Defender

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

A four-wheel drive SUV drives up a sand dune in a desert, kicking up a large spray of sand behind its tires.

By Tyler Rampersaud – December 16, 2025

Defender Announces New Dakar Rally Docuseries

Defender captures its journey to Dakar in a new docuseries. Already cherished for its longstanding reputation in the off-roading world, Defender has become its own brand under the Land Rover umbrella, and the household name in automotive adventure is seeking to claim even bigger bragging rights than it already has, with sights set on victory in the Dakar Rally in 2026. The time for that race is fast approaching, and Defender has already unveiled the racing-spec livery of its D7X-R model, which is based on the Defender OCTA performance flagship, that will compete in the “Stock” category of next year’s Dakar Rally. With an epic journey still underway leading up to Defender’s Dakar Rally debut, the manufacturer has announced that a new docuseries will capture behind-the-scenes moments of the team preparing for the daunting race. Produced by Warner Bros. Discovery, the docuseries’ first episode will come out globally in January on Eurosport and TNT Sports, ahead of the race. The three-part series will highlight the co-driver lineup, including 14-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel with Mika Metge, Rokas Baciuška with Oriol Vidal, and Sara Price with Sean Berriman. Emmy‑winning actress Gillian Anderson serves as the narrator for the series, and special focus is placed on celebrating women in motorsport as Sara Price, whose 17 national motocross championship wins preceded her Dakar debut last year, continues to blaze a trail for women in racing with her role as a driver for Defender. The 45-minute episode will be released on January 3. Following filming at the Dakar Rally, the remaining two episodes will be released later next year. View All Defender For Sale Image Source: JLR

Beige and brown off-road Defender D7X-R with racing livery, rally decals, roof lights, and rugged tires, displayed in a studio setting with a plain beige background.

By Tyler Rampersaud – December 01, 2025

Defender Showcases New D7X-R Racing Livery

Defender shows exactly what its Dakar Rally ambitions will look like. Since before last year’s Dakar Rally, Defender has teased that it will be taking on the race as a competitor, putting its reputable, cherished, and historic off-roading brand name to the test by racing its vehicles in the daunting and legendary challenge in 2026. That race is now just over a month away, and after announcing the Defender D7X-R rally racer and that it would be based on the road-going performance flagship Defender OCTA, a rigorous round of testing ensured that it would be ready to compete, and now the racing machine is being shown with its competition livery, just before the race is set to begin. Along with racing in the 2026 Dakar Rally with three cars, Defender is also taking part in the year’s W2RC with two cars, and the D7X-R, derived closely from the Defender OCTA, will be competing in the championship’s ‘Stock’ category, which is for cars related closely to production models. The livery features a ‘Geopalette’ design that echoes the desert environment of the Dakar Rally’s Saudi Arabia setting, with sand, stone, and earth tones accented by hints of aqua, referencing the rare and precious water in the desert. The high-performance 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that powers the Defender OCTA also powers the D7X-R, and the vehicle also shares the same body architecture, transmission and driveline layout as the Defender OCTA. Running on sustainable fuel, the Dakar Rally will put the D7X-R will endure roughly 3,107 miles of timed stages, with incredibly talented drivers behind the wheels of the three rally cars: Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge; Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal; and Sara Price with Sean Berriman, all with Ian James at the helm as Team Principal. With one of the most challenging races in all of motorsport ahead of the team, Defender is showcasing its new racing-liveried D7X-R rally car just a month ahead of its incredibly daunting and ambitious challenge in Saudi Arabia. View All Defender For Sale Image Source: JLR

Sara Price stands confidently with arms crossed in front of a green Land Rover Defender, ready to take on any challenge like the Dakar Rally.

By Tyler Rampersaud – May 19, 2025

Defender Announces Sara Price As 2026 Dakar Rally Driver

Defender’s bold racing ambitions include putting a rally hero behind the wheel. While the brand has been known for creating some of the world’s most highly capable off-road-ready SUVs for decades, Defender has set out to expand its cherished legacy in recent years, unveiling the OCTA, a new performance-oriented flagship model, as well as announcing its ambitions to race in 2026, specifically at one of the most legendary off-road races ever conceived, the Dakar Rally. The countdown continues for Defender’s anticipated racing debut, and while we know many details about the Defender D7X‑R rally car, which is based on the OCTA, more details are being revealed, including the fact that Defender’s driving lineup for the 2026 Dakar Rally will include Sara Price. Hailing from California, Price made racing history in 2024 by being the first American woman to win a stage in the Dakar Rally, and she’s the third woman ever to do so, as well. As Defender gears up to take on the 2026 race, Sara Price is joining two other drivers, Stéphane Peterhansel, and Rokas Baciuška, to go after victory. In the Stock category of the Dakar Rally and the 2026 W2RC, former motocross champion and four‑time Dakar Rally stage winner Sara Price is part of Defender’s bold rallying ambitions. View All Defenders For Sale

Aerial view of a Defender racing across vast orange sand dunes in a desert landscape, reminiscent of the thrilling Dakar Rally.

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 06, 2025

Defender Announces 3-Year Dakar Rally Racing Campaign

Defender begins a new rally racing journey. Known as one of the most revered and reputable names in the world of off-roading, Defender has earned a decades-long legacy in adventuring and exploration. However, a new chapter is opening for Defender, as the brand has announced its official entry into the premier echelon of the rally racing world, beginning a three-year program in the FIA World Rally‑Raid Championship (W2RC) campaign in 2026. During the campaign, two cars will compete in the full five rounds of the W2RC, but three cars will race in the Dakar Rally, which is the world-renowned flagship event of the championship. Competing in the “Stock” category of the championship for production-based vehicles, the Defender rally cars will use Defender’s D7x architecture, based on a lightweight aluminum monocoque for a stiff body structure conducive to successful rally performance. The development program for the rally cars is already underway to start racing in 2026, but in 2025 as anticipation builds for the 2026 season debut, Defender will play an important role as the Dakar Rally’s official vehicle partner. 20 Defender vehicles will support the event in Bisha, Saudi Arabia, transporting race officials and media as the race goes to Shubaytah. As one of the world’s greatest names in adventuring, Defender begins its rally racing legend soon. View All Defenders For Sale

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