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 Tyler Rampersaud – March 17, 2023

One-Off Ferrari Participates In The Ferrari Cavalcade Mor...

Prancing Horses explore the North African desert.

By Jordan Aquistapace – March 10, 2023

670-Mile Azzurro Dino 2017 Ferrari F12tdf For Sale

Strictly limited to only 799 examples, this is your opportunity to acquire one of Ferrari's most exclusive front-engine V12 models.

ferrari teasing something for march 16.jpg

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 09, 2023

Ferrari Is Teasing Something New For March 16

A new Ferrari is certainly a reason to be excited.

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 08, 2023

Watch A Ferrari Purosangue SUV Slide In The Snow

Ferrari’s game-changer hits the slopes.

By Jordan Aquistapace – March 06, 2023

Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Sells for $18M At Am...

Created to stick out among the other 36 chassis, this Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider is a work of art and piece of Ferrari history

By Sponsored Article – February 26, 2023

RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island: 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO

The example on offer, chassis 56773, is one of the 272 Ferrari 288 GTOs built from 1984 to 1985.

By Jordan Aquistapace – February 23, 2023

Tailor Made Ferrari 812 Competizione In Ardila Amarillo O...

At the hands of Ferrari's customization division, this 812 Competizione evokes the vibrant personality of its lucky new owner.

By Sponsored Article – February 22, 2023

RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island: 1995 Ferrari F50

This F50 claims reported single ownership for 27 years prior to a freshening by one of the world’s foremost Ferrari specialists.

By Jordan Aquistapace – February 16, 2023

New Ferrari Hypercar Spied In Italy

Covered with electric warning signs on its camouflage wrap, the Ferrari 'F250' will be replacing the milestone LaFerrari model. Now that we've all gotten more accustomed to early hypercar engineering and testing through first-look spy shots, enthusiasts wait in anticipation to capture a glimpse of future models in their most vulnerable forms. That monumental day for the future of Ferrari's hypercar development has come, as car spotting YouTuber Varryx documents a mysterious new Ferrari traveling on streets outside the Italian factory with a camouflage wrap to disguise its shape. While we know that this early iteration is sure to go through numerous changes before being revealed to the public, it's more than clear that it will feature a huge active rear wing to create downforce at high speeds. MUST-READ: Ferrari LaFerrari Price, Specs, Photos & Review At a closer look, the design of the new hypercar codenamed F250 incorporates characteristics from other Ferrari models, like the SF90 Stradale's tail light design. The exhaust note from the slow pass leaves us to believe that Ferrari will be harnessing its power from a twin-turbocharged V8 with a hybrid assist system. The 2025 Ferrari F250 hypercar is designed to be the successor to the legendary LaFerrari model. Only at its beginning stages of testing, the automotive world is definitely excited to see what is to come for the Ferrari's newest hybrid hypercar. View all current Ferrari LaFerrari examples for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking on the link below. View All Ferrari LaFerrari For Sale Source: Varryx YouTube

By Jordan Aquistapace – February 16, 2023

Ray-Ban Celebrates Scuderai Ferrari's SF-23 F1 Car With A...

A mix between high-tech and lifestyle models, inspired by the iconic F1 team and made from state-of-the-art racing materials. Revealing its all-new SF-23 F1 car earlier this week, Scuderia Ferrari F1 is ready to take on the 2023 season with team drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. behind the wheel. Ensuring that the two are riding in style both on and off track, the luxury eyewear professionals at Ray-Ban are proud to celebrate the SF-23 race car with a new Scuderia Ferrari Sunglass Collection. The new lineup is inspired by lightweight materials and design characteristics taken from one of the most successful F1 teams on the circuit. MUST-READ: These Are The Best Luxury Sunglasses For The Ultimate Driver From carbon fiber classic Wayfarers to modern monochrome frames, each pair features the iconic Ferrari shield and Italian prancing horse as a certified stamp of approval. A special 75th-anniversary pair is introduced to bring together F1 spirit and Ray-Ban style, utilizing Ferrari's classic Modena Yellow paint within its construction. Each order comes with a special leather case, dedicated packaging, and an exclusive certificate. Shop the all-new 2023 Ray-Ban x Scuderia Ferrari Sunglass Collection by clicking on the link below. Shop Ray-Ban x Scuderia Ferrari Sunglasses Source: Ray-Ban

Ferrari News

duPont REGISTRY News

duPont REGISTRY Group

Support

Subscribe