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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 Andrew Nabors – January 31, 2018

Top 10 Articles Of January 2018

It has been a cold month filled with hot stories. Everyone here is gearing up for the spring show season, so allow us to offer up our most popular posts. Don't believe the myths about winter in Florida. Removing your car's heater will not make it go faster. A few nights below freezing transformed Autofluence into a 24/7 operation. Writing about cars kept us at night, so we're glad you enjoy this corner of the internet. A month full of Cryptocurrency and celebrity news set a big precedent for the year, so Edward and myself have our work cut out for us.10.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/apollo/white-intensa-emozione-hong-kong/9.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/videos/brabus-850-cls63-amg-vs-lamborghini-huracan/8.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/videos/lamborghini-model-evolution-01192018/7.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/ferrari/report-488-gto-specs-leaked-01182018/6.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/celebrity-cars/king-shaq-takes-delivery-new-vaydor/5.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/bugatti/first-3d-printed-brake-caliper-titanium-01222018/4.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/celebrity-cars/jerry-seinfelds-911-gt3-rs-1-1/3.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/dealer-news/two-bugatti-pagani-hypercars-sold-via-bitcoin/2.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/events/barrett-jackson-scottsdale-2018-results-01242018/1.https://blog.dupontregistry.com/celebrity-cars/jamie-foxx-gets-wicked-rezvani-tank/There you have it! Tell us your favorites in the comments below, and get ready for a fun February.

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By Caitlin Duffy – September 11, 2015

Top 5 Cars & Articles of the Week: Sept. 11, 2015

From Beverly Hills' world-famous Rodeo Drive, to drag strips in Sweden and back to Los Angeles, the most read stories of the week came from a wide variety of locations and even wider variety of manufacturers. The same can be said of the most visited listings on duPont REGISTRY's digital marketplace.Bugatti, Bentley, Porsche, Land Rover and more all captured the eyes of our audiences, and made their way into our list of the top 5 articles and top 5 cars for this past week. Check them out below, and be sure to come back next week for more news from the automotive world.Top 5 Articles on Autofluence Lamborghini Veneno Roadster on Rodeo Drive Only nine examples of the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster were ever created, and of those nine, just a few made it to... Read MoreMaserati MC12 Corsa or Ferrari FXX Revs: Which Sounds Better? The Ferrari FXX and Maserati MC12 Corsa have one major similarity: their engines. Since 2002, Ferrari has been producing the... Read MoreBugatti Veyron vs. Kawasaki Ninja H2 There’s little questioning the fact that it’s difficult to take on the Bugatti Veyron, but if there’s any two-wheeled vehicle up to the challenge, it’s a... Read More Bentley Bentayga: The Fastest and Most Powerful SUV in the World After years of rumors, leaks and teases, the new Bentley Bentayga SUV has been unveiled today. In the revealing press release from the... Read More New Batmobile Arrives at Warner Bros. Studio When it comes to exotic cars, the Caped Crusader has sported a variety of rides over the past half century. It will be hard to follow the Batmobile from... Read More Top 5 Cars on duPontREGISTRY.com 2014 Lamborghini Aventador Pompano Beach, Florida View Price 1983 Land Rover Defender North Miami Beach, Florida View Price 2015 Lamborghini Aventador St. Louis, Missouri View Price 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Greenwich, Connecticut View Price 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Boise, Idaho View Price See Past Top Cars & Articles

By Caitlin Duffy – August 14, 2015

Top 5 Articles & Listings of the Week: August 14, 2015

One thing is for sure - this week, our audience had a serious taste for trucks.Below you'll find a recap of the articles on Autofluence that had the most eyes, and the cars on duPontREGISTRY.com with the most visitors hoping to make it theirs. You'll find that there was one car in particular who appeared in both categories, and the vehicle holding the number one spot for most visited cars isn't quite a car at all - and it's the second week it's held that position.Take a look below to catch up in case you missed anything from the automotive world this week, and stay with us for more updates and rare opportunities.Top 5 Articles on Autofluence Koenigsegg One:1 U.S. Debut and How to Load One Making its North American debut during Classic Car Week in Monterey, California is the Koenigsegg One:1 megacar. It’s made its way to the United States packing 1,360 hp and... Read MoreNissan GT-R Nismo vs. Nissan Juke-R 2.0 With 600 hp coming from a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine and all-wheel drive, the Nissan GT-R NISMO is an absolute monster when it comes to... Read MoreMassive Sin City Hustler by BTR Motors Looking for New Owner What you’re looking at was once a Ford Excursion. Now? Well, now it’s the Sin City Hustler, created by none other than... Read MoreBuilding a Porsche 918 Spyder: Behind the Scenes in Zuffenhausen There’s no questioning the fact that each of the 918 examples of the Porsche 918 Spyder created were meticulously... Read MoreChris Brown Receives Delivery of Rezvani Beast It was first introduced in May 2014, while its production version unveiled in June of this year. Just a little over a month later... Read More Top 5 Listings on duPontREGISTRY.com 2014 Hennessey VelociRaptor SUV Conversion Frydek, Texas View Price 2008 Koenigsegg CCX Naples, Florida View Price 1972 Ford F-600 Sun, Arizona View Price 2015 Sin City Hustler Kingman, Arizona View Price 2002 Custom Y2K Superbike Camas, Washington View Price See Past Top Articles & Listings

By Caitlin Duffy – August 07, 2015

Top Articles & Listings of the Week: August 7, 2015

New inventions, innovation and upcoming unveilings captured the interest of the automotive world during the first week of August 2015, and we had a front row seat to everyone's reactions. Below you'll find the five most read articles of this past week from Autofluence, followed by the five listings on duPontREGISTRY.com that saw the most visitors.Whether you're interested in finding yourself a classic Ford F-600, motorcycle with a jet turbine, news about Lamborghini's upcoming project or how on earth a dirt bike managed to run on top of a wave, scroll down, start clicking and find all the info you could ever need. And, as always, be sure to stay with us for next week's updates from the automotive world.Top 5 Articles on Autofluence The Future is Here: Lexus Hoverboard Unveiled Think back, way back – to the future, in fact. Do you recall a certain Marty McFly cruising across a pond on a... Read More Ferrari FXX with Guy Martin at the Wheel Guy Martin has been in some high speed situations, but nothing seems to have blown him away quite like... Read More Going Where No Bike Has Gone Before: Surfing on Dirt Bike in Tahiti Robbie Maddison, an Australian dirtbike stunt rider, recently went surfing on a modified dirtbike. Yes, you read that correctly: he surfed a... Read More Arnold Schwarzenegger Spotted in his Bugatti Arnold Schwarzenegger has been spotted around California cruising in his Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse many times before, most recently... Read More New Lamborghini to be Unveiled at Pebble Beach Motor Trend’s latest bombshell eclipses any other news about Monterey Car Week. In a reported July 21, Senior Features Editor Jonny Lieberman reported that... Read More Top 5 Listings from duPontREGISTRY.com 2015 McLaren P1 Naples, Florida View Price 2014 Hennessey Venom GT Murrsyville, Pennsylvania View Price 1989 Nissan GT-R Oldsmar, Florida View Price 1972 Ford F-600 Sun, Arizona View Price 2002 Custom Y2K Superbike Camas, Washington View Price See Past Top Articles & Listings

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