GT-R

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 Tyler Rampersaud – June 14, 2024

Nissan Sends Off The GT-R With 2 Final Special Editions

Godzilla’s reign on the automotive industry is coming to an end. While it certainly took a long time, the moment at which Nissan would finally retire the legendary GT-R was inevitable, considering the changing automotive industry and the sweeping wave of electrification worldwide, affecting the performance car segment more poignantly than most others. However, despite being on the market for over a decade and a half, it’s still sad news to see the Nissan GT-R in its R35 generation officially retired. That said, Nissan is sending it off with two special editions that will give the legendary performance machine the sendoff it deserves. The 2024 Nissan GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition and the 2024 Nissan GT-R Premium Skyline Edition are the two special editions ending the R35 generation. Both honor the legacy of the R35 GT-R and its equally legendary predecessors, which were never sold in the United States. The Takumi Edition's MSRP starts at $151,090, while the Skyline Edition's starts at $131,090. Rather than being named after the main character of the Initial D street racing anime series, the Nissan GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition is named after the “Takumi” master craftspeople who have been responsible for hand-building the Nissan GT-R’s incredible twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine, which put it in the performance level of some of the world’s greatest supercars when it was first introduced and still provides robust and thrilling performance today. Its Midnight Purple paint job revives an iconic Skyline GT-R color, and its Mori Green interior adds a degree of exclusivity. Something of a double entendre, the Nissan GT-R Premium Skyline Edition’s name is both a reference to Japan’s iconic and breathtaking skylines and the Skyline moniker that the Nissan GT-R’s predecessors wore overseas. Bayside Blue exterior paint and an exclusive Sora Blue interior provide an exclusive configuration for the special edition. The Bayside Blue color was also retired after the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 but revived shortly for the 50th Anniversary Edition Nissan GT-R in 2019. Change is always bittersweet, and while the Nissan GT-R’s discontinuation leaves room for something new and exciting to take its place, it’s certainly not going to be easy to say goodbye to one of the automotive world’s longest-standing performance legends. If Nissan creates a successor for the R35 GT-R, it must meet the expectations of a true 21st-century engineering marvel and one of the most iconic performance cars in recent history. View All Nissan GT-Rs For Sale Image Source: Nissan

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 15, 2024

Nissan Debuts 2 New Historically-Inspired GT-R Special Ed...

Godzilla returns, with new special limited editions. The Nissan GT-R has been a staple in the automotive performance world for a very long time, and decades longer than that is the long legacy of its Skyline GT-R predecessors. However, it remains, and to finish the car’s 2024 model year lineup, the dynamic and powerful Nissan GT-R features two new special editions for the upcoming model year, both of which highlight the high-performance machine’s longstanding pedigree and history. The first is the Nissan GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition, which is not named after the main character of the Initial D anime series, but rather the Japanese word “takumi,” which describes a master craftsman. Specifically, the hand-built assembly of each VR38DETT that powers the Nissan GT-R is done by four takumi craftsmen, and their work is celebrated with this special edition. The engine bays of these cars will feature red etching, and a gold VIN plate. In addition, Midnight Purple finishes the exterior, and the interior features exclusive Mori Green leather, referencing the Skyline GT-R special editions of the past. The second references the name of the GT-R’s ancestors: Skyline, bringing the historic JDM name of the performance car lineage stateside. The 2024 Nissan GT-R Skyline Edition features an homage to Japan’s stunning skyline views, with a Bayside Blue exterior that echoes one of the most iconic colors from the R34 Skyline GT-R generation, and a Sora Blue leather-trimmed interior that echoes the blue sky above a mesmerizing cityscape. With plenty of heritage and proud moments to look back on, these two new Nissan GT-R special editions help close out the 2024 model year for the car in true style. With historically-inspired colors, and unique green and blue leather interiors, the new 2024 Nissan GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition, and the 2024 Nissan GT-R Skyline Edition both serve as masterpieces and beautiful homages to the GT-R legacy. View All Nissan GT-Rs For Sale Image Source: Nissan

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 18, 2023

Watch A New Corvette Z06 Race A Nissan GT-R Nismo And A 1...

These high-performance heats show off incredible engineering. When it comes to performance, there’s no denying the fact that the C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 punches far beyond its weight. However, since its introduction, the Nissan GT-R has proved a very strong competitor, and the two high-speed heroes have formed a contentious rivalry across the Pacific. YouTube channel Throttle House decided to pit the new Z06 not only against the latest Nissan GT-R Nismo, but also against the legendary R34-generation Nissan Skyline GT-R, and not just any Skyline GT-R, but one that has been tuned to make upwards of 1,000 horsepower. MUST READ: The New $2.7M Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Is A Track-Focused Hypercar With turbochargers and all-wheel drive, the GT-Rs seem like they are on unequal footing with the Z06, but the rear-wheel drive Z06 does have a larger V8 engine and clever engineering, as well as a mid-engined layout to its advantage, although that isn’t as much of a boon in straight-line racing. Unsurprisingly, from a standstill, the two GT-R’s both easily succeed against the Z06 in a drag race, the tuned one coming out on top. However, with the traction inequality mitigated in a rolling race, the Z06 was able to come out barely on top of the R35, but still behind the mythically-powerful R34 Skyline, which the pair later found out was only running on 5 of its 6 cylinders. While the all-American Corvette Z06 and the Japanese legend, the Nissan GT-R, have quite different approaches to performance, both get to a similar place, and they get there very fast. View All Corvette Z06s For Sale View All Nissan GT-Rs For Sale Source: YouTube/Throttle House

By Edward Jones – September 14, 2021

New 2021 Nissan GT-R T-Spec Edition Will Come In Midnight...

Two iconic colors are making a return. If you were on the fence about purchasing a new 2021 Nissan GT-R, this news may push you over the edge. Nissan has announced the new 2021 GT-R T-Spec edition that comes with upgraded features and two new body colors. Those two body colors happen to be Millennium Jade and Midnight Purple, iconic colors that were both featured on examples of the R34 GT-R V-Spec. Midnight Purple is an insanely sought-after paint, with the proof being that an R34 GT-R V-Spec in that color recently sold for over $300k. As for the R35 example, the T-Spec receives an updated interior with a special Mori Green interior color, T-Spec badging, pearl suede accents, and a quilted Alcantara headliner. Exterior upgrades include the body-colored door mirrors, T-Spec badging, carbon ceramic brakes, brake air guides borrowed from the GT-R NISMO, and more. Pricing for the 2021 GT-R T-Spec starts at $138,490. Sell My Nissan GT-R: Get a Cash Offer Source: Nissan

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