to ‘Lightning Bolt’ in their Northern Italian dialect. The name is appropriate because it uses Lamborghini's traditional V12 paired with supercapacitors. Smaller and lighter than any battery, capacitors can discharge all their power at an instant, adding 34 metric horsepower when needed. In total, the Sian boasts 808 horsepower (774 hp from the engine and 34 from the electric motor). Lamborghini states that the Sian can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in under 2.8 seconds and has a top speed of over 220 mph. As mentioned before, the Sian FKP 37 is a limited series model so unboxings like this will be insanely rare to come by. Scroll down below to see the shots by @grubbsphotography and click the button to see all of O'Gara Coach San Diego's current inventory. View Inventory

By Edward Jones – February 04, 2021

1 of 63 Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 Delivered to Lamborghini ...

Lamborghini Miami, a division of Prestige Imports in North Miami Beach has welcomed one of the 63 examples of the Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 to the United States in stunning fashion. The example was delivered to the South Florida dealership in a massive crate. In true Lamborghini Miami fashion, dealership CEO Brett David revealed this Sian FKP 37 to its owner in a private event surrounded by the dealership team and a series of V12 Segment Lamborghini vehicles. They made a true spectacle of it so the owner would never forget this car’s delivery. Although these are some quick photos and videos, the Prestige Imports media department plans to release a full documented video of the process! Don’t worry, we will upload soon! Upon opening, the Sian was revealed in all of its glory. The body is finished in Grigio Lync, which is contrasted by the vivid Verde Speranza trim. Bare carbon fiber pieces are also found across the body and act as the cherry-on-top for this stunning Sian. The Sian itself is a remarkable car that’s setting forth a new path for Lamborghini Automobili. With a hybrid powertrain that consists of a V12 engine and supercapacitors, this new supercar is truly groundbreaking for the legendary automaker. Its electrifying nature is not only found in its power but also its name– Sián translates to ‘lightning’ in the Bolognese dialect. The Sian FKP 37 lives up to its name with a lightning-fast top speed of over 220 mph. If you’d like to see more of what Prestige Imports has to offer, be sure to click the button below to view their inventory. View Prestige Imports' Inventory Image Source: @prestigeimports/Instagram

By Edward Jones – January 21, 2021

Manhattan Motorcars Unboxes a New Lamborghini Sian FKP 37

Manhattan Motorcars | Lamborghini Manhattan recently opened up a box that was filled with the Lamborghini's intense supercar, the Sian FKP 37. Arriving in a massive box resting on a flatbed, the box was opened up for the await VIP client. I can only imagine their glee when feasting their eyes upon the aggressive design of the Sian FKP 37 and the wonderful green/gold color combination. Altogether, this model is astounding. What's more, this new Lamborghini supercar is the very first to be powered by both a V12 and a hybrid system based on supercapacitors. Check out the delivery for yourself in the gallery below by @r.ego or in the video up above from @manhattanmotorcars. It's a groundbreaking model for the Italian manufacturer and it's a sign of great things to come. If you'd like a supercar of your own, be sure to check out Manhattan Motorcars' inventory. Source: Instagram

By Edward Jones – January 18, 2021

Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 Receives Epic Prestige Imports Tr...

The new Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 is a truly remarkable supercar that is both limited, only 63 will ever be created, and an absolutely beautiful work of art. It's set to be a rare gem in the automotive world, meaning each and every example will most certainly be a cherished automobile by all. Lamborghini Miami, a division of Prestige Imports, recently took a new and spectacular example of the Sian FKP 37 sold by another South Florida dealership and gave it the Prestige Imports treatment that so many have heard of. First, Prestige Imports' technicians gave the Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 a full PPF coating and quick service to ensure that the car was ready to perform at its top limits. Then, they went above and beyond to ensure that the delivery of the car back to its owner was one that this special supercar deserves. Brett David, CEO of Prestige Imports, joined along as the Sian FKP 37 was delivered back to the customer in stunning fashion-- they even made an epic video (found above) of the experience. "Here at Prestige Imports|Lamborghini Miami, we know that quality customer care doesn't stop once a car is delivered. The client is our real employer and Team Prestige understands that luxury for them translates into great ease and comfort." As for this specific example of the Sian FKP 37, it's unlike any we've seen thus far. The dark grey exterior is contrasted by a gold paint that has a fading effect, which is just a perfect example of Lamborghini Centro Stile's capabilities. The owner is also @don_huayra, who has an incredible collection. Also, be sure to check out all of Prestige Imports' inventory by clicking the button below. View Inventory

By Edward Jones – January 07, 2021

O'Gara Coach Unboxes Their First Lamborghini Sian

The holiday season may be over, but that doesn't mean the opening of presents has stopped. O'Gara Coach, for example, have just unboxed their first Lamborghini Sian. After tearing down the wooden delivery box, a Sian wrapped in a cover was to be found. From there, the cover was removed to unveil the stunning Sian with a teal finish. As a fan of this particular color, my jaw dropped when seeing it. This paint is paired with gold accents that go insanely well together. You can see the unboxing for yourself in the video down below. You can also check out the Bugatti Chiron Put Sport visiting O'Gara Coach. View O'Gara Coach Inventory " width="680">

By Edward Jones – January 06, 2021

Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 Visits Lamborghini Miami

The Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 is a groundbreaking car for the Italian automaker. With a monstrous V12 engine that's mated to a supercapacitor-based hybrid setup, the Sian FKP 37 is pushing Lamborghini into a new and electrified era. With such prominence, automotive enthusiasts are waiting until they can see the supercar for themselves. Recently, the Sian FKP 37 made its way to Lamborghini Miami and basked in the South Florida sunset. While the powertrain is notable, its design is as well. the sharp angles and downright aggressive frontend, it's hard not to stare. Check out more images of its visit to Lamborghini Miami | Prestige Imports in the gallery down below. View Prestige Imports Inventory Image Source: @brett_david/Instagram

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