Industry Reports

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 10, 2017

Porsche Posts Prosperous Profits for September 2017

A rising tide raises all ships, but not all cars. With the Dow Jones reaching record highs and interest remaining conservative, Porsche's clientele is reaping the benefits of this economic upswing. To make light of this year's successes, Porsche Cars North America released some nice figures for the 3rd quarter. In a press release from Hot Lanta, retail sales are up 2.5% YTD.To give you a better handle on the situation, let's break it down by model. The Porsche 911 is turbocharged in almost every version except the GT3, and it saw a 14.4% increase year-over-year. The 718 Series Cayman and Boxster are up by 3.1%. We're seeing Macans everywhere in Florida, which is probably how they sold 2,346 units, an increase of 17.4% from last year.Porsche 911 GT2 RS Smashes 'Ring Record If you haven't experienced the new Panamera, you are truly missing out. The complete redesign is appealing inside and out, which is why deliveries are up by 134.6%, selling 835 in September alone. New car sales weren't the only area of improvement, Porsche's Certified Pre-Owned sales reached 1,550 cars, an increase of 16.2% from last year. If you want to be part of the action, click on the link below and stay with us for all your Porsche news. View Porsche For Sale

By Edward Jones – October 04, 2017

Mercedes-Benz USA's September 2017 Sales Report

Mercedes-Benz has released their sales figures for September 2018.For overall sales, Mercedes is reporting 29,008 units sold during the month of September. That figure is barely down from the same period last year (29,500). Dietmar Exler, preside and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA has some logic behind this slight drop in sales: "The hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico certainly caused some disruption in September, but our dealers did a fantastic job to maintain business."For individual models, C-Class took the lead in sales with 6,194. In second place is the GLC at 4,662 and then GLE at 4,583. Mercedes-AMG models saw 2,445 units sold for a total of 23,566 year-to-date - that's a 50.7 percent increase over last year.

By Edward Jones – September 28, 2017

Lamborghini Focusing on the Driver, Not Autonomous Driving

While just about every automaker is focused on integrating autonomous technology in their cars, Lamborghini is looking the other way.In a recent interview with Digital Trends, Maurizio Reggiani of Lamborghini said they would "be the last brand to offer" autonomous driving. Why? Well, you don't get in a Lamborghini to have it carry you somewhere, you get in one to experience the thrill of the drive. This is why Lamborghini isn't planning for autonomous driving, because it would take away from the experience that their supercars bring to the driver.However, Reggiani did go on to say that the upcoming Urus would feature adaptive cruise control, lane-assist and other features that you would expect in a premium car. Furthermore,the new Lamborghini SUV will have a dedicated connectivity system.As for Lamborghini supercars, don't expect the same tech that the Urus will have.

By Edward Jones – August 31, 2017

Report: Stephan Winkelmann to Leave Audi Sport for Bugatti

It was announced that Stephan Winkelmann would his post as Lamborghini's CEO back in February of 2016 and would become the CEO of Audi Sport. Now, a little over a year later, Autocar is reporting that Winkelmann is making another move, this time to Bugatti.According to Autocar, Wolfgang Dürheimer will be leaving his CEO post at Bugatti and Winkelmann will take his place. However, Dürheimer will stay as the head of Bentley for the time being. However, the reporting article did note that Winkelmann will become the chairman of Bentley in the future. Wolfgang Dürheimer (left) with Massimiliano Pogliani (centre) and Kevin Rose at Bentley MotorsReplacing Winkelmann is Michael-Julius Renz, who is leaving his position as President of Audi China's sales division. He also previously was the head of sales for Audi in Germany.At Bugatti, Winkelmann will be overseeing the future Chiron hypercar variants that will be introduced. Autocar says that the rumoured models include the Chiron Grand Sport and Chiron Supercar.

By Edward Jones – July 27, 2017

Porsche is Most Appealing Car Brand in U.S. for 13th Year...

J.D. Power has just release their 2017 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study and Porsche has taken the most awards for the 13th consecutive year with an index score of 884. In second place was Genesis (869), BMW (855), Audi (854) and Mercedes-Benz (851).Related - Porsche 911 Turbo S Hits 193 MPH on AutobahnThe APEAL Study studies and determines just how attractive certain vehicles are by surveying new car owners 90 days after the delivery of their car. For Porsche, owners were apparently in love with their 911, Cayenne and Macan, as these models each received model-level awards in their designated model ranges.As for parent companies, Volkswagen took the most awards with six model-level awards, with BMW following by winning four awards. Here's a quick breakdown of the Segment-Level Model APEAL Awards by Corporation: Volkswagen AG: Audi A3; Audi A4; Audi A7; Porsche 911; Porsche Cayenne; and Porsche Macan BMW AG: BMW 2 Series; BMW X1; MINI Clubman; and MINI Cooper Ford Motor Co.: Ford F-150; Ford Super Duty; and Lincoln Continental General Motors Co.: Cadillac Escalade; Chevrolet Bolt; and Chevrolet Tahoe Hyundai Motor Co.: Kia Cadenza; Kia Niro; and Kia Soul Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Challenger Honda Motor Co.: Honda CR-V and Honda Ridgeline Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.: Nissan Altima and Nissan Murano

By Edward Jones – July 26, 2017

Ferrari Introduces New Extended Warranty Program

Ferrari has introduced the new Power15 extended warranty program in order to give new owners even more peace of mind when daily driving their Italian sports car, like the new 488 GTB or 812 Superfast.Before Power15, new Ferrari owners were greeted with a standard factory three-year warranty and a seven-year free maintenance program. During the cars 6th and 12th year, owners can opt for the new Power15 warranty, which will cover all major components.Now, Power15 will extend the program with the "possibility of covering the vehicle’s main mechanical components, including the engine, gearbox, PTU, suspension and steering, from year 12 right up to year 15," according to Ferrari. This new coverage will last for 12 months, but can be renewed each year for three years.Power15 will be available for both new and pre-owned Ferraris. Additionally, Ferrari will offer the Power15 extended warranty to cars that do not have the extended warranty or have gaps in their coverage. However, that kind of coverage will be subject to the car passing "specific technical checks."

By Edward Jones – June 02, 2017

Lamborghini Announces 8,000th Huracan Produced in Three Y...

Lamborghini has been going full force with their production, looking to produce more and more vehicles each year. Ultimately, the Italian automaker is aiming to not only add the Urus to their lineup, but also a fourth model. Nonetheless, the proof is in the pudding and Lamborghini's latest press release is that proof.Lamborghini announced on June 1, 2017 that they have created their 8.000th example of the Huracan. This specific supercar was finished in Grigio Lynx and was of the Spyder kind. Destined for the United Kingdom, this car is an important landmark for the supercar producer.For comparison's sake, let's take a look at production numbers for previous Lamborghini models. First, I'll start off with the Gallardo, which was the predecessor for the Huracan. Over the course of ten years, just over 14.000 examples were made. If Lamborghini keeps the current production pace for the Huracan, they will make over 26,000 Huracan in a ten year span. If we go back even further, the Diablo had only around 2,880 examples produced, and the Countach was produced barely over 2,000 times.

By Andrew Nabors – May 31, 2017

McLaren Announces New Director of Design

You can't deny the appeal of the McLaren Sports Series, so the man responsible for them has been appointed as Director of Design. Rob Melville has also overseen the 2nd generation of the Super Series with the introduction of the McLaren 720S. Reporting directly to COO Dr. Jens Ludmann, Rob will be responsible for the overall design strategies and philosophy. This will also involve working with engineers and the assembly line workers to make them a reality. McLaren's Track 22 plan has 14 new models planned before 2022, so Mr. Melville has a long road ahead. But his expertise in transforming the 12C into the 650S speaks for itself.Rob's previous work at Jaguar/Land Rover was the basis for the Evoque, and his tenure at Cadillac was highlighted by the Converj concept. The press release also states that Frank Stephenson has decided to leave McLaren after a decade of design. Rob is quoted as saying: “I am thrilled to be given the title of Design Director for McLaren Automotive. I remember when I got the call to come and join McLaren back in 2009 and the joy I felt then is the same today. We have developed a fantastic design team and have integrated a design philosophy that I feel passionately about. I have always believed that great design tells a great story and that is what we do here at McLaren. I’m incredibly proud". We're excited to see what lies in store for the brand, so stay with us for all your McLaren updates.

By Edward Jones – January 10, 2017

Lamborghini Hits Record Sales in 2016, Urus Confirmed for...

In the year 2016, it seems automakers were breaking records left and right. We recently covered Porsche's record year, and now we get to talk about how Lamborghini broke their own records in 2016.(Related - The Story of a 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV)In a press release issued by the Italian automaker, it was announced that Lamborghini delivered 3,457 cars in 2016. This is a 7% increase over the previous year, making it the sixth consecutive year of growth. In fact, this was the first time Lamborghini has ever delivered over 3,400 units. The biggest market was the USA, which saw 1,041 units being delivered."In 2016 Lamborghini has proven to be in excellent shape. The company delivered another record year in terms of sales and continued to outperform key business objectives.* This new all-time high is once more confirming the substance and sustainability of our brand, product and commercial strategy. This is a real team achievement and it is all the more remarkable as we are at the same time preparing not only for new models in our super sports car range, but for a company-wide quantum leap in our product portfolio – the third model line," says Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.What's more, Lamborghini also announced in their press release that the Urus is actually going to happen. Starting in 2018, the Urus will join Lamborghini's lineup as the third model available and will spark an increase in production at the Sant'Agata facilities.You read that correctly: the Urus is actually, most certainly, happening.All Lamborghini For Sale

By Edward Jones – January 06, 2017

Porsche Delivers Record Number of Cars in 2016

While many were glad when 2016 ended, Porsche didn't mind. In fact, they hope the trend they were on in 2016 carries on for years to come.In a press release issued by the German automaker, they announced that in 2016 they delivered a record amount of vehicles. In total, they delivered 54,480 vehicles in the past year, which is a 4.9% increase over 2015's sales record.(Perfect Porsche Presents for Fans)"Our product offensive continued to thrive with the arrival of 23 new model variants in 2016. As a result, we achieved our seventh consecutive year of increased sales," said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO, Porsche Cars North America, in the press release "I am confident we will see steady growth in 2017 with balanced supply and demand."Below are the sales numbers provided by Porsche.As you can see, the Macan crushed it in sales, having been delivered to customers 19,332 times in December. At the bottom of the sales bracket was the Panamera, which only sold 4,403 times during the course of the year."Macan sales accelerated strongly in 2016 with the introduction of new variants. Porsche plug-in hybrid sales were also promising with 2,111 Cayenne S E-Hybrid models retailed, a 92 percent increase over 2015," said Joe Lawrence, Executive Vice President and COO, Porsche Cars North America, in the press release. "In 2017, we look forward to the highly anticipated, all-new Panamera, as well as the first full year of sales for our new 911 and 718 sports car models."All Porsche For Sale

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