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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 – June 02, 2015

Shelby GT350 and GT350R Engine is Most Powerful Naturally...

We thought we would never see a flat-plane V8 from an American manufacturer, but it has happened. It may have eight cylinders, but Ford’s all-new powerplant in the upcoming Shelby GT350 is more like two race-bred four cylinders sharing a common crankshaft. The Italians have long lauded the praises of this design, as it allows for lighter engine internals and the ability to rev much higher than their cross-plane competitors.Ford is rating the new 5.2-liter engine at 526 hp and 429 lb-ft, according to a press release issued by the marque today. It does this by spinning to a Nascar-like 8,250 rpm. Only a handful of transmissions can withstand that engine speed, so a six-speed manual is the only gearbox offered. This engine will be exclusively available in the Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R mustangs set to go on sale this fall.Ford is using the GT350 to launch a few other technologies that seemed impossible just a few years ago. A composite oil pan will keep temperatures down, and instead of cast iron sleeves, each cylinder liner will be made of steel wire transferred to the block by plasma welding. This engine is among the most advanced on the market and asserts Ford’s commitment to innovation and performance.(See Also: 2016 Ford Mustang GT350 and GT350R Price Leaked)As the release also tells us, this particular V8 is the most powerful, naturally aspirated, road-going engine to ever be created by Ford. You can get a good look at the mechanics of this engine, as well as some of the features to be found in this powerful iteration of the Mustang, in the gallery below.Stay tuned to Autofluence for more Mustang and Shelby news, and be sure to browse our exclusive listings of Mustangs for sale for yourself, and get a little closer to the predecessor of this new Shelby.Mustangs For Sale Gallery (Source: Ford) See More Ford News

By Edward Jones – May 26, 2015

2016 Ford Mustang GT350 and GT350R Price Leaked

The prices for the upcoming 2016 Ford Mustang GT350 and GT350R models have reportedly been leaked and they look like a true bargain.Posted onto Mutang6G.com's forum was the alleged price list for the car in North America.On the first line of the price list, you will see the price for the GT350, which is powered by a 5.2-liter V8 with an exciting flat-plane crankshaft. This one will reportedly go for $49,995, including the $1,300 Gas Guzzler Tax and $825 Destination and Delivery fee.If you go further down the list, you will see "Equipment Group 920A." According to the forum, this is the package for the GT350R, a more extreme version of the GT350. It comes with added aerodynamic pieces, a lighter weight and a pension for the track. The price of this model is said to be set at $63,495, also including the $1,300 Gas Guzzler Tax and $825 Destination and Delivery fee.(Also Read: Larte Design “Black Crystal” Mercedes-Benz GL-Class)Other options found on this price list include the Technology Package ($7,500), Track Package ($6,500), Electronics Package ($3,000), Painted Black Roof ($695), Over-the-Top Racing Stripe ($475), Triple Yellow Tri-Coat Paint ($495) and Car Cover ($375).We've reached out to Ford for comment and to see if this pricing information can be confirmed.What do you think of the pricing? Leave your comments in the section below to share you opinion.Mustangs For Sale(Source: Mustang6G.com via Jalopnik) See More Ford News

By Edward Jones – May 07, 2015

Super Electric 1968 Mustang With 1,800 lb-ft of Torque

The team at Bloodshed Motors in Austin, Texas, have become pioneers of the world’s first class of Super Electric Muscle Cars by taking the most legendary American muscle cars of all time and infusing them with insanely powerful all-electric propulsion. The converted cars are designated as Zombie 222s for use on the street or track. The first showcase car is a 1968 Mustang Fastback producing 800 hp, 1,800 lb-ft of torque and has a 0-60 mph time of 2.4 seconds, making it faster than most production supercars on the market today.See More Aftermarket NewsRecently the Zombie 222 set a new top speed record for electric cars at the Texas Mile by running 174.2 mph. Customers can supply their own cars for a Zombie 222 conversion or Blood Shed Motors will procure the desired car as a part of the conversion process. Typical conversions cost around $125,000, plus the car. You can view the video of this running above, which was uploaded by The Verge to YouTube April 1.Gallery (Text and Images Provided by: Bloodshed Motors)

By Edward Jones – March 05, 2015

New 2016 Ford GT Price and Planned Production Numbers

The long-awaited Ford GT has been unveiled for some time now, but we have finally learned how much it will cost and how many will be created.On March 4, Motor Authority reported that the new GT will cost somewhere around $400,000. This comes from Dave Pericak, Director of Ford Performance, who said that the price would be near that of the Aventador, which has an MSRP of $397,500.(See Also: Mitchell Motor Works 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS SS For Sale)This price tag will get you Ford's latest supercar, which is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces over 600 hp. Exact figures have not yet been released.Additionally, it was also reported that there will only 250 examples of the Ford GT made. This production run will take place over several years, making the car's availability scarce.Stay with us for the latest details on the Ford GT as they are released.View Ford GTs For Sale(Source: Motor Authority) See More Ford NewsRelated Video:

By Caitlin Duffy – February 20, 2015

2015 Ford F-150 Pre-Runner Race Truck for Sale

It's designed to travel through rough terrain at insane speeds while keeping you and two passengers safely strapped in. You can hit a 3" hole or bump at up to 140 mph without any problems. And this 2015 Ford F-150 Pre-Runner Race Truck can be in your garage before you know it.(See Also: Hellcat vs. Mustang vs. i8 vs. Huracan)Featured in the first ever Battle of the Builders at SEMA 2014, which will be aired on Velocity Network March 8, this one-of-a-kind Pre-Runner was completed in November of last year. You can check out the trailer for this new show below.At 7,000 pounds with a 130" wheel base, it's big, but don't let size fool you. The Motec Injected Motor creates 800 hp and 700 ft-lb of torque, meaning you'll be ready for any off-roading race rally. Check out the pictures in the gallery to get a better look, and hit the button below to see the full details of this insane off-roader.View Price and Listing Details Gallery See More Ford News

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