Lotus 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

Lotus-Technology-Reports-First-Quarter-2025-Financial-Results

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 29, 2025

Lotus Reports Its H1 2025 Financial Results

Lotus battles a challenging global economy in the first half of 2025. Known for decades for its racing-derived, agile sports cars, and then for its high-tech, futuristic electric performance luxury vehicles, Lotus has rapidly changed before the eyes of automotive enthusiasts over the past few years. Financially, Lotus has been challenged with spending that time adjusting to the transition, and in the first half of 2025, tumultuous economic conditions added to the task. For the first half of the year, Lotus’ delivery of 2,813 vehicles represented a decrease of 43 percent compared to last year’s first half number of 4,904, with the company citing tariffs, destocking, and the start of upgraded model deliveries for the number. Deliveries for Lotus in the first half of 2025 were primarily led by the China market, where the Eletre is proving to be a popular luxury electric performance SUV. In the second quarter, tariffs disrupted North American deliveries temporarily. Despite a decrease in deliveries and revenue, new sources of funding have meant that Lotus has managed to narrow its operating, net, and adjusted net loss in the first half of 2025. As the year continues, new upgraded models and continued investment in the manufacturer will hopefully result in growth, success, and greater financial strength as Lotus builds the next chapter of its performance car legacy. View All Lotus For Sale Image Source: Lotus

Four modern silver sports cars are parked side by side on a flat surface with mountains and a clear sky in the background.

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 27, 2025

Lotus Reports Improving Financials In Q1 2025

The first quarter of 2025 spells continued growth for Lotus. This decade has been an interesting one for car enthusiasts thus far, but especially for fans of the racing-bred manufacturer of cult-favorite sports cars: Lotus. With a rich racing legacy, Lotus sports cars were known for years for boasting enviable fun-to-drive character, lightweight construction, and track-ready agility. However, the 2020s saw the introduction of the Evija, a new all-electric hypercar with unfathomable power that ushered in a new era for Lotus as an electric luxury performance car manufacturer. Meanwhile, the Lotus Emira promises to be the ultimate combustion-powered Lotus sports car, utilizing the time-honored Lotus formula of agile performance and adding cutting-edge tech, luxurious craftsmanship, and stunning design to the mix. More electric models have been added to the Lotus lineup, like the Eletre performance SUV, and the Emeya performance four-door grand tourer. Since then, Lotus has experienced growth as a brand, and Lotus has reported its unaudited results for the first quarter of 2025 as it hopes to continue said growth. In the quarter, Lotus delivered 1,274 vehicles, and while that represents a significantly decreased number from last year due to a transition period, the financial impact is what demonstrates a positive trend for Lotus, where the operating loss was decreased by a significant 56 percent, and the net loss was decreased by 29 percent. With steadily improving results on its business side, the new chapter for Lotus continues to shape itself up for success. View All Lotus For Sale

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 21, 2024

Lotus Reports 136% Delivery Increase In First Nine Months...

Lotus celebrates its expanding growth. Lotus is continuing along its path of transformation as it becomes a manufacturer that exclusively sells electric luxury performance cars. With an electric SUV, an electric four-door grand tourer, and a revolutionary all-electric hypercar, Lotus’s renaissance has made it a radically different manufacturer than in past decades. With the financial results in for the third quarter of the year and the first nine months, that renaissance is proving incredibly successful for Lotus, with 2024’s numbers so far showing dramatic increases over previous periods. With the new Lotus Theory 1 Concept showing off bold innovations and previewing the design of future models, Lotus is on a path toward demonstrating the future of automotive excellence. Delivering 7,617 vehicles in the first nine months of 2024, Lotus increased deliveries by 136 percent year-over-year. In Europe specifically, that increase was by 372 percent, and globally, both Lotus’ grand touring and SUV and the brand’s sports car offerings have increased in deliveries. With a revitalized brand and a futuristic lineup, Lotus continues to experience incredible growth. View All Lotus For Sale

A yellow sports car zips along a mountain highway, with snow-capped peaks framed against a clear sky—a scene that feels as exhilarating as an auto draft on an open road.

By Tyler Rampersaud – October 18, 2024

Lotus Celebrates 134% Delivery Increase In First 9 Months...

Lotus celebrates strong results for the first three quarters of the year. Time flies, and the year of 2024 is almost over. With the first nine months of results in the books for Lotus, the brand continues to see the fruitful results of its bold, radical renaissance, involving new technology, electrification, and the burgeoning expansion of its lineup to include an SUV and a four-door GT. In the first three quarters of 2024, Lotus delivered 7,534 cars globally, representing an increase of 134 percent compared to the same period of last year. Across the globe, Lotus reports that each of its regions contributed near equally to the favorable result. In addition to its futuristic lineup, Lotus has also recently introduced the Eletre Carbon, a new flagship luxury performance electric SUV tailored for the North American market, with a starting price of $229,900. Looking further towards the future, Lotus revealed a new concept car, the Theory 1, which shows off bold innovative approaches that Lotus intends to use in the future, including a new design language, as well as sustainable materials and performance-oriented engineering derived from the race track. With the first nine months in the books, Lotus is showing strong sales performance in 2024. View All Lotus For Sale

Lotus Technology Reports Unaudited First Quarter 2024 Financial Results

By Tyler Rampersaud – May 29, 2024

Lotus Increases Revenue by 811% In Q1 2024

The numbers are in, and Lotus is on an incredible path of growth. The transformation of Lotus as a manufacturer is in full swing, with the introduction of the all-electric Evija hypercar spurring a renaissance in the brand’s history, going from manufacturing cult-classic lightweight, agile sports cars to sitting at the cutting edge of performance luxury EV technology. Since then, its all-electric Eletre SUV and Emeya grand tourer have continued on their path of electrification, and the Emira, its final combustion engine vehicle, is a testament to Lotus’s pedigree and greatness. Financially, the positive results of Lotus’s transformation are being proven in a big way, especially with the unaudited results for the first quarter of 2024. With its total revenue coming to $173 million for the quarter, the revenue represents a massive 811 percent increase year-over-year, and that’s just the beginning of Lotus’s amazing growth during the first quarter of this year. The first quarter saw the official launch of the new Lotus Chapman Bespoke service, allowing clients to customize their cars to make unique and personal statements and 2,194 vehicles were delivered in the quarter. Deliveries for the Emeya have begun in China, where deliveries saw year-over-year growth of over 100 percent. In the UK and US, deliveries of the Emira have also begun. As the year continues, Lotus’s new identity in the automotive world will continue to blossom, and what comes of it in the future will surely be exciting. View All Vehicles For Sale From Lotus

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 10, 2023

Lotus Breaks Records in H1 2023: A Surge in Sales and Exp...

Orders and production for Lotus have reached unprecedented highs.

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