i Series

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 – October 09, 2017

Reviewed: 2017 BMW i8

When engineers realized that hybrid power could be used to build sports cars, the automotive world changed forever. I consider myself fortunate to have driven all three hypercars. The Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1, and the LaFerrari are examples of unbridled enthusiasm and no limits to power or price. BMW could have followed suit and built a million-dollar monster, but they chose another path.The BMW i8 is a low and sleek carbon fiber coupe. You and your passenger sit between and below the wide door sills. Getting in and out is not unlike a C4 Corvette, it requires grace and effort. The cockpit looks straight out of the future. Pull the door down and strap in for a comfy ride. Visibility is better than most, and the controls are very intuitive.Shift into drive and you are ready for silent running. A fully charged battery offers 15 miles of cruising before gas is needed.If you want to get spicy, a turbocharged three-cylinder engine and the battery can deliver 357 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. It might not seem comparable to others until you consider its weight. The engine and generator are not much bigger than a briefcase. It may only be 1.5 liters, but it is accompanied by a six-speed automatic transmission. The real advancement is that the electric motor has its own two-speed transmission. It can power the front wheels directly, or along with the electric unit on the rear.We had a week to spend with the i8 and it never failed to disappoint. It has a curb weight of 3,400 lbs along with adequate cargo space. Weight distribution is perfect, and the 20" iLight forged wheels offer grip and a smooth ride. The suspension is not overly sprung which makes it easy to weave through traffic and rotate in tight corners. The only deal-breaker is the fake engine sounds coming from the Harmon/Kardon audio. Any three-cylinder engine is going to sound offensive, so BMW thinks we need entertainment from the speakers.Aside from that, this car is built to last. It has steel 13" brakes, included maintenance, and 8-year warranty on the high-voltage system. Everything about the car feels solid, and it inspires confidence on your daily commute. It is rated at 76 MPG if you plug it in at night, all for a price of $162,995. You can have all the technology of the hypercars without a hyper price. Oh, and the laser headlights are worth every annoyance. Check out the listings from our dealers below and experience it for yourself.View BMW i8 For Sale

By Edward Jones – November 28, 2016

Coby Persin's Gold BMW i8 Smashed With Bat by Angry Guy

YouTuber Coby Persin has bought himself a BMW i8 and wrapped it in a shiny gold wrap for all to see. He's been showing off the car quite a bit, but his latest outing in the car "seemed" to go wrong...very wrong.Persin and a friend decided they wanted to do a photoshoot on what looks like the streets of NYC, so they blocked traffic and posted up on the hood of the i8. If you've ever been to a city as busy as NYC, you know that this is a terrible, terrible idea.(Related - Audi R8 Crashes and Flips, Still Wins Race)While they were waiting to get their photo taken, an angry man came up behind them with a bat and smashed the window of the BMW, leaving a massive dent. You can see the whole thing in the video below.This might have been shocking to watch, but I wouldn't be surprised if this were to come out as fake. If you've ever watched an h3h3Productions video, you know that a lot of these pranksters are known to fake some of their pranks, goofs and gaffs. What do you guys think? Real or fake?All BMW i8 For Sale

By Edward Jones – October 17, 2016

Pokemon-Themed BMW i8 is Your Childhood Dream

Nowadays, everyone knows about Pokemon, thanks to the Pokemon Go app. As someone who grew up with the cartoon and games, it's pretty neat to see the little pocket monsters taking over the world yet again, and it's even better when I see cars that are decked out in a Pokemon attire. Case in point is this BMW i8 that has been wrapped in a Pokemon Go-themed vinyl that features some of our favorite little monsters.(Related - Catching Pokemon in a BMW M3 Around Nurburgring)The car was wrapped by Instagrammer @serge_paramount and it resides in Miami, Florida. He calls the car the Pokemon Hunter and he uses it to catch Pokemon all over South Beach.In the video uploaded by Veluxity Luxury Services, the car is reviewed and driven all around South Beach, resulting in some pretty funny reactions. I mean, let's face it, you'd have a pretty good reaction if you saw a car like the BMW i8 pull up next to you with Pokemon slathered all over it. Check it out in the video below.If there was ONE Pokemon you could theme a wrap after, what would it be? Me? It'd have to be my boy Charizard.View All BMW i8 For Sale

By Caitlin Duffy – July 06, 2015

BMW i8 Back to Back to Back Drag Races

The BMW i8 is a powerful hybrid, and one that's willing to take on any challenger for a drag race to prove its mettle.Whether it's a Porsche 911 GT3, a Nissan GTR, Nissan Skyline R33 GTR, Ferrari 458 Speciale Aperta or McLaren MP4-12C, the BMW i8 and its driver in the video below are willing to go up against it. There are even a few other BMWs thrown into the mix - as the description of this May 8 video from MDKSuperCars tells us, an M4 and 1M both joined in the races.Click play to see the i8's 357 hp and 420 lb-ft launch it forward against some of the top contenders in its class, and when you're finished, browse our exclusive listings at the button below, and find an i8 for your collection.BMW i8s For Sale (Source: YouTube) See More BMW News

By Caitlin Duffy – January 26, 2015

Custom-Wrapped BMW i8 for Richard James

Savile Row in London, for those who aren't familiar, is the epicenter of bespoke tailoring for men's clothing. Its name has been synonymous with the definition of decadence for nearly 300 years, but in 1992, a new player joined the clothiers' game: Richard James.With a focus on fashion, Richard James has made a point of remaining at the forefront of design and innovation, much like BMW has done for decades. The BMW i8 has taken a time-tested name and iconic design and transformed it into a car for the 21st century, which could be one of the reasons one was selected to represent Richard James outside of their Jan. 11 catwalk show at London Collections: Men.Pictures posted to Facebook today by BMW show off this stunning custom-wrapped BMW i8, which features the bespoke brand's name on the doors and hood.(See Also: The New 2015 BMW 1 Series Facelift Revealed)"Funky!" reads the caption of the small gallery. "The BMW i8 gets a technicolour makeover thanks to London designer Richard James." A Jan. 13 post on the designer's blog shows the entire wrapping process as it was undertaken at the BMW UK Bracknell headquarters, as did a post on their Facebook page Jan. 8."Here’s that Richard James BMW i8 in the making and, bottom, in all its finery at our London Collections: Men show at BMW on Park Lane," it said. "This brilliant job was undertaken at BMW UK’s HQ in Bracknell, where they have quite a collection of rather special cars."(Source: Facebook, RichardJames.co.uk) View BMW i8s for sale See More BMW News

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