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

Lamborghini News

Lamborghini news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated daily, covering the V12 hybrid Revuelto, the Temerario and the Urus, one of the biggest names in luxury SUV news. Our reporting runs across reveals, first drives, one-off builds and the auction results that set values. We also follow the earlier cars, from the Countach through to the Veneno. Many sites carry supercar news, but very few carry it beside live listings. A great many of the Lamborghinis covered here are listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, so the reporting and a real asking price appear together. For Lamborghini news today, start with the stories below.

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 14, 2022

The New Off-Road Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato Is Coming O...

It’s finally about to be here, and ready to go everywhere. It’s been teased for years, but even still, the idea of the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato seemed like it was too good to be true. The concept of Lamborghini’s iconic mid-engined, V10-powered supercar being reworked into an off-road-ready beast still feels as though it’s something that can only exist in a video game or pipe-dream fantasy, however, Lamborghini is confirming that it is real, and will be fully revealed at this year’s Art Basel Miami at the end of this month. MUST READ: 2022 Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Review: Is This The Ultimate Aventador? Lamborghini says that the Hurcan Sterrato is designed to bring the pleasure of driving a Lamborghini supercar to unpaved roads with dirt or loose surfaces, and it will reimagine the Huracan’s performance with unprecedented off-road capability in the supercar package. In the “Beyond the Concrete” teaser videos, Lamborghini has shown off the off-road readiness of a camouflaged Huracan Sterrato and demonstrated how it can play an exciting role in adventurous life for the supercar owner who wants to experience one of the world’s greatest driving pleasures both on and off-road. Before the end of this month, unpaved roads everywhere are preparing for a bull run. View All Lamborghini Huracans For Sale Source: Lamborghini

By Jordan Aquistapace – October 06, 2022

Lamborghini Announces A VIP Urus Shuttle Service At Bolog...

The Italian partnership between Automobili Lamborghini and Guglielmo Marconi Airport continues until 2025, with some new luxury updates. With roots throughout the beautiful country of Italy, Automobili Lamborghini strives to diversify its partnerships with other Italian brands or companies to highlight the country’s economic strengths. Securing transportation efforts from ground to air, Lamborghini is proud to renew and expand its partnership with Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi Airport. The relationship began in 2013 with a permanent car display on the ground floor, which has now been contracted until 2025 with many more updates to be done. The Lamborghini exhibition at the airport begins its plan to become a full-scale boutique with merchandise on display with the brand’s legendary supercars. Along with more shopping opportunities, travelers will also have the ability to book an exclusive VIP shuttle service for a more efficient airport experience. MUST-READ: The Best Lamborghinis You Can Buy Today The one-of-a-kind personalized service is available by pre-booking the airport’s VIP program YouFirst. Passengers are met by a Lamborghini Urus and dedicated airport VIP staff, both on arrival right as they step off the ‘plane and vice versa on departure. Along with implementing new highlights for visitors, Lamborghini is also put to as the follow-me car that accompanies planes on the runway. The follow-me car takes shape as a Lamborghini Huracán EVO, with a new black and yellow livery that pays homage to the evolution of previous colorways. Discover the new updates from Automobili Lamborghini by booking your next international layover at the Guglielmo Marconi Airport. View all current Lamborghini models for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking on the link below. Check back into duPont REGISTRY for more upcoming luxury lifestyle and automotive news. VIEW ALL LAMBORGHINI FOR SALE Source: Lamborghini

By Tyler Rampersaud – September 21, 2022

Lamborghini Releases Another Teaser For The Off-Roading H...

This supercar still looks too good to be true. The idea seems like somthing out of an otherworldly pipe dream – a mid-engined supercar with high ground clearance and beefy tires, designed to tackle the unpaved surfaces that nearly any other sueprcar woudn’t dare traverse. It seems like the kind of concept for a car that can only be brushed off with a “what if,” but you didn’t make it up. Lamborghini actually showed the off-road capable Huracan Sterrato in 2019, and a fe months ago, released a teaser with a camouflaged version of the car called “Beyond The Concrete.” Better yet, Lamborghini has just revealed a sequel to that teaser, featuring two windsurfers and a destination only accessible by cars willing to get their tires dirty. MUST READ: Lamborghini Urus Price, Specs, and Photos The V10-powered supercar effortlessly and flamboyantly makes its way through dirt and sand, kicking up lots of dust as it made its journey, and showed off again that the fantasy of an off-road supercar was even more exciting to see in actual action. Hopefully the reveal of yet another teaser only a few months after the last one for the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato means that the car will be in production soon for owners to bring one of the Fighting Bull brand’s most iconic supercars where it’s never gone before. View All Lamborghini Huracans For Sale Source: Lamborghini

By Tyler Rampersaud – September 19, 2022

The New Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica And Huracan STO Show ...

Along with the STO, the Huracan Tecnica shows off its capabilities on Sardinia. The Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica was revealed earlier this year as one of the most versatile iterations of the V10-powered supercar yet. Featuring the power of the track-focused STO and the luxury and everyday usability of the more tame Huracan models, Lamborghini says that the new Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica is a car with “many souls,” and at long last, it shows its souls off in action for the first time on the Italian island of Sardinia. Starting and finishing at Porto Cervo, the experience’s headquarters was the city’s Lamborghini Lounge. MUST READ: 2022 Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Review: Is This The Ultimate Aventador? The Lounge is in Porto Cervo for the fourth year in a row, delivering an unmistakable Lamborghini experience to visitors for over two months, including configuration opportunities with Ad Personam allowing customers to create their ultimate dream Lamborghini. Out on the winding Sardinian roads, the Huracan Tecnica wasn’t alone. It was joined by the Huracan STO, which showed off its own track-ready performance and unbridled power, creating beautiful photos and videos of the spectacle that the two cars created on the gorgeous Mediterranean island. View All Lamborghini Huracans For Sale Source: Lamborghini

By Tyler Rampersaud – July 11, 2022

The New Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica Gets On The Road And ...

Lamborghini’s latest Huracan finally gets seen in action. The newest Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica combines everything that the Huracan has shown itself to be capable of since 2014: track-ready performance, world-class style and luxury, and above all, sheer driving pleasure. It features the engine of the more Spartan, track-focused Huracan STO, and the luxury and everyday drivability of the Huracan EVO. With rear-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering, as well as reduced drag and increased downforce by 20% and 35% respectively compared to the rear-wheel drive Huracan EVO, the Huracan Tecnica is by all means ready to take the road and track on, both with equal ease. MUST READ: Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 Owners Each Get An Exclusive Replica Painting To Match Their New Car That’s exactly what the car did in Valencia, Spain, as it made its in-action debut. Featuring integrated Amazon Alexa, satnav, and an interior that provides comfort and luxury alongside Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires for the road and Potenza Track tires for the track, the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica aims to be a dream car in the purest sense of the phrase. Whether you’re driving through a boulevard or an apex, the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica is a car you’ll want to do it in. View All Lamborghini Huracans For Sale Source: Lamborghini

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 22, 2022

The New Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica Toured Europe For Cli...

European customers have had the opportunity to experience the new Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica up close. Lamborghini’s newest V10-powered supercar, the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica, combines the power of the STO, with the luxury of the EVO, and the excitement of the EVO RWD, and the incredible culmination of these aspects have been made available to see in person for the first time to over 750 invited guests and customers in a series of three events held throughout Europe. The first was held in Berlin, in what used to be a factory in the Oberschöneweide district of the city. Then, the car came to a more modern setting for its Greenwich, London event, and it finally arrived at the ultimately fashionable city of Milan, where the Huracan Tecnica was shown off in its home country of Italy. MUST READ: Rock Band Muse Takes The Lamborghini Huracan STO For A Spin On The Modena Circuit The car represents all the improvements and innovations the Huracan has seen in its 8 years of existence and puts them together in a car that is powerful and beautiful in equal measure. With a 0-60 time of less than 3.2 seconds, and the amazing level of customization that Lamborghini’s Ad Personam offers to the car, the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica is equipped to make a statement on the road, on the track, and in a garage. Deliveries for the car are expected to commence in early 2023. View All Huracans For Sale Source: Lamborghini

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 21, 2022

The Duke Of Richmond Will Drive The Lamborghini Huracan E...

Supercar royalty and UK royalty meet at one of the world’s most important automotive events. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the most important events in the automotive world, and it was started by the owner of the Goodwood Estate, the Duke of Richmond. Ahead of this year’s Festival of Speed, he took the time to drive the Lamborghini Huracan EVO, and talk about Lamborghini and its presence in the history of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. MUST READ: 2021 Lamborghini Urus Review: A True Super SUV Lamborghini and the Festival of Speed both have important anniversaries coming up. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is turning 30 next year, while Lamborghini is turning 60. Both of these iconic pieces of the automotive world will come together this year for an amazing Festival of Speed, with the Duke driving the Huracan EVO, joined by the Huracan STO, the Aventador Ultimae and at the Lamborghini stand at the Festival of Speed, the new Huracan Tecnica. View All Lamborghini Huracans For Sale Source: Lamborghini

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 17, 2022

Rock Band Muse Takes The Lamborghini Huracan STO For A Sp...

Before putting a show on at Firenze Rocks, Muse put on a show at the Modena circuit. British rock band Muse are real Lamborghini fans. After featuring a Countach in their 2018 video for “Something Human,” the band visited Lamborghini’s headquarters and took the brand’s supercars to the track in 2019. They have come back for yet another Lamborghini experience again at the Modena circuit ahead of their performance at Firenze Rocks on June 17. With a Huracan STO, the band’s lead singer and guitarist Matt Bellamy and drummer Dom Howard took to the track to experience the immense power and rear-wheel drive of Lamborghini’s track-ready supercar. MUST READ: 2021 Lamborghini Urus Review: A True Super SUV Muse say that “driving a Lamborghini is like being on stage” because of the adrenaline, intensity, and focus that the once-in-a-lifetime experience of being at the wheel of a Lamborghini brings its driver. When the band was asked about their favorite models, the Countach and Aventador were at the top of the list, and the Huracan Spyder and Huracan STO were top candidates for a Lamborghini road trip on either the Italian Coast or the American Pacific Coast, and quite frankly, we couldn’t agree more. View All Huracan STOs For Sale Source: Lamborghini

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 16, 2022

Lamborghini Makes A Life-Size Hot Wheels Huracan EVO Spyder

We’ve always wished that Hot Wheels would become life-size cars. They might be small, but Hot Wheels have had a very big impact on a lot of car enthusiasts’ lives. Bringing us zany, wild, and youthful interpretations of both our favorite cars and cars of fiction in the form of die-cast toys, Hot Wheels were the way many young car enthusiasts would let their imaginations run wild, and now that imagination has come to life in the form of a real-life Huracan EVO Spyder with a Hot Wheels-inspired livery. MUST READ: The Best Lamborghinis You Can Buy Today A project from Lamborghini Centro Stile in collaboration with Supertoys for Superkids, an organization that encourages children to enter the automotive industry, and Motor1.com Italy, the livery is a one-off project, featuring a 3-layer Verde Alceo green color combined with the iconic Hot Wheels flame design on the side of the car and other Hot Wheels details throughout. The car is part of the Milano Monza Motor Show that Lamborghini is participating in, and the special car will be displayed at via dei Mercanti for the duration of the show, alongside other incredible displays and activities from June 16-19. View All Lamborghini Huracan EVOs For Sale Source: Lamborghini

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 09, 2022

Italian Stunt And Race Pilot Dario Costa Highlights The N...

Italy’s champion race and stunt pilot talks about the Huracan Tecnica’s exhilarating driving character. Dario Costa is a race and stunt pilot from Italy, known for being able to do things in the air that seem impossible. He talks about how the freedom of flight is something that humans all desire, and the fact that he feels lucky about getting to fly whenever he wants. In continuing with a series of interviews Lamborghini has done centered on the Huracan Tecnica, Costa talks about the freedom of being one with a vehicle and the escapism of flight, and that relates to the Huracan Tecnica as it is built to be fun to drive. MUST READ: Lamborghini Has Produced Its 20,000th Urus Super SUV Since 2018 Like flying, driving the Huracan Tecnica is clearly an extraordinary experience that transcends the boredom, stress, and stagnation that everyday life can put us through. The feeling of transcendence that flight evokes is something that the Huracan Tecnica evokes as well, with the sheer driving pleasure of a mid-mounted V10 engine straight from its track-focused STO sibling, and rear-wheel drive, making it a spirited and consistently impressive car to drive on the track or on the road, the perfect automotive companion for whatever mood or place you may be in. View All Lamborghini Huracans For Sale Source: Lamborghini

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