Jaguar News

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

A Le Mans Blue Jaguar XJ220 sports car is parked in a white studio, viewed from the front left corner.

By Charles Bradley – May 28, 2025

1993 Jaguar XJ220 for Sale: Rare Le Mans Blue Supercar Li...

Developed after hours by Jaguar engineers known as the “Saturday Club,” the XJ220 was never supposed to happen—yet it became the fastest production car in the world. Born from the XJR racing program and built in collaboration with Jaguar Sport and Tom Walkinshaw Racing, the final production version featured a 542-horsepower twin-turbocharged JV6 derived from the XJR-11, wrapped in aluminum bodywork styled by Keith Helfet. With a 0–60 mph time of 3.7 seconds and a Nürburgring production lap record to its name, the XJ220 was a true rival to the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959. The 1993 example offered here is a late-production car—finished in rare Le Mans Blue over Smoke Grey leather, built in March 1994 and officially delivered in 1998. Imported to the U.S. in 2004 by collector Tim Hoiles, it has since been cared for by two additional owners and was displayed at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Today, it shows just 2,890 kilometers (~1,796 miles) and is offered through Graham Rahal Performance in Zionsville, Indiana. View Listing & Bid Now What truly sets this car apart is its exceptional mechanical condition. It has just completed a comprehensive restoration by Don Law Racing—renowned worldwide for XJ220 expertise—including a full six-year service with new timing belts, clutch, upgraded stainless fuel lines, refreshed cooling and ignition systems, decoked cylinder heads and pistons, new tires, and an emissions-compliant fuel tank system. A new OEM windscreen and gaskets were also installed. The transmission was removed and dry-ice blasted before reinstallation, and the braking system has been completely overhauled with rebuilt calipers, new rotors, pads, and servos—bringing this icon to modern mechanical standards. Offered with a clean CARFAX, Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate (in transit), and detailed service documentation, this is one of the most thoroughly prepared XJ220s available—an elite opportunity for collectors of rare Jaguars, landmark supercars, and investment-grade icons. View the full listing now at sothebysmotorsport.com.

A vintage 1957 Jaguar XKSS sports car is parked on a wet cobblestone street, with an elegant building in the background, its allure capturing the essence of classic luxury—an icon that once fetched $14 million at an RM Sotheby's Auction.

By Jordan Aquistapace – October 29, 2024

Discover The Rare 1957 Jaguar XKSS Estimated To Sell For ...

The eight-figure Jaguar awaits its upcoming auction. While new cars are debuted to the world daily with updated design, tech, and performance, a fraction of them leave an everlasting mark and go on to be recognized as timeless icons. Pioneering creations like the Ferrari 250 GTO, McLaren F1, Lamborghini Miura, and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL have established legendary status as multi-million dollar gems thanks to their historical significance and continuous influence on modern-day car design. Showcasing a true piece of automotive history, the team at RM Sotheby's is proud to present this 1957 Jaguar XKSS as part of its upcoming London 2024 auction event on Saturday, November 2nd. Neil Fraser/RM Sotheby's Jaguar’s D-Type made racing history with three straight wins at Le Mans between 1955 and 1957, thanks to its advanced design led by Malcolm Sayer. With a sleek monocoque design, aircraft-inspired engineering, and cutting-edge aero, the D-Type quickly became a legend on the grid. After Jaguar left racing in 1956, a handful of D-Type chassis were converted into XKSS road cars, combining race car spirit with street-legal practicality. Neil Fraser/RM Sotheby's XKD 540 has enjoyed a colorful journey across continents and owners throughout its life. Originally painted British Racing Green, it was resprayed light blue by its first private owner, Phil Scragg, who entered it in hill climbs. It later found its way to Australia, where racing greats Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart famously took it for a spin. Over the years, the car has been maintained and restored with a light touch, keeping its original chassis, components, and unique character intact. Neil Fraser/RM Sotheby's This XKSS is a glimpse into Jaguar’s motorsport glory, with the soul of a racer and the practicality of a road car. Complete with extensive documentation and original spares, XKD 540 offers a rare opportunity for enthusiasts looking to own a car that’s as iconic on the road as it was on the track. With an astonishing sales estimate of $11.6 million to $14.3 million, you'll have to tune in to see what this 1957 Jaguar XKSS sells for at RM Sotheby's London 2024 auction event. View all RM Sotheby's inventory for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking the link below. View All RM Sotheby's Inventory Source: RM Sotheby's

By Jordan Aquistapace – August 05, 2021

This Collector-Grade 1991 Jaguar XJR-15 Is Headed To Auct...

A chance to own a pristine piece of Jaguar motorsport history at Monterey Car Week 2021. Jaguar is known for its rich heritage in motorsports, with collectible examples becoming more desirable each day by collectors and enthusiasts. The 1991 Jaguar XJR-15 is one of those ‘must-have’ additions for a collection, as it stands tall against competitors from that era including the McLaren F1, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, and Porsche GT1. RM Sotheby’s is proud to offer a pristine XJR-15 example during the Monterey Car Week auction. This example, chassis number 028, is one of the 27 cars to have been built for the road. Completed in 1991, the XJR-15 is finished in blue over a gray interior. The odometer displayed a mere 78 miles at the time of cataloging. It was imported into Japan when new and delivered to a prolific supercar collector. Chassis 028 was appreciated by its owner from a standstill, which explains the very low mileage and outstanding preservation, which is presented as the day it left the Jaguar Sport factory. Imported into the United States in September 2019, chassis 028 is a highly original example of the model. With the weave of its’ carbon body panels readily visible in the paint, its carbon-fiber tub proudly on display below the windscreen, and its original three-piece OZ racing wheels, the exterior delights the senses and indicates the car’s astounding performance. The spirit of the exterior carries to the interior, where the car’s carbon fiber construction techniques are instantly apparent. Chassis number 028 features gray leather racing bucket seats, complete with intercom radio for race communications. Various Jaguar Sport and Tom Walkinshaw Racing logos on pieces of trim around the car give reminders of the XJR’s unique development. In 2021, this Jaguar XJR-15 received an extensive recommissioning from a model expert in the United States, records of which are available on file. One of just 27 road cars built, this low-mileage and impeccably presented example, benefitting from a recommissioning in 2021, is sure to be treasured by any discerning supercar or Jaguar collector. View 1991 Jaguar XJR-15 Listing Media/Information Source: RM Sothebys

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