Features

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 – July 08, 2019

Discover the Cover: BRABUS 700 Widestar

BRABUS is not in the business of creating anything slow. Whether it's a sports car or SUV, everything they put their name on is built around power, speed and class. Even their SUVs are absolute powerhouses, packing power figures that are on par with most supercars. One of the finest examples of BRABUS and their craftsmanship is the 700 Widestar, a super-SUV based on the new Mercedes-AMG G63. For this month's cover, we're pleased to present Mr. Alex Soltani's example of the Widestar 700, which was commissioned by Platinum Motorsport and photographed by Johnny "@paid2shoot" Beckett. Under the hood of the 700 Widestar is the same four-liter V8 BiTurbo engine found in the AMG G63. However, the engine has been handled by BRABUS engineers, and that means more power. More specifically, the 700 Widestar packs the B40-700 performance upgrade, which bumps up horsepower from 585 hp to 700 hp. Torque is also increased from 627 lb-ft to 701 lb-ft. With that power, the driver of the 700 Widestar can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.3 seconds. How many SUVs can do that? Being a BRABUS creation, the 700 Widestar is also visually stunning. As the name suggests, it's a widebody version of the AMG G63. To create the widebody appearance, new wheel arches add 3.9-inches to the vehicle's width. With bigger wheel arches comes more space and room for bigger tires to lay down all of the power. BRABUS has a long list of bespoke tire/wheel combinations that range from 20- to 23-inches. This includes the BRABUS Monoblock "Platinum Edition" 23-inch forged wheels, which were included on Mr. Soltani's Widestar 700. The front and rear of the 700 Widestar also have also been enhanced. New front and rear bumpers replace the production versions. Blending in with the wheel arches, these new bumpers create a more distinguished off-road appearance. BRABUS also included an auxiliary light bar on the roof, which consists of two powerful LED units. Inside, the 700 Widestar can be tailored to the owner's individual tastes. Their upholstery shop has a multitude of fine leathers to choose from, including BRABUS Mastik leather and Alcantara. Aside from upholstery, there are also different types of precious-wood and carbon-fiber inlays for the trim. If you want to stand out from the Mercedes G-Class crowd, there's no better way than to drive the BRABUS 700 Widestar. visit brabus.com for more info

By Edward Jones – June 06, 2019

Discover the Cover: July 2019 – SVE 1000 HP Camaro and Sy...

Specialty Vehicle Engineering was founded in 1986 (originally under the SLP name) by Ed Hamburger and his son David. Ed, a drag racing legend with a history of developing unique performance parts, decided to offer upgrades for GM muscle cars that would be legal in all 50 states. Buy This Issue Now This takes time and patience, especially to pass California’s Air Resources Board’s stringent requirements. After engineering the industries first emission legal performance package for GM’s Tuned Port Injection engine in the 1988 Camaro and Firebird, this parts manufacturing company evolved into a full-scale one-stop shop for late model GM muscle cars, trucks and SUVs. Their first limited production specialty vehicle was the 1992 Pontiac Firehawk, the most potent Firebird at that time. Their performance modifications were so popular that GM awarded them an RPO (regular production option) code, allowing them to provide all of the production upgrades to the 1996 to 2002 model year Z28, turning them into the Yenko Camaro SS and Trans-Am WS6 production vehicles. Pontiac and Chevrolet customers, who wanted the meanest muscle cars they could order, had their choice of the Firehawk, Comp TA and Camaro SS specialty vehicles. They were available from any Chevrolet or Pontiac dealer throughout the USA and Canada. After building over 55,000 vehicles in that time period, GM ended its fourth-generation Camaro and Firebird production and closed their Canadian assembly plant. 2020 SVE 1000 Horsepower Camaro Having built thousands of production-based cars for GM and its dealers until that program ended, Ed and David decided to develop a complete line of supercharged late-model muscle cars, full-size trucks and SUVs. In 2015 they were named the exclusive licensee and builder for the current generation of YENKO performance vehicle. For those of you not familiar with the YENKO name, Don YENKO was a Chevrolet dealer based out of Canonsburg, PA. He was responsible for hot-rodding everything from the Corvair to Camaro, the Nova to Chevelle – all performance vehicles in the late 1960s through the early 1970s, that in some cases are now valued at close to $1 Million. 2020 SVE 1000 Horsepower Camaro Since YENKO was such a high-profile performance brand, the Hamburgers jumped at the opportunity to resurrect the brand with their current generation of YENKO vehicles. Their 2019 1,000 HP YENKO Camaro was unveiled at duPont Registry's Cars & Coffee show in late 2018, followed by their 1,000HP supercharged YENKO Corvette and Silverado. 2019 Syclone History repeats itself, and now Specialty Vehicle Engineering has more to offer than just the YENKO performance vehicles. As a former Tier 1 supplier to GM and its dealers, they were able to develop a comprehensive lineup of OEM-quality late model specialty vehicles including the Silverado/Sierra, Yukon/Tahoe/Suburban, and Denali/Escalade. With all of GM's full-size truck and SUV models covered, they started looking at GM’s current mid-size trucks. 2019 Syclone Their new GMC Syclone, based off the 2019 mid-size Canyon, follows the same formula used by Ed and David for over three decades. Starting with the GMC Canyon, they added power by supercharging the engine with their own unique supercharger, lowered the suspension and delivered 455 HP. Traction bars and a stainless steel cat-back exhaust are standard equipment, and the 4.10 gears front and rear offer neck-snapping 4WD launches. It has massive 6 piston brakes and rotors, 20”x 9” wheels, and Michelin 275/45R20 Pilot Sport 2S tires at each corner. A midsize Sport Truck with this level of performance is unprecedented, so visit specialtyvehicleengineering.com, or contact your local Buick/GMC dealer for all the info. buy this issue now

By Edward Jones – May 09, 2019

Discover the Cover: June 2019 – The Merkury 4 Ford GT

Merkury 4 is a breathtaking bespoke heritage model. The car started life as a three option, solid red Ford GT, was shipped to Detroit, with every aspect of its customization overseen by Camilo Pardo, the chief designer of the 2002 concept Ford GT and the 2005 and 2006 production GT. Merkury 4 was the third of the eight Camilo Signature Series. The chemically bonded Mirrachrome paint job took a year to complete. The GT is accented with a fluorescent orange Gulf livery, contrasted with satin black rondels and aluminum numbers. Modifications include a second generation Whipple Supercharger and a GTG cold air intake kit that increases the engine’s output to 725 rwhp. Other upgrades include a GTG "Vintage" bumper delete kit, which relocates the exhaust between the tail lamp like an original Mark II, a ceramic coated Ford racing exhaust, HRE center lock rims, Michelin tires, custom “Ford GT” billet fuel door, billet clamshell center, side clamshell vents, and Penske triple adjustable shocks with custom alignment. Twin sill badges commemorate the build. There is an integrated radar system and a backup camera built into the rearview mirror. shop now shop now Merkury 4 is heralded as the “favorite signature GT” by Camilo and won the 2015 “Best in Show” award at the 10th Annual Ford GT National Rally in Detroit. The GT comes with only 4,000 miles on the odometer, all original books, two sets of keys and all records, including photographic documentation of the build. It was stored in a climate-controlled garage. Well known in the Ford GT community, even imitated, there is only one MERKURY 4. buy this issue now

By Edward Jones – April 09, 2019

Discover the Cover: May 2019 - Bugatti La Voiture Noire

A modern interpretation of the Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic has been teased for quite some time and now the new one-off model is here, the Bugatti “La Voiture Noire.” Bugatti President Stephan Winkelman says that La Voiture Noire "is a coupé with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the power of a hyper sports car." " width="680"> Bugatti notes that every single component found on La Voiture Noire has been made by hand, an expected touch from the French automaker's craftsmen. Its exterior is made of carbon fiber, with a deep black gloss covering its entirety until it is beautifully interrupted by the ultrafine fiber structure. The car's engine is the well-known quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine that can be found in the Chiron. Pumping out of this engine is 1480 horsepower and 1180 lb-ft of torque, an extraordinary amount for such an elegant car. There may be plenty of power to be found in La Voiture Noire, but this one-off car is all about its beautiful styling. “We worked long and hard on this design until there was nothing that we could improve,” says Bugatti designer Etienne Salomé. “For us, the coupé represents the perfect form with a perfect finish. Bugatti states that La Voiture Noire’s price is €11 million, which translates to roughly $12.46 million. For those who were thinking they may be able to purchase it, that is very unlikely as it has already been sold to a Bugatti enthusiast. What’s more, that price tag makes it the most expensive new car of all time. buy this issue now

By Edward Jones – March 12, 2019

Discover the Cover: April 2019 - TECHART GTstreet RS

Immense power and incredible aerodynamics are why the GT2 RS and GT3 exist. Along with a formidable price, both cars are only available in rear-wheel drive. That is why our friends at TECHART have unleashed the GTstreet RS. " width="680"> Based on the 991.2 Porsche 911 Turbo S, it will arrive with extensive upgrades and all-wheel drive. Taking inspiration from their 2017 GTstreet R, the only factory parts remaining can be counted on one hand. Starting with a new front spoiler, the fenders and hood are their proprietary designs. More than just a body kit, the NACA ducts and fender vents are the culmination of extensive aerodynamic modeling. Since it is wider than its predecessor, the extended rocker panels transition into flared quarter panels. The side intakes are also exaggerated in order to cool what lies beneath. They feed air into new turbos and intake of their own design. This results in 770 horsepower in a lighter car. Weight reduction was achieved by the use of forged carbon instead of traditional carbon fiber. The use of such an innovative material sets TECHART apart from lesser imitations, and it allows the GTstreet RS to be the only 911 to offer this state-of-the-art composite. Inside you are treated to the Clubsport interior. A floor of Alcantara is light & durable, and the seats are a 2-tone design of leather and virgin wool. TECHART has been improving the world’s best cars since 1987, so visit GermanTuningCorporation.com for all the details. Buy this issue now

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