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

By Andrew Nabors – March 29, 2021

Jenson Button Joins Team Lotus in Extreme E Championship

High Voltage Heads Offroad! Just a few years ago the notion of racing electric cars seemed like a fool's errand. Now that we are on the verge of the Evija hypercar, Jenson Button has joined Team Lotus in the Extreme E Championship. The 2009 F1 World Champion leads JBXE Racing; which is also comprised of Scandanavian Touring Car winner Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. Their first test will be racing for the Desert X Prize this weekend in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and Mr. Button said: "Lotus is a great British brand that is inextricably linked to motorsport, so we are delighted to welcome Lotus Engineering to JBXE. Extreme E is a unique and exciting formula, full of "world firsts" and challenges, and to announce that a brand such as Lotus Engineering is coming on this journey with us is a proud moment for myself and the team. We are very excited about our new technical partnership and can’t wait to show what we can do in the first race this weekend.” This exciting news follows the sad cancellation of the Elise and Exige, so click the button to get yours before they are all gone. Shop Lotus Images (C) Lotus Video (C) Sky News

By Andrew Nabors – October 07, 2020

Lotus Evija: Design vs. Aerodynamics For The Driver

When designers meet engineers, the battle over a supercar can be more bloody than Braveheart. All great cars are a compromise between incredible looks and brutal performance. It comes down to bold managers to fight the bean counters so that we don't have to drive boring cars. In the old days it was settled with fists. Louis Chevrolet jumped across the boardroom table and beat Albert Champion nearly to death. Henry Ford bought Lincoln from Henry Leland, and then literally had him and his desk tossed into the street. Thankfully, Colin Chapman never allowed problems to evolve that far. His brand carries on with the same tenacity as they finalize their first electric hypercar. So let's look at the Lotus Evija design vs aerodynamics and how they benefit the driver. Lotus Evija Test Laps Reveal Shocking Results Trade secrets are heavily guarded, especially when it comes to aerodynamics. As this clip mentions, aerodynamic drag uses 90% of the battery's power at high speeds. Therefore, the Evija has multiple moving surfaces above and below. But one word changed my perceptions of what they have accomplished. Instead of a buttress on the Ford GT or the air ducts of the Aventador SVJ, Lotus mentions their quarter-panels are Venturi ducts. Browse Lotus For Sale Perhaps a slip of the tongue, this one word could possibly change the hypercar industry. A Venturi is a constriction that speeds up airflow to accomplish work. It is how the SR-71 Blackbird has been the fastest plane for six decades. It is ironic that such an old principle could be put to work on such an advanced car, so this is probably the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what the Lotus Evija will have onboard. https://www.facebook.com/LotusCars/videos/620814165254486

By Andrew Nabors – September 22, 2020

Lotus Evija Test Laps Reveal Shocking Results

Hethel is home to Lotus headquarters and their test track. Before a new model is approved for production, it endures endless laps at this closed course. No simulator can predict how a hypercar will react to off-camber corners and a slalom designed to max-out the sway bars. Therefore Gavan Kershaw got behind the wheel. " width="680"> Browse Lotus For Sale As the Director of Vehicle Attributes, he mounted a few cameras to allow us to ride along. His goal was to make a film for the Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance as Lotus will be flying the Union Jack in the face of foreign competitors. As for the Evija itself, these test laps have helped to finalize the driving modes. What sets it apart from any other is a unique "Range" mode. This limits the car to only 1,000 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Using the front motors for brake regeneration only, acceleration is purely rear-wheel drive. Track mode offers 2,000 horsepower and 1,254 lb-ft of torque, so we can barely wait to get behind the wheel.

By Edward Jones – June 15, 2020

Learn Everything About the Lotus Evija From its Designer

The Petersen Automotive Museum recently uploaded a video that gives us a deep dive into the Lotus Evija electric hypercar. This new English hypercar is set to not only change the Lotus brand forever, but also become the most powerful production car on the planet. In the video, found below, we learn everything about this groundbreaking car from its very own designer, Russell Carr. Because this new model is limited to just 130 examples, it's nice to be able to have videos like this to see the Evija up close because it's going to be hard to see it in person. Check it out for yourself by clicking play on the video right down below. See All Lotus for Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – April 10, 2020

Caterham Unveils 2021 Super Seven 1600

There is no doubt that Colin Chapman was an automotive genius. As the founder and chief engineer of Lotus, he also designed the suspensions for the DeLorean DMC-12 and the C4 Corvette. Although Lotus has moved on to building the Evija electric hypercar, one brand still builds the best Lotus of all time. That is why we are happy to announce that Caterham has unveiled the 2021 Super Seven 1600. Instead of modern styling, this car looks like it rolled out of the Lotus shops in 1972. Two polished K&N air cleaners offer a classic carbureted soundtrack and the dash is adorned with Smiths gauges. Buyers have a multitude of color and leather options, and 135 horsepower at their command. Given the car's incredibly light weight, it rockets to 60 mph in 5 seconds with a top speed of 122 mph. Tiny British roadsters will never go out of style, so if you haven't experience one you are truly missing out. Click the button below for all the details and stay with us for all your Caterham news. Learn More

By Andrew Nabors – February 20, 2020

Lotus Evija Prototypes Begin Production

Shocking. That is how the automotive world considers an electric hypercar from Lotus. A new factory dedicated to its assembly is nearly finished. Located next to their test track in Hethel, the hallowed grounds have been host to Ayrton Senna, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jim Clark, and other famous racers. That is just one reason why we are excited that the Lotus Evija Prototypes have begun production. Lotus Evija Makes American Debut in Monterey For a quick refresher, the first electric English hypercar will arrive with 2,000 horsepower, reaching 62 mph in under 3 seconds. Their goal is to reach 186 mph in under 9 seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph. An estimated range of 250 miles of normal driving will raise the bar for battery-powered sports cars. Only 130 are planned for production, so click the button below to find our dealer near you. Browse All Lotus For Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – October 31, 2019

Lotus Unveils Carbon Fiber Bicycle

Cycling is a very competitive sport, so next year's Summer Olympics will see fast-paced action on the board track. The Great Britain Cycling Team needed something new to ride, so Lotus has unveiled a new carbon fiber bicycle. Working in cooperation with Hope Technology, this featherweight flyer incorporates the latest in composites with a minimalist design. The aerodynamic forks might be skirting the edge of the Olympic rulebook Nevertheless, Lotus is motivated by the words of their founder Colin Chapman: " Rules are for the obedience of fools and interpretations of smart men!" If you want to see what his company has been up to, click the button to find our Lotus dealer near you, and stay with us for all your Lotus news. Browse All Lotus For Sale " width="680">

By Edward Jones – December 19, 2018

Lotus Celebrates the Holidays With Epic "Driftmas" Video

People across the world celebrate Christmas in different ways. For the iconic Lotus automaker, they celebrate Christmas by ripping around sideways in the Driftmas Evora. This Evora GT410 Sport comes packing a 410 horsepower engine and a Christmas tree. Seriously. Typically, you can just slap a festive tree on top of a car and tie it down. For the Driftmas Evora, Lotus went another route. They decided to use some carbon fiber and welding so the Christmas tree could stand up in the back. It may not be aerodynamic, but it sure is festive. Check it out in the video above and images down below! Also Check Out: Lotus Launches 2019 Exige Sport 410 2018 duPont REGISTRY Holiday Gift Guide Lotus 3-Eleven Ends With Their Quickest Model Yet

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