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.

Lamborghini Chronicles The Evolution Of The Super SUV From LM002 To Urus SE

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 22, 2026

Lamborghini Looks Back At The Evolution Of The Super SUV

While the Lamborghini Urus is one of the most popular, celebrated, desirable, and exotic luxury performance SUVs, Lamborghini is no stranger to the concept. Decades ago, Lamborghini introduced the LM002, when the concept of a Super SUV was much more foreign to the automotive industry. At the time, the LM002, a Countach V12-powered off-road-ready Lamborghini, was quite radical, coming after the 1977 Cheetah prototype and the LM001. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s, when the 301 units of the LM002 were built, it was uniquely capable of speeds above 124 mph, while also conquering dunes and other unique terrain with specially developed Pirelli tires. Its unique legacy remained a legend in Lamborghini’s history for years, but in 2012, the idea was reimagined with a new concept, the Urus. The Lamborghini Urus concept’s acclaim and reception meant that it would become a production model in 2017, introducing a powerful twin-turbo V8 to a new Lamborghini Super SUV, bringing the combination of performance, luxury, and versatile capability that the LM002 pioneered to the modern era. After the inaugural Urus spent years dominating the Super SUV landscape, it was evolved in 2023 with the Urus Performante, which broke a record at Pikes Peak before it was even fully unveiled, and the Urus S. Showcasing a more performance-focused variant of the Urus, the Performante was more distilled than the standard vehicle, while the Urus S updated the celebrated model throughout. However, Lamborghini went even further and introduced the Lamborghini Urus SE after that. Powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain that teamed the twin-turbo V8 with an electric system, the Urus SE is the most powerful variant of the Urus yet. With 800 horsepower and high-tech efficiency, the Lamborghini Urus SE combines the Super SUV concept with Lamborghini’s futuristic new approach to performance. <- Gallery -> Throughout the time that the Urus has been on the market, several special editions have given twists to the design and luxury of the vehicle, and a police version, as well as a racing concept, have reinterpreted the model as well. Beginning in the ‘80s, Lamborghini’s Super SUV concept was well ahead of its time, but if it weren’t for the LM002 and its ambitious premise, the Urus and its variants might not have been as successful as they are today. View All Lamborghini Urus For Sale Image Source: Automobili Lamborghini

Lamborghini Recaps Its Esperienza Terra Sardegna Urus SE Off-Roading Journey

By Tyler Rampersaud – May 26, 2026

Lamborghini Recaps Esperienza Terra Sardegna

With a sandy coastline and a mountainous interior, Sardinia, or Sardegna in Italian, is one of the most dramatically beautiful islands in the Mediterranean, and the second largest after Sicily. There, Lamborghini hosted the Esperienza Terra Sardegna, a two-day journey that took drivers through the island’s most beautiful views and unique terrains, all showcasing the versatility and capability of its hybrid super SUV, the Lamborghini Urus SE. With 800 horsepower coming from a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine and a plug-in hybrid system, the Urus SE is the most powerful variant of the Urus. In addition, the hybrid powertrain makes it one of the most versatile vehicles Lamborghini has created, and that versatility was highlighted throughout the two-day adventure. Part of Lamborghini’s larger umbrella of Esperienza programs, Esperienza Terra Sardegna brings together a luxury experience with Lamborghini vehicles and a unique location to explore, alongside track driving, ice driving, and touring programs that take place across the globe. The Esperienza Terra Sardegna began at Sardinia’s Petra Segreta Resort & Spa, in San Pantaleo. Lush flora and granite stone comprise the landscape there, making it a beautiful setting to start the journey. Asphalt roads and off-road terrain alike were part of the route, which allowed the Urus SE to show off its electric and combustion power, and its dedicated driving modes that make each surface and setting a luxurious, confident, and engaging driving experience. <- Gallery -> Surrounded by five-star accommodation, curated culinary experiences and activities, and the beauty of Sardinia, the Lamborghini Esperienza Terra Sardegna showed off the impressive capability of the Lamborghini Urus SE, and the wonder of one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful islands. View All Lamborghini Urus SE For Sale Image Source: Automobili Lamborghini

Lamborghini Unveils New Limited-Production Urus SE “Tettonero” Capsule

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 23, 2026

New Rare Lamborghini Urus SE “Tettonero” Capsule Revealed

The Lamborghini Urus SE is one of the most exciting luxury performance SUVs in the industry. It’s the most powerful variant of the Lamborghini Urus with nearly 800 horsepower, and it achieves this figure by combining a powerful 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with a plug-in hybrid system. With cutting-edge performance engineering and technology, the Urus SE is a reimagination of the performance SUV segment, and it is now serving as the basis for a new, highly exclusive Lamborghini creation unveiled at the ongoing Milan Design Week. That is the new Lamborghini Urus SE “Tettonero” Capsule, a variant of the hybrid Super SUV, which will only see 630 examples made. Showcased at Milan Design Week in two versions, one in Viola Pasifae and one in Verde Mercurius. The “Tettonero” Capsule version of the Urus SE offers exclusive liveries created with Ad Personam and Lamborghini Centro Stile, as well as exclusive interior content, and a unique range of color combinations that make the special edition the most customizable Lamborghini Urus yet. There are six body paint colors available: Arancio Xanto, Bianco Asopo, Grigio Telesto, and Viola Pasifae, as well as Giallo Tenerife and Verde Mercurius, which are available for the first time on the Urus, and each can be paired with Nero Shiny on the roof, struts, rear spoiler, and in other places. The livery colors available are Arancio Borealis, Bianco Monocerus, Giallo Auge, Grigio Nimbus, Rosso Mars, and Verde Mantis. In total, there are a total of over 70 possible configurations. <- Gallery -> There are also six color options for brake calipers, wheels in 21, 22, or 23-inch sizes, and an available “63” logo for the lower section of the front doors. Several carbon fiber options are also available, with some options celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Ad Personam Studio and the 20th anniversary of the enhanced personalization program from Lamborghini. Nero Ade serves as the primary interior color, and accent colors Viola Acutus, Bianco Leda, Giallo Quercus, Arancio Dryope, Verde Viper, and Grigio Octans can be chosen to match the liveries, in addition to 12 available embroidery colors. Showcased at a hub for design excellence during Milan Design Week, the new Lamborghini Urus SE “Tettonero” Capsule is a new limited-production variant of a Super SUV icon. View All Lamborghini Urus SE For Sale Image Source: Automobili Lamborghini

Urban Automotive Transforms The Lamborghini Urus SE With A New Widetrack Kit

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 27, 2026

New Urban Widetrack Lamborghini Urus SE Debuts

Lamborghini’s new Urus SE is one of the most captivating models to emerge from the manufacturer. With over 800 horsepower thanks to a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and plug-in hybrid power, the Urus SE is the most powerful variant of the Urus yet, and a showcase of the wave of electrified innovation that is coming to the entire Lamborghini lineup. Specialists in customizing the world’s most desirable and celebrated luxury vehicles, Urban Automotive has taken the opportunity to transform the Urus SE with its signature design approaches. Creating a new Urban Widetrack customization for the Urus SE, the Urban Automotive take on the hybrid performance machine features carbon fiber styling, a wide body, and more. The kit enjoyed a debut on both sides of the Atlantic, with one debut taking place at Urban’s home in Milton Keynes, UK, and in Las Vegas. Home of the SEMA show that is a capital for automotive customization, Las Vegas was a strategic place to debut the kit in the United States, showcasing a carefully designed kit that was the result of over 10,000 hours of design work, paying homage to past Lamborghini icons. At the front, a three-piece splitter is crafted in carbon fiber, and a redesigned hood featured design cues inspired by the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. In addition, the wheel arches, also crafted of carbon, widen the body by 40 millimeters, giving the vehicle a more aggressive stance, while a new bumper, diffuser, and spoiler add signature Urban Automotive style. Riding on custom Urban-Vossen UV-1R wheels, the kit is a unique twist on the already striking design of the Urus SE. With innovative hybrid brawn and a unique carbon fiber design from Urban, customers can now make their Lamborghini Urus SE stand out even further with the new Widetrack kit. View All Lamborghini Urus SE <- Gallery -> Image Source: Urban Automotive

By Charles Bradley – March 25, 2026

Could Lamborghini Replace Lanzador EV With an All-New Grand Tourer?

Lamborghini is preparing to add a fourth model to its lineup before the end of the decade, its CEO Stephan Winkelmann has confirmed, potentially pivoting from its all-electric Lanzador concept to a brand new plug-in hybrid grand tourer that would hark right back to its 1960s car-producing origins. Initially revealed at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in 2023, the high-riding Lanzador concept car (pictured above) was proposed as Lamborghini’s inaugural fully-electric model, planned to go on sale in 2029. Since then, Lamborghini has postponed its move into the all-electric arena until after 2030, but continues to press ahead with plans to release a new production model in the near future. In an interview during the 12 Hours of Sebring, Winkelmann confirmed that its next move would neither be a smaller SUV than its Urus, nor a four-door sedan, but instead a shape that harks back to its origins: the 350 GT (pictured above), Lamborghini’s first production model, introduced in 1964. This would neatly fill the gap in its product range between its V12 flagship Revuelto, the new Temerario, and the Urus SUV. Lamborghini last aired a front-engined gran turismo concept in 2008 – the four-door, V10-powered Estoque (pictured below) – which was a super sports car aimed at daily use, but it never reached production. “When we looked into the idea of the fourth model, we checked all the segments where we are not in, and also the subsegments, and we ruled out having a small SUV, and we also ruled out to have a four-door sedan, because the segment is shrinking,” said Winkelmann. “For us, what was missing, or what is still missing, and what was at the beginning, the starting point of our company, is a gran turismo – so a GT car. The idea is a two-door, 2+2 gran turismo.” Winkelmann also reaffirmed Lamborghini’s commitment to plug-in hybrid powertrains, pointing to its recent announcement of all-time highs in sales and revenue last year. “When we started our strategy in 2021, we said we wanted a fully hybridized lineup by keeping simple promises: new design, and better performance by reducing the CO₂ emissions,” he said. “We are using a lot of the energy from the battery to give extra boost in terms of acceleration. “We don’t speak about plug-in hybrids, we speak about high-performance electrified vehicles, and that is paying into the idea of what Lamborghini is all about. First with Revuelto, now with Urus SE and Temerario, sales have continued to increase, so I think it has worked.” Regarding all-electric Lamborghinis of the future, he clarified: “We are continuing to work on the full electric idea, we want to be ready when we think the market and our customers are ready,” he added. “This will not be before 2030 for sure.” Lamborghini is planning four events this year – one in Italy, one in the UK, and two in the United States – at which it will reveal four different cars, which are all expected to be derivatives of its current models. It debuted the GT3 racing version of its Temerario at Sebring in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship’s GTD division (pictured below). The strategy underscores Lamborghini’s measured approach to electrification – prioritizing performance-driven hybrids while monitoring market readiness for EV adoption, while also opening the door to a modern interpretation of its first production car, the 350 GT, reimagined for a new era. View All Lamborghinis For Sale Images: Lamborghini

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