Maserati 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 Khris Bharath – May 29, 2026

Maserati Debuts Historic Livery at GT2 European Season Opener in Monza

The 2026 GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli opens this weekend (May 30-31) at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, a.k.a. ‘The Temple of Speed,’ and the timing could not be more deliberate. Just days after Maserati marked a significant presence at the annual Motor Valley Fest in Modena, where the brand unveiled the MCPURA in a striking Ai Aqua Rainbow Fuoriserie finish and hosted senior executives and historians for its "Trident Talks" series, the focus shifts to the track for the season opener. Three teams: LP Racing, DINAMIC Motorsport, and the new i4Race outfit will field five Maserati GT2s across the Pro-Am, Silver, and Master classes. Defending two-time Am-class champion Philippe Prette returns in the number 1 car, now competing in the new Master class. <- Gallery -> The real story, though, is on the bodywork, as Maserati debuts exclusive livery, created through its Fuoriserie personalization program, drawing directly from the 250F, the red overyellow single-seater that dominated Formula 1 in the 1950s. Juan Manuel Fangio drove it to world championships in 1954 and 1957, with victories in Argentina, Belgium, Monaco, and France. Stirling Moss won at Monaco and Italy in 1956. Maria Teresa de Filippis, the first woman to qualify for a Formula 1 Grand Prix, also raced the 250F in 1958. The single seater is one of motorsport's most evocative objects, and Maserati is leaning into that heritage. The liveries will be available on both a one-off Maserati GT2 race car and the street-legal GT2 Stradale. The anniversary extends beyond the logo. In 1926, the Maserati Tipo 26 wore the Trident for the first time and won its class at the Targa Florio with Alfieri Maserati behind the wheel. That double centennial, 100 years of the Trident logo and 100 years of competition, gives the 2026 season a weight that most racing calendars simply do not carry. After Monza, the series heads to Spa-Francorchamps, Misano, Zandvoort, and Portimao. View All Maseratis For Sale Images: Maserati

Maserati Is The Official Car Supplier Of The 2026 GT World Challenge Powered By AWS

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 10, 2026

Maserati Is Official 2026 GT World Challenge Car Supplier

2026 is a significant milestone year for Maserati. Specifically, 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Maserati’s Trident emblem, as well as the 100th anniversary of the Italian luxury car manufacturer’s presence in the world of motorsport. The anniversary comes as Maserati has revived its presence in motorsport with its new GT2 racing supercar, which succeeds the MC12 as Maserati’s racing hero, and alongside it, Maserati is the official car supplier of the 2026 GT World Challenge powered by AWS. The 2026 season is Maserati’s second as the official car supplier of the series, and it’s a continuation of Maserati’s collaboration with SRO Motorsports Group after a successful debut with Maserati Safety cars and Leading cars for the series. The Maserati GT2 Stradale, the road-going version of the GT2 race car, is the official Safety Car of the GT World Challenge for 2026, and the Leading Car for this season is the new Maserati MCPURA, the successor to the Maserati MC20. Both support cars will feature special liveries that incorporate Maserati’s iconic blue and white colors, with inverse interpretations of the colors on each car. The liveries are also reminiscent of the cars used for Master Maserati, Maserati’s official customer driving experience program. As the GT World Challenge powered by AWS is about to begin for 2026 this weekend at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, and until its October conclusion in Portugal, Maserati is going to be at the center of the racing efforts with two of its premier supercars. View All Maserati For Sale <- Gallery -> Image Source: Maserati

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 23, 2026

Maserati GT2 Makes Its Endurance Debut

The past few years have been transformative for Maserati, with a new supercar redefining the historic manufacturer’s performance legacy, and a suite of high-tech, yet timelessly beautiful Italian luxury performance cars following suit. However, some of the most exciting new creations to come out of this new Maserati era are the racing-focused cars. These include the Maserati GT2 Stradale, the track-only and ultra-exclusive MCXtrema, and the Maserati GT2, a race car that has just made its endurance racing debut. The Maserati GT2 saw through the 12 Hours of Mugello as its maiden voyage in endurance racing. The daunting challenge sees cars take on the iconic track for 12 hours of racing as part of the 24H Series, and the team driving the Maserati GT2, Dinamic Motorsport, had drivers Roberto Pampanini, Mauro Calamia, and Amedeo Pampanini take up the task. The race falls on the centenary year of Maserati’s involvement in motorsport, which is also the centenary of its legendary Trident emblem, making it a momentous occasion for the brand. Competing in the GTX class of the race, Dinamic Motorsport’s Maserati GT2 placed second in the class, marking a significant milestone in its mission to carry on the legacy that was previously championed by Maserati’s last racing supercar, the legendary Maserati MC12. With its debut endurance race now complete, the Maserati GT2 is continuing to forge a new chapter in Maserati’s celebrated motorsport legacy. View All Maserati For Sale <- Gallery -> Image Source: Maserati

Goodwood Revival Celebrates 100 Years of Maserati Racing

By Tyler Rampersaud – February 18, 2026

Goodwood Revival Celebrates Maserati Racing Centenary

2026 is an important year for Maserati. One of the most historic and influential names in the Italian automotive industry, this year marks the 100th anniversary of Maserati’s Trident emblem, the visual centerpiece of its rich and storied legacy, as well as the 100th anniversary of its involvement in motorsport and a groundbreaking inaugural class victory at the Targa Florio race, and this year’s Goodwood Revival, which will take place from September 18-20, will feature a dedicated celebration of Maserati’s motorsport centenary. A period-themed historic racing event, Goodwood Revival gathers some of the most iconic and legendary historic race cars at the gorgeous and equally historic venue, and this year’s event will feature a unique celebration of Maserati’s century of motorsport. The cars on the track, as well as mid-century fashion worn by event attendees, will all embrace the theme of “La Dolce Vita,” evoking Sicily during the golden era of the Targa Florio competition. Throughout the Goodwood Revival weekend, more than 50 pre-1966 Maserati race cars will take to the track, including the largest gathering of Maserati 250F examples, and cars like the 150S, 200Si, 300S, 350S, 450S, 4CL, 4CM, 8C, 8CM, A6GCS, Tipo 151, Tipo 63, V4, V8RI, and many others. Among other celebrations of historic motorsport throughout the automotive industry, this year’s Goodwood Revival will serve as an ode to a glorious hundred years of Maserati’s involvement in the racing world. View All Maserati For Sale Image Source: Goodwood

A blue, red, and black Maserati race car speeds around a bend at Misano racetrack, with Shell and Monaco sponsor logos visible.

By Tyler Rampersaud – July 21, 2025

Maserati Celebrates Racing Success At Misano

Maserati celebrates a big win in the latest chapter of its racing legacy. Maserati is very close to celebrating the 100th anniversary of its legendary Trident logo, as well as its presence and undeniable impact on the motorsport world. However, it was much more recently when the iconic luxury Italian performance car manufacturer decided to spur on the revival of its historic racing legacy with the introduction of its MC20 supercar. Succeeding the MC12, the MC20 not only set a new precedent for Maserati supercars, but served as the basis for a new racing era for the brand like the MC12 did. The MCXtrema racing supercar, the GT2 Stradale, and the new Maserati GT2 race car have all emerged, based on the MC20. Now, the Maserati GT2 has emerged from round 4 of the GT2 European Series at Misano with positive results that are proving Maserati’s place as a formidable name in the motorsport universe. At the race, Maserati secured two runner-up positions overall, as well as one pole position, with two victories in the Am Cup, and second place in the Pro-Am Cup. In addition to Maserati’s victorious vehicles that took part in the racing, the leading car at Misano was a Maserati MCXtrema, which featured a special livery meant to pay homage to the 20th anniversary of Maserati’s incredible victory at the 24 Hours of Spa, the first achieved by the MC12. With a rich racing history to celebrate already, Maserati’s recent performance at Misano proves that it’s not resting on its motorsport laurels. View All Maserati For Sale Image Source: Maserati

Two sports cars with open scissor doors are parked on the racetrack at Circuit Paul Ricard. One, a Maserati GT2 Stradale, is labeled as a safety car, setting the scene for an exhilarating event in the GT World Challenge Europe.

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 11, 2025

Maserati Reveals GT2 Stradale & MC20 Official Cars For GT...

Maserati’s revived racing effort expands its reach. Recently, the introduction of the MC20-based Maserati GT2 racing supercar revived the racing element to the historic Italian marque after a long hiatus. Since then, the GT2 has inspired a new street-legal supercar that bridges the gap between the Maserati MC20 and the purely racing-focused GT2, the GT2 Stradale, and on tracks around the world, the Maserati GT2 has been building a new chapter for Maserati’s racing legacy. Now, the Maserati GT2 Stradale and the Maserati MC20 are both embarking on a new racing endeavor in another way, increasing the presence of Maserati supercars in the motorsport world again. The GT2 Stradale is set to serve as the official safety car in the 2025 season of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, while the Maserati MC20 will play the role of Leading Car. Nero Pastello is the primary color of the livery for the Maserati GT2 Stradale, while the Maserati MC20 Leading Car will feature a contrasting livery, sporting a primary color of Bianco Pastello. Starting this weekend at the iconic Circuit Paul Ricard in France, the new GT World Challenge Europe will be helped with a dose of Maserati supercar style and performance this season, and Maserati will also feature on the track in GT2 Europe, with entries in the Am and Pro Am classes. View All Maserati MC20s For Sale Image Source: Maserati

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 03, 2024

Maserati GT2 Makes 2024 Racing Debut At Paul Ricard Circuit

Maserati’s racing supercar is finally on the grid. The introduction of the Maserati MC20 marked a turning point in the history of the Trident. Not only was it a stunningly beautiful supercar, but it also introduced the Nettuno V6 engine to Maserati’s portfolio, ushering a new approach to high performance from the historic manufacturer. Since then, the Nettuno V6 has powered even more performance-oriented Maserati machines, and the MC20 has served as the basis for new racing-focused efforts from Maserati: the new Maserati MCXtrema, and the Maserati GT2, which ends a years-long hiatus for Maserati from GT racing. The GT2 was revealed last year, and carries the MC12’s torch as Maserati’s new GT racer, with an important legacy of track success from 2005 to 2010 to live up to. However, even before its first racing season in the Fanatec GT2 European Series, it’s already impressed on the track, participating in last season’s final race at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France, qualifying in pole position and bringing home a podium finish. However, the GT2 is now set to make its season debut this year, returning to Paul Ricard this weekend to compete for the Trident. This time, the GT2 will take part in the entire Fanatec GT2 European Series 2024 season, and Maserati is also announcing a strategic collaboration between its GT2 program and Shell. The season will head from Paul Ricard to Misano, then to the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa, then to Hockenheim, Monza, and finally to Barcelona in October. With the legacy of the legendary MC12 behind it, and the innovation of the MC20 and its Nettuno engine as its basis, the new Maserati GT2’s performance in this years’s Fanatec GT2 European Series is highly anticipated, and as the countdown continues towards this racing weekend when it makes its full-season debut, history is about to be made for the iconic Trident. View All Maserati MC20s For Sale Image Source: Maserati

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