G-Class

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

A red Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV is parked on rocky, uneven terrain with greenery and clear sky in the background, capturing the spirit of adventure that drives demand for the G-Class Experience Program.

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 23, 2025

Mercedes-Benz Expands G-Class Experience Program Due To D...

Mercedes-Benz expands its interactive showcase of the G Wagon’s capabilities. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is not only one of the world’s most iconic luxury SUVs, a celebrity favorite, and one of the most recognizable and glamorous vehicles to wear the historic manufacturer’s three-pointed star, but it’s also one of the most highly off-road capable vehicles currently on the market. With body-on-frame construction, locking differentials, impressive approach and departure angles, high ground clearance, and even admirable wade depth, the G Wagon is a go-anywhere machine, and Mercedes-Benz has been demonstrating that in an interactive form since 2020 through its G‑Class Experience suite of events. Thanks to global customer demand, Mercedes-Benz has announced an expansion to the G-Class customer drives and experiences on offer. The new G-Class Expedition: Desert Edition takes the event away from the G‑Class Experience Center in Graz, Austria, for the first time, instead showing off the G-Class’ incredible capabilities against the backdrop of the Atlas Mountains and desert dunes in Morocco. The five-day experience is filled with luxury hospitality and adventurous driving, with six iterations planned for October and November. Meanwhile, the expanded program is also set to include a Private Coaching experience, offering one-on-one driving at the Schöckl test track, a challenging test course on the Schöckl mountain near Graz, Austria, including two nights at the center’s partner hotel and luxury accommodations. In addition, the G-Class Experience center and its suite of activities can now be booked for corporate events, showcasing a new chapter for a unique program from Mercedes-Benz that is packed with off-road thrills. View All Mercedes-Benz For Sale Image Source: Mercedes-Benz

A customized Mansory G-Wagon with a carbon fiber body, colorful graphic accents, black wheels, and a turquoise interior, parked indoors with the driver's door open.

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 17, 2025

Mansory x Alec Monopoly Unveil 1-of-10 "Art Piece" G-Wagon

Mansory and Alec Monopoly take the G-Class way over the top. Mansory is known for its incredibly detailed and opulent customizations of the world’s highest echelon of luxury cars, exotic cars, supercars, and hypercars. Its recent customizations include the Ford GT, the latest generation of the BMW M5, and one of Mansory’s most ubiquitous customization staples: the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The legendary luxury SUV is one of the most common canvases for Mansory creations, and some of the most ambitious projects to emerge from the customization house start life as a Mercedes-Benz G Wagon. A new G-Class-based Mansory project has just emerged, and this one may be one of the most ambitious and over-the-top yet. It’s based on the Mansory Speranza, the brand’s complete conversion of the G-Class that features coach-style rear doors and a laundaulet-style convertible roof. However, this new vehicle goes far beyond even the Speranza with its increased power, custom design, and dramatic body kit, as Mansory collaborated with famed pop artist Alec Monopoly to create what it calls its “Art Piece,” titled AL3C MONO907Y. The Mansory AL3C MONO907Y will be made as a limited edition of only ten vehicles, and each example is hand-painted by Alec Monopoly with his signature art style, making each of the ten a true one-off with stunning art that perfectly matches Mansory’s uncompromised opulence in its custom vehicle design and craftsmanship. In addition to its stunning artwork and exclusivity, the Mansory Art Piece is set apart with its increased performance, brandishing a total 820 horsepower from its 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, rocketing from 0-60 in just 3.9 seconds. With an unparalleled degree of exclusivity and Alec Monopoly hand-painted graphics, the new Mansory AL3C MONO907Y is truly a rolling piece of art. View All Mercedes-Benz G-Class For Sale Image Source: Mansory

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 11, 2024

Watch 4 Electric Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons Do The "G-Turn" I...

Mercedes-Benz turned CES 2024 into an electrifying Vegas show. CES 2024, set against the vibrant backdrop of the heart of Las Vegas, has been all about showing off the latest and greatest in technology, and at the forefront of it all is electric mobility. Mercedes-Benz used the event to show off the upcoming EQG, its all-electric iteration of the legendary G-Class SUV. One of the most interesting features of the EQG is the “G-Turn,” a feature that takes advantage of the control and advanced torque vectoring of the electric motors, which allows, on loose or low-traction surfaces, the EQG to spin in place, and not only does that allow for drivers to quickly change direction while taking minimal space to do so, but it makes for quite the spectacle, especially when four examples of the upcoming electric luxury G-Class SUV do it at the same time. On the Vegas strip, Mercedes-Benz brought four EQGs out to the wet street, and all of them, in sync, performed the G-Turn, and the SUVs spun 720 degrees, making not only for a futuristic Vegas spectacle, but also for a demonstration of the incredible capabilities of the electric drivetrain that powers the upcoming EQG. With this and plenty of other dazzling, high-tech features, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQG is set to electrify the SUV world. View All Mercedes-Benz G-Class For Sale View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mercedes-Benz (@mercedesbenz)

By Steve Chapman Jr – March 03, 2015

Mansory G-Class Sahara Edition

It's ready to take on any terrain you throw at it, and it's making its first official appearance at the Geneva International Motor Show.The Sahara Edition from Mansory takes a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG strengthens it from top to bottom, as the website for the aftermarket tuner states. The exterior has been widened by 40 mm thanks to carbon fiber side skirts and fenders, with new headlights creating an even more unique appearance.Power has been cranked up to an intense 828 hp and 737.5 lb-ft, a drastic increase over the G63 AMG's original 536 hp. This increase was achieved through a complete reworking of the AMG 8-cylinder twin turbo already found under the hood.The interior has an entirely new level of luxury for off-road adventures. The seats feature an eagle motif, with embroidered wings appearing on the sides and a fierce eagle's head on the headrests. The wings also appear on the door panels and glove box, while the center console features the same camouflage colors and patterns found on the exterior. And, throughout it all, the Mansory stamp of approval.(See Also: Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Unveiled Ahead of Geneva)Be sure to stay with us for more releases from the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show, and check out our listings of AMG G63s to find one that Mansory can customize for you.View All G63 AMG ListingsGallery (Source: Mansory) See More Updates from the Geneva Motor Show

By Edward Jones – January 22, 2015

BRABUS G63 AMG 6x6 with 700 HP Sounds Brutal

If you have heard of the BRABUS B63S 6x6 700, then you are well aware of how outrageous this SUV is. It comes with a performance kit that boosts the horsepower from 544 hp up to 700. With this kit comes two BRABUS turbochargers, BRABUS gold heat reflection insulation sheathing, high-performance metal catalyst downpipes, a stainless-steel sport exhaust system, an engine remapping and more.(See Also: Ken Block Shows Off his Ford F-150 RaptorTrax)Up until now, all of this power has gone unseen on the internet. Thankfully, TwinTurbo250 Productions uploaded a video of the BRABUS 6x6, complete with the 700 hp performance kit, revving its precisely tuned engine.Spoiler alert: it sounds incredible.Check out the video above to see what we mean.View Mercedes-Benz G63 AMGs For SaleGallery (Image Source: BRABUS) See More From BRABUS

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