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

Ferrari News

Ferrari news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated daily with model reveals, first drives, auction results and current market prices. Our coverage runs across the whole line-up, from the 296 and 296 Speciale to the SF90 XX, the 12Cilindri and the F80. We also follow the earlier cars that built the reputation of the Prancing Horse over seven decades. Reporting comes from the Monterey and Pebble Beach auction floors, and from first drives of new models as they arrive. One thing separates this from other supercar news: many of the Ferraris covered here are listed for sale on the duPont REGISTRY marketplace. Read the story, then see what an example is genuinely worth. For Ferrari news today, and the exotic car news around it, start here.

By Andrew Nabors – March 31, 2020

Dealer Details: Scottsdale Ferrari

We have been a sponsor of Barrett-Jackson for over 30 years. Getting around in a taxi or rental car was a way of life untill 2002. That's when our friend Roger Penske decided the city needed an unprecedented exotic car dealership. Ever since, his team have allowed us to borrow an Italian Stallion for our stay, and that is just one example of how Scottsdale Ferrari has the hottest cars in the desert. Our Staff Is Here To Address Your Every Need Looking east from Scottsdale, I have always wanted drive deep into the Superstition Mountains and find the Lost Dutchman's Mine. A brutal 4WD is needed, but Ferrari's SUV development is on hold due to the Italian quarantine, so thankfully there are other options to choose from. Only Penske Group has the power to combine so many brands in one location. So if you don't see a Ferrari that fits you, your other choices are: Maserati Bentley Lamborghini Land Rover-Jaguar Rolls-Royce Aston Martin You can't go wrong with Italian or English luxury, and Scottsdale has amazing scenery for your test drive. Our friends at Automotive News awarded Scottsdale Ferrari as one of the best dealerships to work at in 2019. That speaks volumes about happy employees making sure every customer need is addressed. Click the button below to view their inventory and stay with us for more Penske Group news. View Inventory Contact Scottsdale Ferrari Website: scottsdaleferrari.comPhone: (480) 421-3800 Address: 18118 N. Scottsdale Rd Phoenix, AZ 85056

By Edward Jones – March 27, 2020

Ferrari Picks Date to Resume Production in Maranello and ...

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By Andrew Nabors – March 23, 2020

Ferrari 812 Superfast Inspired by Formula 1

No request has ever been refused by Ferrari's Tailor Made custom shop. These skilled artisans are given a blank check to build a car to the buyer's wildest dreams. As such, one Formula 1 superfan chose to express his passion in a new Ferrari 812 Superfast Inspired by Formula 1. First seen on Ferrari's instagram page, their goal was to evoke the team spirit of Scuderia Ferrari using technical fabrics and a heritage livery. Much like the 70th Anniversary models offered by Marshall Goldman, this car is an instant collectible. To see what Tailor Made can do for you, click the button below to find our dealer near you. Browse All Ferrari For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – March 19, 2020

REUTERS: Fiat & Ferrari to Build Ventilators

From prehistory, Italy has shrugged off invaders both large and small. It is their steadfast ethic and unflinching resolve that keeps tham at the top of automotive innovation. Without direction from the government or the Church, Reuters is reporting that Fiat & Ferrari are gearing up to build ventilators. Because COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, the spread has increased the need for this apparatus. Skilled in building complex components, the workers will gain satisfaction by helping restore civility to those infected. Browse All Ferrari For Sale

By Edward Jones – March 17, 2020

Agnelli Family, Owners of Ferrari, Make €10 Million Donat...

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By Edward Jones – March 16, 2020

Ferrari of Long Island is Bringing Service to Clients

Even though we're in a bit of a circumstance at the moment, that doesn't mean that your car doesn't need service. It also doesn't mean that you can't buy cars. For example, our friends are Ferrari of Long Island are bringing their dealership right to the client's doorstep. Announced on their Instagram page, Ferrari of Long Island will be providing off-site appointments. This mean they'll deliver their vehicles right to your doorstep. If you have a trade-in, they'll come to your home or office to start to the appraisal process. They'll even drive a car over for you to test drive! For more information, be sure to visit FerrariLI.com for more information. View Inventory

By BradN – March 09, 2020

Most Beautiful Ferrari 488 Pistas For Sale: March 2020

2019 Ferrari 488 Pista :: $449,000 View listing 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista View listing 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista :: $519,000 view listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista view listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista :: $499,999 view listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista :: $509,900 View listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista Spider :: $749,900 view listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista :: $529,900 view listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista :: $469,900 view listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista Spider :: $649,800 view listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista :: $499,900 View listing 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista :: $539,800 view listing 488 Pistas for sale 488 Pista Spiders for sale

By Edward Jones – March 06, 2020

One of Enzo Ferrari's Personal Cars is for Sale

Enzo Ferrari is undoubtedly one of the most prominent figures in automotive history, so imagine owning a car that the legend himself drove. Well, now you can do that thanks to Daniel Schmitt & Co.. This classic car dealership is offering a 1962 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Prototype Coupe by Pininfarina that was actually one of Enzo Ferrari's personal cars. This was the first 330 GT 2+2 Prototype that Ferrari built back in August 1962, and it was one of the few production cars that Enzo Ferrari drove. It comes with plenty of documentation regarding the car's history, including a copy of a 1977 letter from Ferrari confirming this car as one of the 330 GT Prototypes. The car is also in astounding condition as it's undergone a very meticulous restoration-- over $285,000 invested into the car. For more information, be sure to click the button below. VIEW PRICE AND LISTING

By Andrew Nabors – February 24, 2020

Ferrari Museum Debuts new Exhibit "Grand Tour"

Beautiful weather is in the forecast for Modena. Aside from the gorgeous scenery and some of the world's best driving roads, the Ferrari Museum has debuted a new exhibit: "Grand Tour". The theme is a trip around the world in new & classic examples of their Grand Touring models. Each city is represented by a car that tells a story of moments and characters that define its history. Starting with New York, visitors travel to Asia, the Middle East, famous European Race Tracks, and ending with Ferrari's latest models in Rome. This is the ultimate adult version of It's A Small World", and it will run through February of next year. Click the link below to see what separates Ferrari from all lesser automakers, and stay with us for all your Ferrari news. Browse All Ferrari For Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – February 20, 2020

2014 Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio For Sale

Enzo Ferrari loved racing, and his view of building cars for the public was mainly just a way to pay for his team "Scuderia Ferrari". Battista Farina was the youngest of his siblings, so he was given the nickname "Pinin", which translates to small our young. The name stuck, and he opened "Carrozzeria Pininfarina" in 1930 to design and build his own cars. The two men became friends, and as Ferrari won more races, he cared less about production. After a meeting in 1952, Enzo basically handed production and styling over to Pininfarina. Battista was 60 years old, so he entrusted this momentous opportunity to his son Sergio. His company gave us almost every Ferrari from the 212 Inter in 1952 to the F12Berlinetta in 2012. Other hits include the almost all Lancia models, Alfa Romeo Giulia, and the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. When he passed away in 2012, Ferrari knew it owed him a lifetime of devotion. After choosing their top six customers, each one received a 2014 Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio. Based on the 458 Speciale, it has a targa roof and styling the would make Sergio proud. This car is most likely the only example in the U.S. and it can be yours. Click the button below for all the details on this piece of history. View Price & Details " width="680"> Sergio Pininfarina: 1926-2012

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