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

Land Rover News

Land Rover news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated as each story breaks, covering the Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport, the Defender and the special editions built in limited numbers. Our reporting takes in reveals, first drives, off-road engineering and the values these vehicles hold over time. Land Rover sits at the centre of luxury SUV news, and the segment keeps expanding each year. Our marketplace supplies the element most publications leave out entirely. Many of these vehicles are listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, which places the reporting and a genuine asking price side by side. For Land Rover news today, begin with the stories below.

By Andrew Nabors – June 10, 2020

Wild 1993 Land Rover Defender For Sale

Starting a complete restoration is nerve-wracking. The issues of where to find NOS parts and the itch to resto-mod can and will complicate your build. That is why Osprey Custom Cars specialize in late-model Defenders. Taking them down to every nut and bolt allows each build to be better than new. Such is the case with this wild custom Land Rover Defender for sale. Once the body was off, the frame was not worthy of modern performance. Therefore they started with a new frame made with the latest in high-strength steel. Galvanized just like the original, it is gusseted and welded where rivets would normally be found. Terrar Firma suspension includes double-cardan driveshafts, poly bushings, twin-tube shocks, and an adjustable Panhard bar. While the interior was completely stripped, everything was updated to the newer Puma style for ultimate comfort. The hood and all 5 doors are new, as are the bumpers and all body hardware. Seven leather seats are entertained by speakers hidden throughout. The latest in sound and heat insulation allow the new A/C to keep everyone cool while staying connected. USB charge ports are located throughout because we know how stressful a dead battery can be on family road trips. Apple Car Play and Android Audio are fed to a 10-speaker JL Audio system. Chevrolet Performance supplied a new LS3 crate engine (conservatively) rated at 525 horsepower. Backed by a 4WD version of the 6L80E automatic, power is sent to new TDCI axles. Kahn 18" wheels are wrapped in BFG KO AT rubber and stopped by the largest brakes available. Click the link below to see all the details and stay with us for all your Osprey Custom Car updates. Learn More

By Andrew Nabors – May 06, 2020

Osprey Custom Cars Will Build the Defender of Your Dreams

With unmatched attention to detail, our friends at Osprey Custom Cars will build the Defender of your dreams. This family-run business in Wilmington, NC has been creating the most potent overland vehicles on the market for nearly a decade. Starting with the most obvious issues, they have developed an all-new frame. Made of stronger steel and galvanized in a full hot-dip, they are available for the 90, 110, and 130 Series. Now with a potent foundation, their latest build has just been completed. It was a commission by a customer who wanted no expenses spared, so here are just a few of the details: Drivetrain / Chassis 6.2L LS3 V8 w/ approximately 480HP / 485lb-ft torque 6L80E 6-speed automatic transmission HD LT230 transfer case PUMA front & rear axles Custom front & rear drive shafts Griffin MegaCool aluminum radiator w/ dual electric cooling fans Custom stainless-steel exhaust system 265/70R18 BF Goodrich Baja Champion All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires x 5 HD springs w/ Terra Firma shock absorbers 4-wheel power disc brakes Polyurethane suspension bushings Saudi-style grill for increased airflow & engine cooling HD Terra Firma steering damper Front & rear anti-sway bars Exterior Finished in Land Rover Stornoway Gray metallic Optimill billet aluminum exterior door handles – anodized black LED headlamps, tail lamps, marker lamps, turn signal lamps LED Halo Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) w/ integrated fog lamp beam in front bumper Interior Camaro-style transmission shift lever W/ LED gear-position indicator Billet aluminum interior door handles & pulls Autobiography-spec, diamond-stitched Charcoal leather seats, heated front & second row Piano-black finish center dash binnacle trim Custom full-length, leather-wrapped, dual cubby-box center console w/ 4 cup holders Dual USB charging points in front of center console Full carpet w/ HD rubber floor mats PUMA-spec dash w/ upgraded HVAC Wireless charging pads in rear of center console HD Terra Firma steering damper Front & rear anti-sway bars Add-on Accessories Extensive sound-deadening & heat shielding throughout Remote-locking security system w/ 2-way remote & remote start (w/ key fob LCD display) Auxiliary LED off-road lamps mounted to A-bar PUMA-spec gauge cluster Heated front & rear windscreens Power-operated front windows 7” touch screen Alpine AM/FM/CD/MP3/Bluetooth head unit w/ Apple Car Play and Android Auto and backup camera JL Audio tweeters, 4”, 5.25”, separate subwoofer speaker array 18” Kahn “1983” alloy wheels x 5 – powder-coated satin black 265/70R18 BF Goodrich Baja Champion All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires x 5 Front Runner Slim Line II roof rack w/ rear access ladder NAS-spec HD rear step bumper w/ integrated hitch receiver & Hi-Lift jacking points NAS-spec front bumper w/ integrated Masai A-bar "Fire & Ice" side steps – large-diameter steel tube w/ alloy & rubber steps – powder-coated satin black 5-bar wing top protectors & full-length rocker panel guards – powder-coated gloss black HD aluminum sump guard (skid plate) All this can be yours for only $189,000. So click the button below to learn more and stay with us for the latest Osprey Builds. Learn More

By Andrew Nabors – August 07, 2019

2020 Overfinch SuperSport Limited to 25 Examples

Many luxury automobiles are built for a global market. For that reason, styling and performance are aimed at the status quo. Land Rover introduced the Range Rover Sport model for those who needed something invigorating and unique, but it has far exceeded their expectations. Introducing the 2020 Overfinch SuperSport, a luxury SUV that will be limited to 25 examples. This is the 2nd generation of the SuperSport, and it is the ultimate example of an English SUV. Overfinch says all 25 will have their gorgeous carbon fiber hood, but no two examples will be the same. Based on the Range Rover Sport SVR, their first improvement are forged 22" wheels and 8-piston Brembo brakes. A full titanium exhaust and carbon fiber intake allow the supercharger to make more power and provide an impressive soundtrack. If you deserve a SuperSport, click the link below to contact Overfinch North America, and tell them where you saw this. Stay with us for all your Overfinch news. Browse Overfinch North America Inventory " width="680"> Related: Overfinch's New Refined Range Rover Sport 2018 Overfinch Unveiled at Polo Match

By Andrew Nabors – July 31, 2019

Overfinch Unveils Enhanced Land Rover Discovery

It is hard to believe the Discovery is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. Introduced as a smaller alternative to the Range Rover, the "Disco" has a hardcore fanbase around the world. The 3rd generation arrived in the US two years ago, but Land Rover has yet to offer a proper level of customization to their clientele. Thankfully, our friends at Overfinch have unveiled an enhanced Land Rover Discovery. They began in 1975 by reverse-engineering the Land Rover. Building a more robust 4WD involved big brakes, air suspension, new wheels, aggressive tires, and a new Corvette engine. Needless to say, their products really caught on, and it led them to open two U.S. locations. As their latest creation, the Discovery has been treated to carbon fiber in many areas. Their trademark Herringbone pattern can be found on the grille and spoilers, along with interior touches. One of our major gripes was that North American license plates are off-center from the factory, and Overfinch has rectified that with a new tailgate. Choose between several styles of their 22" wheels, and then comes the hardest decision. The hood and tailgate letters are available in Gold, Rose Gold, Bright Chrome, Bright Chrome/Black, Black Chrome, Bright Chrome, or paint to your sample. Don't forget about the accessories, as Overfinch has everything that Land Rover overlooked. Your baby deserves a leather seat to ride in, and a carbon fiber umbrella makes a statement while saving weight. A cashmere scarf is available in three colors to match your wardrobe, and these are only the tip of the iceberg. Tell us what you think of the ultimate Discovery, and click the link below to browse Overfinch's other creations. Browse Overfinch Inventory " width="680">

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