Hennessey

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 Jordan Aquistapace – October 11, 2023

Hennessey Performance Unveils Its 1,000HP EXORCIST Camaro...

The supercharged LT4 V8 is comprehensively upgraded to 1,000 horsepower – placing the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 in its crosshairs. Recognized as a world-renowned Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle builder, Hennessey Performance continues to pack more power into the industry's fastest American-made sports cars. The passionate team of professionals at Hennessey Performance have just revealed its last build series for the iconic EXORCIST Camaro ZL1 series, appropriately named the ‘Final Edition’. The baseline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 showcases an already powerful 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 engine that delivers 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque to its rear wheels. However, Hennessey fits this track-focused beast with an arsenal of upgrades that include a larger supercharger, top-tier air induction systems, and an engine revamp of components from cylinder heads to valve springs. Paired with a meticulously crafted HPE Engine Management software that fine-tunes the Camaro’s spirit, the LT4 engine's output jumps to an astonishing 1,000 horsepower and 966 lb-ft of torque. These figures translate to a breathtaking 0-60 mph time of just 2.1 seconds and a top speed touching 217 mph. The EXORCIST’s origin in 2017 was underpinned by Hennessey’s ambition to outmuscle the Dodge Demon and its 840 horsepower mark. And while Dodge recently upped the ante with the Challenger SRT Demon 170, boasting 1,025 hp, the EXORCIST ‘Final Edition’ remains prepared for both racing circuits and regular roads. An homage to the Camaro's successful history in the automotive space, each ‘Final Edition’ engine bears a commemorative serial number, marking 57 years since the Camaro’s start. The EXORCIST ‘Final Edition’, backed by Hennessey’s solid 3-year / 36,000-mile warranty, is now in production. Enthusiasts and collectors eager to own the new Hennessey EXORCIST 'Final Edition' can reach out to Ford retailers or Hennessey directly. View all Hennessey Performance inventory currently for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking the link below. View All Hennessey Performance Inventory Source: Hennessey Performance

By Andrew Nabors – July 17, 2019

Hennessey Performance Unveils the 1st Production Goliath 6x6

Bob Berrard had a problem. He owns the largest potato farm in Wisconsin and he needed a new truck. A full load of spuds is heavy, even for a 4WD truck. So he decided to call our friend John Hennessey. Never afraid of a customer's request, the team delivered something massive. Taking inspiration from a biblical giant, Hennessey Performance has unveiled the Goliath 6x6. Starting with a Silverado High Country, the entire rear suspension is removed. In its place is their brilliant tandem axles which share a progressive leaf spring on each side. Four shock absorbers keep the ride smooth, even though it is 8" taller than stock. BF Goodrich 37" All-Terrains are wrapped on 20" Hennessey wheels. Other goodies include a roll bar, LED lights, powered running boards, massive brakes, and more performance. Adding a stainless steel side-exit exhaust and a cold air intake allow the 6.2L V8 to make 450 horsepower. Since the engine is nearly identical to the 6.2 in the Camaro and Stingray, you could always add more power if this isn't enough. Because Bob received the first example, only 24 trucks will be produced. The price of $375,000 includes a new Silverado (or GMC Sierra) and a 3 year/36,000 warranty. For more information, call 979.885.1300 or email sales@hennesseyperformance.com. Click Here to Learn More " width="680"> Related: Ferrari 488 GTB vs Hennessey HPE800 Escalade Hennessey Maximus 1000 is the Ultimate Jeep Gladiator

By Andrew Nabors – April 09, 2019

Supercharged Chevy SS Dyno Tested by Hennessey Performance

If you are looking for a full-size sports sedan, don't overlook the Chevrolet SS. Although it was only sold for 4 years (2014-2017), every example had the Camaro's LS3 6.2L V8 under the hood. Offering 415 horsepower and lb-ft, it is no slouch. But one owner decided it wasn't enough and sent it to Sealy, Texas for a forced induction upgrade. To make sure it was dialed in, the supercharged Chevy SS was dyno tested by Hennessey Performance John Hennessey and his team installed a massive Whipple supercharger on top of a new camshaft. In the old days, an aftermarket cam would usually not be a good combination with a blower. This was because the overlap between intake and exhaust valves allowed much of the boost into the exhaust before it had a chance to work. But the secret is in the intake duration. Allowing more air to reach the cylinders allowed this SS to put 585 horsepower and 515 lb-ft of horsepower to the ground. The same can be done to any GM V8, so click the link below for more examples and stay with us for all your Hennessey Performance updates. Contact Hennessey Performance Here P.S. Chevrolet also offered this car to Cops in a long wheelbase Caprice Police Interceptor. They have Impala front and rear bumpers and they are faster than you, ask me how I know... Related: Hennessey VelociRaptor 600: Up Close & Personal Ferrari F12berlinetta HPE800 Testing by Hennessey Performance

By Andrew Nabors – March 14, 2019

Hennessey HPE 1000 Corvette Grand Sport is a Supercharged...

If you like the looks and performance of the Corvette Z06, the Grand Sport has all of its features without the big engine. It bridges the gap between the base model Stingray and the Z06, and the LT1 engine offers 460 horsepower. If that is not enough for you, the Hennessey HPE1000 Corvette Grand Sport is a supercharged beast. While most superchargers have moved into the intake valley, centrifugal blowers have made incredible advances in recent years. Starting with a new 416 ci (6.8L) short block, HPE adds cnc ported heads, stainless headers, and several internal upgrades to the 8-speed automatic. The engine and transmission computers are tuned on the dyno before a shakedown at the Pennzoil Proving Grounds next door. This comprehensive upgrade makes 1,008 horsepower at the crank and it is available for manual transmission cars also. Faster and more affordable than a ZR1, the HPE1000 is waiting for you. Click Here For Price & Specs Related: Hennessey Camaro Exorcist Dyno Tuning Watch Hennessey's V8 Raptor Destroy A Stock Raptor

By Edward Jones – August 10, 2018

2019 Corvette ZR1 Arrives at Hennessey, Gets Dyno Tested

The new 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has finally landed at Hennessey Performance. Now, the company will get to work so they can start pushing more power out of the 6.2-liter LT5 supercharged engine. As a stock vehicle, Chevrolet says the ZR1 will lay down 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque. But Hennessey's version will definitely be more powerful, but they've got a few things to do. For starters, the workers needed to get behind the wheel so they could take the ZR1 out for some high-speed runs. I'd be wrong if I said I wasn't jealous of them.4,000 Horsepower Corvette Takes Flight, Sticks the LandingNext up was the dyno test. This is where the team was able to mash the pedal down and get a read of what they're working with. Interestingly enough, their dyno results showed max power at 654.64 hp and 645.20 lb-ft of torque. Hennessey says their HPE1000 supercharged engine upgrade will bring the ZR1's power all the way up to 1000 bhp and 966 lb-ft of torque. For more information on what they're working on at Hennessey for the ZR1 can be found here.

By Edward Jones – February 23, 2017

Test Drive of the 1,008 HP Z06 Corvette by Hennessey Perf...

What do you get when you install the Hennessey HPE1000 Supercharged Engine Upgrade in the C7 Z06 Corvette? One of the most exhilarating rides possible in the American sports car.Related - This is the Final Hennessey Venom GT, EverIn a new video by Hennessey Performance, the man behind the company, John Hennessey, takes an HPE100 Z06 out for a spin around their proving grounds. The upgrades given to the car can be found here, but the star of the list has to be the new supercharger system. All-in-all, the Corvette he's driving has 1,008 horsepower and 823 lb-ft of torque at the ready. This power launches the car from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds-- those are supercar numbers! It can also complete a 1/4-mile in 9.7 seconds @ 147 mph and will top out at over 220 mph.Check out the video below to see the car in action for yourself and click the link below to find a Z06 for yourself.Chevrolet Corvette Z06 For Sale

Hennessey

duPont REGISTRY News

duPont REGISTRY Group

Support

Subscribe