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 Tyler Rampersaud – January 14, 2026

Range Rover Unveils New London-Inspired Special Editions

Range Rover is one of the most respected names in the automotive industry, having practically invented the genre of the luxury SUV, and manufacturing a suite of models that still represent the quintessential luxury SUV today, combining enviable and sumptuous design and features with practicality, usability, and the makings of a Land Rover off-roading machine. However, beyond being one of the most influential luxury SUV manufacturers, Range Rover is one of the most important British marques in the entire automotive industry, and the capital of its home country, London, serves as inspiration for a new lineup of special edition Range Rovers. With centuries if not millenia of history, some of the richest culture, and one of the largest populations in the world, London is rich with places, stories, and traditions with which to inspire the creation of something like a special edition Range Rover, and Range Rover has just unveiled the beginning of a new collection of London-inspired vehicles: the Range Rover Evoque Hoxton Edition and the Range Rover Velar Belgravia Edition. Range Rover has its own deep connection with the city of London, as 1999’s Range Rover Linley Edition was inspired by the iconic luxury of the Mayfair area of the city, and the 50th Anniversary Edition Range Rover featured Henry Poole & Co. custom fabric, combining Range Rover Heritage with Savile Row craftsmanship. Starting the collection, the Evoque, combining a city-ready footprint with Range Rover capability and luxury, is given a twist that is inspired by the Hoxton neighborhood of London, which is known for a concentration of creativity and innovation. Satin Gold wheels, Platinum Atlas exterior styling, custom door sills and puddle lamps, as well as a leather-upholstered interior with contrast stitching and black brushed aluminum details, combine classic luxury with an energetic spirit. The new Range Rover Velar Belgravia Edition is inspired by the classic Georgian architecture and luxury lifestyle that Belgravia is known for. To achieve that inspiration, details throughout the vehicle, like Satin Black Lacquer accenting the 20-inch Dark Agate wheels, custom door sills, puddle lights, and contrast-stitched leather like the Evoque Hoxton Edition, combine to evoke classic luxury. Adding Satin Protective Film to the Velar for the first time, the Range Rover Velar Belgravia Edition Satin will be made in a limited run of 400 models, each of which will be marked as a 1-of-400 creation. However, those two models are just the beginning of the London-inspired collection. Two more models will be arriving in the spring: the Range Rover Sport Battersea Edition and the Range Rover Westminster Edition. The Range Rover Evoque Hoxton Edition and Range Rover Velar Belgravia Edition are available to order on January 15, showcasing luxury, capability, stunning craftsmanship, and design inspired by one of the world’s greatest cities. View All Range Rover For Sale Image Source: JLR

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 15, 2022

The New Range Rover Velar HST Adds Sporty Tweaks To The S...

The new HST model gives the swanky Range Rover Velar a performance edge. Following the Range Rover Sport and the Range Rover Evoque, the Range Rover Velar will introduce a new HST model for the 2023 model year. It adds a whole host of new cosmetic features, performance tweaks, and the luxury driving experience that we have come to know and love the entire Range Rover line for. MUST READ: 1990s Land Rover Defender 90 Price, Specs, Photos & Review The exterior features a sleek Black contrast roof and Black Pack exterior package. The Range Rover Velar HST is available in all of the Velar’s colors and comes with a new exclusive color, Arroios Grey. The look is completed with privacy glass and 21-inch Gloss Black wheels. Air suspension with Active Dynamics helps optimize both comfort and control, and the Range Rover Velar HST’s 395-horsepower six-cylinder engine uses Mild Hybrid technology to increase both performance and efficiency. With power and dynamics added to the style and luxury of the Velar, the new Range Rover Velar HST is sure to be a hit. The model is available to order and configure on the Land Rover website now. View All Range Rover Velar For Sale Source: Land Rover

By Edward Jones – February 05, 2019

Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition: Fastes...

Introducing the new Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition, a new model that will be purchasable for one year only. Talk about exclusivity. So, what exactly is this new, special model? It all starts with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. That's enough power for a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.3 seconds. What's more, it hits that kind of acceleration with the ability to still go off-road. Range Rover notes that this is the fastest and quickest Velar ever. Range Rover also added in a few new visual enhancements for the Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition. The new pieces include the front bumper, grille, lower side mouldings, rear bumper and more. " width="680"> Inside is a cabin filled with luxury. Range Rover has curated a number of trim finish and upholstery combinations specifically for the Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition. There's even the double-stitched, perforated and quilted Windsor leather that's unique for this model. Other special touches to the interior include a unique sports steering wheel, optional carbon fiber pack, 20-way adjustable heated/cooled performance front seats, knurled finish for the center console features and a 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display. The new Land Rover Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition is available now in six exterior colors: Firenze Red, Santorini Black, Eiger Grey, Fuji White, Indus Silver and, by special order, Satin Byron Blue. A price has not been given just yet. View all range rovers for sale

By Edward Jones – March 28, 2018

Range Rover Velar is the World's Most Beautiful Car

During the 2018 World Car Awards, Land Rover's Range Rover Velar took home a very coveted award: the World Car Design of the Year. This award makes the Velar the world's most beautiful car, according to the event and judges. The Velar had to beat out the Lexus LC 500 and Volvo XC60; all three were chosen as finalists by 82 jurors.New 2018 Range Rover Velar Prices and Specs Revealed“The Velar delivers a new level of svelte sophistication for Range Rover: both outside and inside, the car eschews chunky forms and details whilst cleverly maintaining true Range Rover DNA. It also leads with its harmoniously integrated human‐machine‐interface design, and with colour and material design featuring (amongst other innovations) a vegan option,” said design expert Sam Livingstone (U.K. ‐ Car Design Research and Royal College of Art).Other awards from the event include: 2018 World Car of the Year - Volvo XC602018 World Luxury Car - Audi A8 2018 World Performance Car - BMW M5 2018 World Green Car - Nissan LEAF2018 World Urban Car - Volkswagen Polo

By Andrew Nabors – December 25, 2017

2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE

Have you noticed all the new Jaguar and Land Rover models at your local dealership? Probably not, because they are selling as fast as they arrive. The reasons behind the successes are quality and diversity of their lineup. Jaguar's F-Pace has been their hottest product in recent history. In order to use its solid chassis as the foundation for a new Land Rover, Design Director Gerry McGovern penned the new 2018 Range Rover Velar.In order to broaden the appeal of the Range Rover brand, the Velar was launched on the same assembly line as the F-Pace. we've covered it in detail, and the only difference in dimensions is on the front and rear bumpers. They are the only reason the Velar is 2.8" longer than the F-Pace. The interior is a preview of the upcoming I-Pace, featuring 3 large touchscreens. Contrary to what you might believe, Florida can be dismal in Winter, so we chose to use stock photos of Ellie Goulding instead of soggy auto journalists.New 2018 Range Rover Velar Prices and Specs RevealedFor those that ask "What's in a name?", branding the Velar as a RR instead of Land Rover allows the Discovery to carry the torch as a proper entry-level model. Under the hood is the same amazing supercharged 3.0 liter V6 found across the Jaguar/Land Rover portfolio. You won't even notice it thanks to silent exhaust and liquid-filled motor mounts. It makes 380 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque in almost every situation. It is backed by ZF's latest 8-speed automatic transmission. The gearbox is made in the US and shipped to the assembly plant in Solihull.The Velar represents a new design language for the Range Rover brand. We've heard through the grapevine that the next generation of Range Sport will bear a shocking resemblance. Eventually, even the full-size range will follow suit. Everything you could ask for is included with the HSE package. Climate control has no less than 4-zones, and the brilliant Meridian audio is rated at 825 watts. All the latest safety gear even includes traffic sign recognition. It reads the speed limits to remind you just how illegal your right foot can be. As you might imagine, a V6 in a 4WD SUV isn't a recipe for economy, but 24 mpg is not shabby considering the other players in this segment.Fit & finish are among the best in the industry. And the price you pay for all this starts at only $77,100. Not a bad deal for a quiet & composed crossover. We hope an electric version is in the works because the I-Pace is poised to corner the market. As always, stay with us for more Land Rover news & Reviews.View Range Rover Velar For Sale

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