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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 – February 21, 2020

How To Detail a New Ford GT

You submitted an application and waited for months. Ford chose you from over 10,000 other fans to represent their brand. You configured your car, waited a bit longer, and now its in front of you. What do you do? Well you don't let the dealer run it through their wash rack. This is how to detail a new Ford GT. Brian Daly is the owner of Reflected Images Custom Detailing in Forest Hill, MD. Not only is he one of our elite & most trusted detailers, he regularly hosts events for the Mid-Atlantic Porsche Club of America. He has applied over 2 decades in paint correction to the cars we have featured at the Baltimore Auto Show, and his reviews speak for themselves. So how do you detail a new Ford GT? Click the button below to find one, and send it to Maryland for a few days! Browse All Ford GT For Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – February 06, 2020

2020 Ford GT Adds Power & Personality

Last year Ford shocked the racing world by unleashing a track-only version of their supercar. It was born on the 4th of July and went to battle for the Blue Oval. Lessons learned in the development and in competition were compiled, and that is how every new 2020 Ford GT for sale has added power & personality. Starting with intakes that are 50% larger, the intercoolers were also scaled up accordingly. The cooler air meets with a hotter spark from new ignition coils and plugs, finally, a new exhaust by Akrapovic is now standard equipment. It adds up to 13 more horsepower, now at 660 across a much wider RPM range. To give the car more character, a revised Heritage Edition more closely resembles Chassis 1075. It won LeMans back-to-back wearing the colors of Gulf Oil. Carbon fiber wheels are now optional for the first time on a Heritage car, so this combination is destined to be a collectible. If you prefer a darker motif, the new Liquid Carbon edition goes naked. Aside from a protective clear coat, the other standard equipment is the carbon fiber wheel package. Options include stripes and painted mirror caps in any of the 7 standard colors or the extended palette. Buyers can opt for titanium lugnuts and mounts for a 6-point harness for a few dollars more. Tell us which edition you like in the comments below and stay with us for all your Ford news. Browse All Ford GT For Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – November 20, 2019

Ford GT: 2005 vs. 2018

What happens when two social media icons meet at the drag strip? As you might have known Shmee150 is on a tour of the U.S. in his 2018 Ford GT. As no American vacation would be complete without South Florida, he called Brooks (DragTimes) to discuss a possible collaboration. While it would be a rare sight to see two 3rd-Generation Ford GTs battling it out on the quarter-mile, Ford has made sure that they consistently run similar times. So Brooks decided to dust off his classic 2nd generation model. Although it has a few mods, get ready for Ford GT: 2005 vs. 2018. 2005 Ford GT Price & Specs Speaking of mods, Brooks has a Heffner Performance pulley and a tune to match. It allows the 5.4L to put 650 horsepower to the ground. A stock 2018 Ford GT sends 590 horsepower to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch. While Brooks has to shift his 6-speed stick, Shmee's car has uninterrupted power between gears. The only part these cars share is the Blue Oval badge, so it is shocking to see how far technology has advanced. Tell us which version you prefer in the comments below, and click the link to find a Ford GT near you! Browse Ford GT For Sale Related: 2018 Ford GT Specs, Price, Photos & Review Jay Leno Reviews His 2005 Ford GT Originally Published on August 5, 2019

By Edward Jones – July 24, 2019

Shmee150 Puts His New Ford GT on the Dyno

The famous YouTuber Shmee150 recently bought a new Ford GT and he's been taking it on a world tour. He recently flew the American supercar out to New York and has driven it down to Fabspeed in Philadelphia where he put it on the dyno. After a quick spin, they finally got the results and saw how much power the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine was making. Shmee150 notes in the description of the video up above that the "GT officially runs at 647bhp / 656PS from the crank and of course you'd expect to see a 10-15% loss into the wheels." This would mean that they would be expecting a result of around 550bhp at the wheels. However, the results showed a very different story. Check the video out up above to see the results for yourself! see all ford gt's for sale right now

By Andrew Nabors – July 05, 2019

2020 Ford GT MK II Will Arrive Ready to Race

You can't deny the abilities of the Ford GT, as it dominated LeMans in 2016. The car had one purpose: Win at all costs! So it was designed around the GTE Pro class, and it outperformed every other manufacturer. Unfortunately, racing series tend to change the rules a little each year. This supposedly forces innovation and maintains a high level of entertainment for the fans. Unfortunately, cars that are purpose-built for one class have a hard time coping with new rules. That is why the Ford GT was disqualified at LeMans earlier this year. Engineers went back to the drawing board to cut weight and increase downforce, so the 2020 Ford GT MK II will arrive ready to race. Starting with weight, the dual-mode suspension was dropped in favor of static ride height. This dropped 200 lbs, allowing them to focus on better cooling. Turning up the boost to reach 700 horsepower, a roof scoop feeds air to a massive intercooler. Tiny nozzles spray the intercooler with water under hard acceleration, making sure the intake valves stay in one piece! The car does not conform to any class, this will allow the owner to adapt it to conform to changing rules. It will arrive with 400% more downforce, and over 2G of lateral grip. If you think you can handle it, only 45 cars will be built. Each one carries an MSRP of $1.2 Million, and they are available for order. It will be racing at the Goodwood Shootout on Sunday, so be sure to tune in to the Goodwood channel on YouTube. Click the link below to find a street-legal Ford GT and stay with us for all your Ford news. Browse Ford GT For Sale Related: 4 Ford GTs in Historic Liveries Mark End of an Era 2018 Ford GT Specs, Price, Photos & Review

By Edward Jones – June 21, 2019

Ford GT "Ultra-High-Performance" Supercar to be Unveiled ...

A new and more extreme version of the Ford GT supercar is likely to come soon after a tease from the American automaker. Ford says that Hermann Salenbauch of Ford Performance and Larry Holt of Multimatic will be on hand for the announcement. Best part? It's happening on July 4th (4:45 am EDT). America! This news comes after Ford dropped the news that the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 would be their most powerful street-legal car ever with 760 horsepower on tap. After the Ford GT announcement, I wouldn't be surprised if the GT took the crown from the GT500. Only time will tell! See All Ford GTs For Sale Related Video: " width="680">

By Edward Jones – May 28, 2019

4 Ford GTs in Historic Liveries Mark End of an Era

It's the end of an era as we say goodbye to the Ford GT factory Le Mans program. Ford returned to Le Mans back in 2016 as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their historic win in 1966 an. Now, just a couple of years later, we're saying "adieu." To send the program off in a fashionable way, Ford has covered four factory Ford GTs with liveries that celebrate their momentous wins in the past. There is also a fifth customer team GT that will be donning a special livery as well. #67 has a livery that pay homage to the GT40 that Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt were victorious in at Le Mans in 1967. #68 was designed after Ford's most recent win in 2016. #69 has a livery that remembers the GT40 that came in second in the 1-2-3 finish by Ford in 1966. The black livery on #66 was chosen to mirror the GT40 that Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon drove to victory at Le Mans in 1966. #85 is a customer team Ford GT, but it will be wearing the same livery design as the four factory GTs. The 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans is set to take place on June 15 and 16. It will be the 87th edition of the famous race and the last for the factory Ford GT Le Man program. You will be able to see them on June 2 during the Official Le Mans Test. “In 2016, Ford returned to Le Mans to mark the 50th anniversary of our incredible 1966 win and we celebrated in the best way possible by winning the race,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “To stand on that podium on behalf of the employees was a proud moment for me and I look forward returning to Le Mans this year to support the team as we approach our final race in this chapter.” See All Ford GTs For Sale Also Check Out: 2005 Ford GT Merkury 4 for Sale Jay Leno Reviews his 2005 Ford GT Ford GT: 10 Facts You Need To Know

By Andrew Nabors – March 25, 2019

Ford GT Goes 300 MPH at the Texas Mile

The quest for 300 mph in a street-legal car has been likened to breaking the sound barrier. But our friends at Turnpike Racing League witnessed history this weekend. Team M2K motorsports. After 9 prep runs, #10 resulted in 299 mph. For their final attempt, the quarter mile was smashed at 175 (which is wild to comprehend also). The 1/2 mile saw 240 mph on their multiple GPS instrumentation. Just before pulling the chutes, this unassuming Ford GT goes 300 mph at the Texas Mile. Lets put that into perspective: The car to break 300 mph was the Blue Bird, and it was a Bonneville racer powered by a massive 36.7L supercharged Rolls-RoyceV12 Merlin plane engine. It needed 2,300 horsepower to do so, on September 3, 1935. Team M2K also broke several other records this weekend. They include the half-mile stick shift record at 240 mph. Now we have seen 300 mph, where do we go from here? Congrats to M2K Motorsports, your names are now in the history books. Shop Ford GT Related: Ford GT Specs, Price, Photos & Review 2004-2006 Ford GT Specs, Prices, Photos & Review

By Edward Jones – February 25, 2019

2017 Ford GT Top Speed Run on One of World’s Longest Runw...

The new Ford GT is a model that we've been looking forward to ever since the automaker announced the end of the previous generation. At first, many were a bit surprised that the new GT would be powered by a 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine. When Ford revealed this engine's power (647 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque), imany breathed a sigh of relief now that they knew the supercar would truly have supercar-like power. But does this power translate to speed? That's where Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds comes into play with their ability to run cars down a 2.7-mile runway. Wait. How many miles? Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds utilizes the Shuttle Landing Facility, which measures in at 15,000-feet long (around 2.8-miles) and 300-feet wide. Having visited the runway for Straight Line Aerodynamic Testing Sessions, I can attest to its colossal proportions. While testing the Ford GT, they managed to use the entirety of runway, hitting a top speed over 200 mph. There are not many Fords that can run over 200 mph, so it's nice to see some American power hit speeds over that magic number. That being said, there are not many places in the world where you can run a car flat out for over two miles. Check out the run above! view all ford gts for sale Related: High Speed Aerodynamic Testing With Johnny Bohmer Racing Bugatti Chiron Top Speed at JBR Proving Grounds

By Andrew Nabors – January 22, 2019

Dragtimes Races Ford GT vs Dodge Demon in the 1/2 mile

Our friend Brooks has followed all the rules while breaking in his Ford GT. And the car has rewarded him with several victories in the quarter-mile. But now its time to take it to another level. Instead of filming at the Palm Beach International Raceway, he and his crew headed west. Get ready for triple-digit speeds because Dragtimes raced the Ford GT against a Dodge Demon in the half-mile. Dodge Challenger Demon Price & Specs: DON'T MISS Immokalee Regional Airport was built to train Air Force bomber crews in WWII. Much like Sebring, it also became home to high-speed racing thanks to General LeMay. It lies at the edge of the Everglades and is host to several racing events year-round. The organizers of WannaGOFAST have created a safe & fun half mile racing series that allows supercars to show their true potential. DragTimes: What's Underneath a Ford GT Brooks went head-to-head against an Aventador in the quarter-mile back in October. Now its time to see how Ford's fancy aerodynamics compare to the 840 horsepower Demon. Tell us which car you prefer in the comments below and stay with us for all your Dragtimes updates. Related: 2018 Ford GT vs Lamborghini Avendator 2018 Ford GT Delivered to Dragtimes

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