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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

New GMC HUMMER X Concepts Unveiled With GM Advanced Design Pasadena Studio Opening

By Tyler Rampersaud – May 29, 2026

New GMC HUMMER X Truck & SUV Concepts Revealed

Reviving and reimagining an iconic brand, the introduction of the GMC HUMMER EV brought electrified innovation, technology, and power to the market with a silhouette and design inspired by the iconic rugged Hummer lineup of trucks and SUVs. With immense power and capability, the HUMMER EV has become an icon in the automotive industry. As GM opens a new advanced design studio in Pasadena, California, it marks the occasion with the reveal of two new GMC HUMMER concepts: the GMC HUMMER X Truck and SUV. The pair of concepts is both highly configurable, mid-size electric vehicles. Although they are not intended for production, they are a testbed for new technologies, as a collaboration between GM Advanced Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing, and the Advanced Design Pasadena studio. A rock-crawling vehicle in both its truck and SUV form, the HUMMER X is created as a modular platform with four pillars as the ethos for its creation: reconfigurability, capability, community, and sustainability. Flexible manufacturing technology enables the HUMMER X to be reconfigurable. With fast, small-batch, on-demand production with similar principles to 3D printing, a new aesthetic has emerged with laser-welded seams and visible bolts, as well as stackable displays for the interior that can be tailored by drivers to any journey. Fostering a sense of community, the design team envisioned a concept called HUMMER HUB, a suite of apps connecting drivers and their vehicles for drivers who embody the “builder maker” lifestyle of people who modify and share their vehicles. <- Gallery -> The highly capable vehicle includes underbody protection, large off-road tires, beadlock wheels, and removable fender flares for unparalleled off-road performance. Emphasizing sustainability, the concepts swap adhesives for snap fits and mechanical fasteners to use single materials that can be fully recycled, and they are designed for easy disassembly in order for owners to effortlessly swap parts as time goes on. The new Pasadena studio features three buildings with a total of 148,000 square feet. It’s fully equipped for full-size clay modeling, fabrication, and digital collaboration, with 100 team members working within it. Its location in Southern California not only serves as a source of inspiration with its concentration of culture, art, film, architecture, and technology, it also continues a legacy of GM’s presence in Southern California that began with advanced design studios based in Los Angeles since the 1980s. Joining GM’s Advanced Design studio network that spans the globe, the Pasadena studio exists alongside facilities in Detroit, the UK, and Shanghai. With a pair of new concepts coming with the opening of the new studio, GM’s Advanced Design division is opening a new chapter. View All GMC HUMMER EV For Sale Image Source: General Motors

By Tyler Rampersaud – October 15, 2024

GMC Announces Extended & Max Range Sierra EV Denali Models

GMC improves on the electric rendition of its truck icon. The GMC Sierra is one of America’s most celebrated pickup trucks, combining workhorse capability with sleek style and a myriad available creature comforts. However, GMC recently evolved the Sierra’s legacy even further by introducing the new 2025 Sierra EV Denali, an all-electric take on the manufacturer’s legendary luxury pickup. As the new model prepares to hit the road, and other GMC Sierra EV variants are soon to be revealed, the manufacturer has announced new options and features for the truck. Arriving at dealers with a starting MSRP of $91,995 for the Extended Range model, and a $100,495 MSRP for the Max Range model, the 2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali will be offered with two ranges. The Extended Range offers an estimated 390 miles, and the Max Range offers an estimated 460 miles. The GMC Sierra EV Denali offers a robust 760 horsepower and 785 lb/ft of torque, with fast-charging technology offering as much as 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes. Other high-tech features of the truck include Air Ride Adaptive Suspension, which allows drivers to raise and lower the truck by roughly 2 inches, while also maximizing ride comfort, and a MultiPro MidGate, allowing drivers to store 11-foot-long items in a way that still leaves room for a passenger in the back seat. Its 10,500 pounds in towing capacity ensures its capability as a pickup truck workhorse. The GMC Sierra EV Denali will be offered in six colors: Summit White, Thunderstorm Grey, Onyx Black, Dark Ember Tintcoat, Deep Ocean Metallic, and Moonlight Matte. Along with the Denali trim level, GMC also plans to offer the GMC Sierra EV as an Elevation and an AT4 model in the first half of 2025, expanding the range of GMC’s all-electric pickup truck hero. View All GMC Sierras For Sale

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 20, 2024

GMC Reveals The New Redesigned 2025 Yukon Luxury SUV

The new era of an SUV icon emerges. American luxury SUVs form a small but highly competitive segment, full of unforgettable iconic vehicles with lots of space, features, presence, and capability, and the GMC Yukon is one of the most ubiquitous. The flagship nameplate of the GMC brand, the Yukon, is GMC’s pinnacle expression of luxury, style, and technology, and the new 2025 GMC Yukon, which has just been revealed, takes that much further than before. New trim levels, updated infotainment solutions, safety features, and more set the new 2025 GMC Yukon apart as a leader in the luxury SUV world. In addition, the new Yukon has a refreshed look inside and out, with redesigned details adding a futuristic edge to the iconic SUV. The Denali Ultimate is the peak luxury trim level for the new 2025 GMC Yukon, and for the new model year, it features 24-inch rims for the first time on a Yukon, as well as 16-way power heated and ventilated massaging front seats, luxurious second-row captains chairs, open-pore wood trims with laser-etched topographical patterns, and a 22-speaker Bose Performance Series sound system, with headrest-mounted speakers in the first row and optional second-row captain’s chairs. Meanwhile, the off-road-oriented AT4 Ultimate trim has been introduced for the first time in the new 2025 GMC Yukon. It features a front skid plate, 20-inch wheels, Air Ride adaptive suspension that can raise the vehicle by 2 inches for off-road maneuvers, and a unique leather interior. The new available Night Vision technology for the 2025 Yukon allows greater safety while driving in the dark, and the new Yukon also adds more practicality to the mix with more trailering technology than ever before. However, one of the most prominent features is the new 2025 GMC Yukon’s 16.8-inch Infotainment Center, a highly customizable vertical display that can display features like maps, audio, and important vehicle information in unique, intuitive ways. Even rear-seat passengers have access to an 8-inch touchscreen for climate control. With more luxury, safety, practicality, and capability than ever, the new 2025 GMC Yukon is proving its worthiness as the iconic flagship of the GMC brand. It will be available by the end of 2024. View All GMC Yukons For Sale Image Source: GMC

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 11, 2024

First Image Of Redesigned 2025 GMC Yukon Released

An SUV icon is about to change. American luxury SUVs are like no others, with unmistakable silhouettes and footprints, and the GMC Yukon is one of the most ubiquitous. It’s large and in charge, and with sumptuous features and elegant looks, it’s remained a favorite for those who want a luxury SUV capable of delivering family hauling ability and VIP style alike. However, it’s going to be refreshed for the 2025 model year, and GMC has revealed the first sneak peek look at the redesigned Yukon today. The image that was revealed features the redesigned headlight assembly and grille of the 2025 GMC Yukon AT4, a trim level that is celebrating its fifth anniversary since being introduced on the 2019 GMC Sierra AT4, combining off-road capability with premium luxury. In addition, 2024 is also the 25th anniversary year for the iconic and luxurious Denali lineup, as it was first introduced to the public in the form of the 1999 GMC Yukon Denali Concept. As the new redesigned 2025 GMC Yukon gets ready to break cover, it also bears the responsibility of introducing the GMC brand to new markets: Australia, New Zealand, and China. The full reveal of the refreshed Yukon is set to take place later this year, and it’s going to mark a new chapter in the history of one of the most iconic American luxury SUVs. View All GMC Yukons For Sale

By Tyler Rampersaud – December 15, 2022

This Green GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 Is A Ludicrous Dream E...

Like its paintwork, anyone who sees this truck in action will be green with envy. The GMC Hummer EV is a truly special machine. While it used a revolutionary electric powertrain to turn the notion of the cumbersome and quite notoriously gas-guzzling Hummer SUV of the past on its head, it simultaneously retained all of the things that the world loved about the Hummer of the recent past, like its brash looks and immense proportions, and it also modernized its capability, luxury, and performance, making it a real show of force in the electric truck space. It’s amazing to look at, fun to drive, and easy to enjoy, which is why this example for sale at Prestige Imports in North Miami Beach, Florida is so desirable. MUST READ: GMC Hummer EV Price, Specs, Photos & Review Finished in a metallic green color, this GMC Hummer EV truck is an example of the limited Edition 1 of the vehicle, with special treatments that make it even more luxurious and collectible than the Hummer EV is already on its own. On top of boasting some of the best luxury and style the automotive industry has to offer, this Hummer EV Edition 1 features rugged capabilities backing up its rugged looks that are good enough to feel confident and prepared in a variety of driving situations, on and off-road. With just 1,842 miles on the odometer, this GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 truck for sale is the opportunity of a lifetime. View Price And Listing

By Tyler Rampersaud – October 21, 2022

The New 2024 GMC Sierra EV Is The Electric Version Of GMC...

One of the most iconic American trucks has been struck by lightning. Electric vehicles have sent a sweeping change throughout the automotive industry, and with electric powertrains’ affinity for torque, the world of pickup trucks has changed with the introduction of electric variants. One of the most iconic pickup trucks in the American truck industry is GMC’s Sierra, and now, GMC has revealed its first-ever Sierra EV for the 2024 model year. MUST READ: How To Build Your Own New Rezvani Vengeance With The New Configurator The new electric truck will be introduced with the GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, and it will boast a GM-estimated 400-mile range on a full charge, with a maximum estimated 754 horsepower and 785 lb/ft of torque. It’s underpinned by the same Ultium platform that powers the GMC HUMMER EV that has shocked and wowed already, and it will also feature an Onboard Power Station Pro, turning the truck into a moving power source, with 10.2 kW of power available for various situations. The new truck also claims the best charging capability in the EV truck segment, with 800 Volt DC Public Fast Charging able to add 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes. The interior features a 16.8-inch screen, and driving is luxurious and convenient with Super Cruise hands-free driving, a 0-60 time estimated to be as little as 4.5 seconds, Air RIde Adaptive Suspension for a height-adjustable, comfortable ride, and electric features like one-pedal driving and the 4-wheel steering CrabWalk feature introduced in the HUMMER EV. The new 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 will start at $107,000, with deliveries starting in early 2024. The full range of models will be announced soon, with MSRPs starting at $50,000. Reservations for the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 are available now. View All GMCs For Sale Source: GMC

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