Events

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 – January 20, 2017

Snowball Rally 2017

The road less traveled…Let’s face it, exotic and luxury car rallies are nothing new. The announcement of another rally may run the risk of becoming white noise in the already crowded automotive industry.Snowball Rally is here to completely change the game.Snowball Rally is the first winter driven exotic and luxury car rally. Yes, that’s right – winter driven. Imagine those pristine Lamborghini’s and McLaren’s you see on Instagram sitting idle, now take them out of the safety of their climate-controlled garages and mount them with snow tires.Participants will be traveling in the dead of winter through some the most severe winter climates the United States has to offer. The rally begins in snowy Lake Tahoe, then makes a quick stop in Las Vegas. Things will surely get interesting as the rally heads to Park City, Utah where drivers arrive in the middle of the Sundance Film Festival. The next day sees participants heading further east to Aspen, Colorado.If this doesn’t sound extreme enough, Snowball Rally also rented the Aspen Motorsports Park, where its drivers will get to experience a snow-covered race track over two days, each day ending at the ESPN Winter X-Games!The uniqueness of Snowball Rally doesn’t stop there. The participant list is as exceptional as the event itself. You can’t just write a check and show up – this rally is invite only. The list of participants includes YouTube heavy hitters with over 1.6 million combined subscribers.Snowball Rally has joined forces with some of the most influential social media alumni and automotive industry leaders, turning this exclusive event into a full force media powerhouse. Snowball Rally will surely be blowing up your news feed come January 2017.Learn More Sponsored by:GTCON @gtconCMFR Canada @cmfrcanadaProtective Film Solutions@protectivefilmsolutionsUS Specialty Vehicles @ussvrhinoSpeed Society @speedsocietyVorsteiner @vorsteiner

By Edward Jones – December 21, 2016

Over 300 Cars Show For 2016 South Florida Exotic Car "Toy...

Despite the rain, The 2016 South Florida Exotic Car "Toy Rally" has broken all of their previous records thanks to a phenomenal showing of charity, cars and support.Showing up were a long list of special exotic cars, including three Pagani For Sale and many other boutique exotic cars that, altogether, were valued at over $70 million. The cars started off at the home of the Florida Panthers, the BB&T Center. From here, the cars ventured down the road to create an automotive spectacle unlike any other, ultimately finishing at the Goodyear Airship Base, home of the Goodyear Blimp. An even more important showing than the cars was the 2,800 toys that were donated, along with over $55,000 in cash (still growing). Each year, this event is held to benefit the Toys for Tots charity and 100% of the proceeds go to this wonderful charity. For all of the toys, two moving trucks were used by the USMC to collect them. Now that the toys have been collected, they will be sent out directly to underprivileged children.According to the Toy Rally, they are the "largest single event donor to their local Toys for Tots USMC base" and this is the "largest procession of exotic cars for sale for charity in the country."For those interested in joining next year's event, be sure to visit ToyRally.com or email info@ToyRally.com.

By Edward Jones – December 16, 2016

SuperCar Week 2017

As we come up to the 7th Anniversary SuperCar Week January 7-15, 2017, the City of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County will again issue an official Proclamations proclaiming the second week of January as SuperCar Week.SuperCar Week is 9 days of auto enthusiast events held throughout Palm Beach County each January that culminates on the West Palm Beach Waterfront, the second Sunday of the month, 11 a - 5:30 p. Last year over 100,000 general public and 1000 VIPs attended SuperCar Week and this year, with the additional marketing support of the city and the county they're expecting over 125,000 general public attendance. SuperCar Week includes the SuperCar HorsePower exhibition, opening day of the International Polo Club season in Wellington, Florida, track events at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter and events in Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Palm Beach Island and West Palm Beach.Click Here for Supercars For SaleOn Sunday January 15th, 2017, the one mile length of the West Palm Beach Waterfront is laid out as an auto enthusiast cityscape including designated areas for local and regional dealers/brands, SuperCar Street, Muscle Beach, Memory Lane, Green Street for Electrics, Corvette Court, Viper Blvd., ArtCar Ave., Marine Village for Off Shore PowerBoats, and the Race Village of Race Teams and displays of race vehicles.Learn More

By Edward Jones – December 07, 2016

duPont REGISTRY Scottsdale Auction Week After-Party at th...

Every year, thousands of automotive enthusiasts and collectors visit Scottsdale, Arizona for the momentous Scottsdale Auction Week. During this week, auction houses from around the world roll some of the world's finest cars across their blocks. These cars range from classics to modern exotic cars, meaning there's something for everyone.To celebrate this week in the desert that we look for every year, we're throwing an afterparty at the luxurious W Scottsdale. The party will be held January 20, 9 pm - 2 am.For reservations, please call (480)544-3384. W Scottsdale 7277 East Camelback Road Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 W Scottsdale Website

By Edward Jones – December 06, 2016

wannaGOFAST Announces Second Exciting Florida 1/2 Mile Sh...

On November 12-13, 2016, over 280 cars gathered to race at the Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport in Sulphur Springs, TX for wannaGOFAST's anticipated event. Low elevation and cool temps provided a backdrop for high-speed runs and world record attempts. This year was no exception, as Krazy House Customs' and Billy Ray Motorsports LLC's Cadillac CTS-V hit 185.18 mph to break a CTS-V world record. Additionally, Mowen of Vengeance Racing set the U.S. half-mile record in their C6 Corvette Z06 with a speed of 205.29. This event was a huge success with smiles and high-speed fun abound.Now, wannaGOFAST is proud to announce the Florida ½ Mile Shootout will be returning TWICE in 2017, both on January 21-22 and on October 28-29. This event is always held at the gigantic Jumbolair Airport in Ocala, FL. The runway is over 7500 ft long and provides a backdrop for racers to push their vehicles to incredibly high speeds. The track record is currently 233.88 MPH set by Underground Racing in a Twin Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo and they are looking forward to seeing that speed be replaced with something much faster in 2017. Last year almost 5,000 people were in attendance, making this their biggest event of 2016. Racing for the January event sold out in only 55 minutes. However, spectator tickets can be purchased at www.wannagofast.com and are unlimited!Registration for the October 28-29 event will open on July 28th at 8am Eastern Time at www.wannagofast.com.Learn More

By Andrew Nabors – November 22, 2016

Nashville International Auto Show 2016 Recap

Music City was born out of necessity as a small fort on the Cumberland river. If you are traveling through the south it is almost impossible to avoid the charm and hospitality of Tennessee's capital. Because the local economy is powered by the entertainment industry, Nashville is home to some of the most significant cars ever built. Our annual collaboration with Motor Trend is now into its third year, so we decided to bring something for everyone last weekend. And to capture the collection of exquisite automobiles was our friend Tanner Mashburn of TMash Photos. His photos can be seen in this article.Building the booth requires patience and along with an artistic flair to wow the crowds. In order to accomplish, we turned to our local dealers for an unprecedented display. First in our display was our friends from Velocity Motorcars. With several million dollars of inventory, they arrived with some heavy hitters. From a RENNTECH S65 coupe to a 599 GTO and everything in between, we placed them behind a fence to give an invitation-only experience.Next in was the latest in luxury from Music City Motorcars.They arrived with a Maserati Levante and a Bentley Bentayga for those in need of a luxury SUV. As one of the most prominent Aston Martin franchises in the US, they commissioned the famous graffiti artist Kaves to wrap a new Vanquish Volante. It provided a brilliant contrast to the new DB11, which was finished in slate gray. We placed them inside another VIP area, along with new shotguns from Barrett Firearms.Porsche of Nashville had a nice surprise for us: a new 911 Targa 4S in Miami Blue. Built as a show car by Porsche North America, it has every option for a grand total of $179,000. It was also my first experience driving the new 718 Cayman and it doesn't disappoint. Audi of Nashville, along with BMW and Mini, helped to make it an awe-inspiring display. For those who prefer American power, Ford of Murfreesboro brought the latest in domestic muscle. As one of the most successful Roush dealers, they brought a new Stage III Mustang along with two Roushcharged F-150 trucks. A giant F-350 Black Ops allowed us to tower over our neighbors, and it was a great vantage point to see the entire convention hall.Jaguar/Land Rover of Nashville arrived with an F-Pace and the new Discovery, but the real treat was the Jaguar F-Type and Range Rover Sport. Those two were SVR models equipped with the supercharged 550 hp V8 engine. Last to arrive was a new McLaren 570GT from McLaren Philadelphia.A big thanks to all of our dealers and fans who helped to make Nashville 2016 a show for the record books. Our next event will be the Tampa Auto Show December 2nd to the 4th at the Tampa Convention Center. We look forward to seeing you there.

By Edward Jones – November 10, 2016

Pagani Raduno - The Touge Run Takes Over Japan

For this year's Pagani Raduno, the Italian hypercars took over Japan. One of the most exciting parts of this year's event had to be the Touge Run they ventured on.(Related - 11 Paganis and an LED Lamborghini Shut Down Japanese Car Show)Togue runs are street races held on the mountainside roads of Japan that consist of gorgeous twists and turns. If you've ever watched the popular cartoon show Initial-D, you know exactly what I'm talking about.While the group of Paganis didn't go drifting around the corners or flying at high speeds, they still looked beautiful going through the roads. In the video below from effspot, you'll be able to see the Paganis in action for yourself on the Japan roads. On top of driving through the roads, they also flew through the Fuji International Speedway for quite the spectacle.Every Pagani Raduno event never ceases to amaze me and their Touge Run is no exception to that.All Pagani For Sale

By Edward Jones – November 09, 2016

Top 10 Auctions America Hilton Head Island 2016 Results

Auctions America recently had their second annual sale at the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'Elegance on November 5. This "boutique" event lasted for just one day, but sent around 120 automobiles across the auction block.There were fantastic cars being offered at the event, some of which we had covered in the past. But now that we have the full results, we can see just how much these cars went for.The top 10 sales were as follows: Lot 168: 2004 Porsche Carrera GT, $800,000.00 Lot 171: 1967 AC Shelby 427 Cobra, $726,000.00 Lot 184: 1957 Porsche 356A 1600 Speedster, $665,500.00 Lot 142: 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition, $305,250.00 Lot 146: 1960 Maserati 3500 GT by Touring, $222,750.00 Lot 173: 1983 Ferrari 512 BBi, $175,000.00 Lot 169: 1965 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2 Roadster, $163,900.00 Lot 172: 1958 Jaguar XK 150S Roadster, $125,400.00 Lot 174: 1965 Shelby Cobra, $115,000.00 Lot 164: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe, $110,000.00 (equal) / Lot 191: 1967 Porsche 911S Coupe, $110,000.00 (equal) Full Results

By Edward Jones – November 08, 2016

2016 South Florida Exotic Car Toy Rally for Toys for Tots

On Saturday, December 10, 2016, the South Florida Exotic Car "Toy Rally" is setting off to benefit Toys for Tots and celebrating its 11-year anniversary. The Toy Rally will take the streets for charity with one of the largest processions of exotic cars as one of the most anticipated exotic car events in the country. Ferrari of Naples Hundreds of exotic cars will be driven from the fantastic BB&T Center, home of the Florida Panthers, up to the amazing Goodyear Airship Base, home of the Goodyear Blimp. Source - MPH ClubThe Toy Rally is looking to create an amazing sight as a caravan of exotic cars stretching miles long take over South Florida, all in the name of charity. It will surely be incredible to see, but even more incredible is the positive impact and difference the 2016 Toy Rally will make for children in need. Source - MPH ClubLast year, the 2015 Toy Rally broke some amazing records with over $50 million in exotic cars and record attendance and the insanely huge mountain of toys, which amounted to over 2,100 toys. Being combined with the toys was also over $33,000 in cash, all of which was donated to Toys for Tots. It's easy to say that this event not only put smiles on the faces of spectators and participants, but also hundreds of children. To learn how you can become a part of this incredible event, be sure to click the button below. Learn More

By Edward Jones – November 02, 2016

Preview: Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2016

Fort Lauderdale, Florida is regarded as the "Yachting Capital of the World," making it fitting that the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is on their 57th event. Being held November 3-7 in the heart of the city, visitors will see an insane variety of boats, including "runabouts, sportfishers, high performance boats, center consoles, cabin cruisers, flats boats, skiffs, express cruisers, sailing yachts, motor yachts, bowriders, catamarans, ski boats, jet boats, trawlers, inflatables, canoes, and extraordinary superyachts" according to their website.Along with boat being on display, there are is a large list of seminars, events and classes being held at the show. The complete list of events can be found here.For more information on the Fort Lauder International Boat Show, be sure to click the button below.Learn More

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