McLaren 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 Edward Jones – February 04, 2019

McLaren 570GT MSO Cabbeen Collection Debuts in North America

In 2018 at the Beijing Auto Show, the new McLaren 570GT MSO Cabbeen Collection was unveiled. McLaren created this special edition model as a celebration for the Lunar New Year. Now, under a year later, this very special model has made its North American debut at McLaren Beverly Hills. Originally, there were supposed to be five created but this sixth edition was created and will be available only through McLaren Beverly Hills. The 570GT MSO Cabbeen Collection was designed in cooperation with Chinese fashion designer and entrepreneur Mr. Cabbeen. On the outside is an exterior finished in MSO Bespoke Obsidian Black with a hand-painted dragon design in Gloss Speedline Gold. Holding the car above the ground are a set of new 15-spoke GT wheels finished in the same gold paint as the dragons. Inside is a cabin that's highlighted by dragon embroidery. This McLaren 570GT has a special VIN that ends in 888888, meant to commemorate the Lunar New Year: Year of the Pig. Interested in owning it? Be sure to contact McLaren Beverly Hills by clicking the button below. view mclaren beverly hill's page

By Edward Jones – April 25, 2018

McLaren 570GT MSO Cabbeen Collection, Complete With Dragons

Chinese fashion designer Mr. Cabbeen and McLaren Automotive have teamed up to create a new collection of five McLaren 570GT sports cars. Unveiled in Beijing at the Auto China 2018 show, these new cars are meant to demonstrate a specific philosophy: "Designed in China, made in the UK."Each of the cars within the Cabbeen Collection come finished in MSO Bespoke Obsidian Black paint. Contrasting against this dark paint is a hand-painted dragon that was created out of Gloss Speedline Gold paint on each door panel. One other exterior modification is the addition of new 15-spoke GT wheels that sit in front of Gloss Speedline Gold brake calipers.Inside, Mr. Cabbeen had dragons embroidered in gold on the Alcantara Center Front Tunnel and Rear Luggage Deck. Kang Huifang, the Director of the Professional Embroidery Committee of China's Arts and Crafts Institute, was responsible for sewing each of these dragons.Everything You Need to Know About McLaren Cars “McLaren Special Operations is dedicated to providing customers with tailored choices that offer them almost endless personalization alternatives,” commented, Ansar Ali, Managing Director, McLaren Special Operations. “As a fusion of contemporary British design style and Chinese classic art elements, the 570GT MSO Cabbeen Collection was created to satisfy Chinese customers' desire for individualization and is further evidence of the growing interest in MSO services in the China market.”

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By Edward Jones – February 09, 2018

Black Pack and Louder Exhaust Revealed by McLaren

McLaren Special Operations just dropped the news about two new additions to the MSO Defined options for the Sports Series models. The new options are the new Black Pack, Titanium SuperSports Exhaust, and a few more goodies.Grey McLaren Senna Unveiled Alongside New Specs and Stats McLaren also announced a few other little options for Sports Series owners. Extended Carbon Fiber Sill Covers with McLaren branding is now available, as well as Black or McLaren Orange painted ignition keys. Used Exotic Cars

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By Edward Jones – January 11, 2018

McLaren Elevates the 570GT with Sport Pack and Design Edi...

McLaren introduced the 570GT into the Sports Series lineup as a more relaxed ride than the 570S Coupe. For those wanting their 570GT to have a more sporty punch, McLaren has announced the new Sport Pack. This new pack adds a "combination of component and calibration changes," according to McLaren. Within this new pack are a series of changes to the steering rack, damper actuators, and uprights. Interestingly enough, these new components are identical to those found in the 570S Coupe and Spider. There is also a set of Pirelli P-ZERO™ CORSA tires. This pack comes with a price tag of £4,900 (roughly $6,600 USD).McLaren Senna: The Most Extreme Street-Legal McLaren YetIn addition to the Sport Pack, McLaren has also announced five new Design Edition Packs. These include: "Silica White exterior with Saddle Tan and Carbon Black interior; Pacific Blue with Jet Black and Areia (cream); Blade Silver with Natural Tan and Carbon Black; Fire Black with Jet Black and Areia; and Storm Grey with Jet Black and Almond White."All of these packs are available to order right now, so head to your local McLaren dealer.

By Edward Jones – September 18, 2017

McLaren Creates Collection of Very Special and Limited 57...

McLaren Automotive has created a small collection of bespoke 570GT examples that will be available later this month.A total number of six 570GTs were commissioned by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) as an MSO Collection. Each of the cars are finished in the XP Green paint, the same color found on the McLaren F1 XP GT 'Longtail' that was built back in 1997. Inside these six cars is a Saddle Tan leather interior with green leather inserts and a plaque on the center tunnel specifying the car's significance.Samuel Eto'o Receives First London Delivery of LaFerrari“Any McLaren is a very special vehicle, but we are also seeing an increasing number of buyers expressing a desire to personalise their cars with additional features and options as well as color and trim choices outside of the core specification offered,” explained Jolyon Nash, McLaren Automotive Executive Director, Global Sales and Marketing. “As well as making it possible for individual McLaren owners to have exactly the McLaren they want, McLaren Special Operations will continue to create limited-volume collections such as these six 570GT models in XP Green, to further extend customer choice.” McLaren states that each of the cars will be delivered to their owners in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands very soon. The price of the MSO options included in these models costs an additional £21,000 (~$28,000 USD) on top of the price of the vehicle itself, giving each car a total price of £188,567 (~$255,000 USD).

By Andrew Nabors – August 03, 2017

Off-Roading Two McLaren 570GTs Looks Like a Blast

Taking your supercar on a road trip could be a recipe for disaster if you don't have enough cargo space. That's why McLaren added an opening rear hatch to the 570S to build the 570GT. In all honesty, I wouldn't want to place anything heavy on the rear package tray. Not because the carbon-fiber wouldn't support it, but who would dare defile such fine English leather? To see how much it can handle, Mike Tornabene and his friend Zac borrowed two new examples from McLaren Beverly Hills and packed for a weekend in the desert.Also Check Out: Bruno Senna Drifts McLaren 570S On IceLone Pine, California is a sleepy town on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is famous for being in close proximity to the highest and lowest elevations in the lower 48. Mount Whitney tops out at 14,505 feet and it will be just above freezing tonight. Badwater basin is 131 miles east, at 278 feet below sea level. The drive from bottom to top is known as L2H and it will take your breath away, literally due to the change in altitude. Tourists and hikers come here year-round to take in the scenery, and many auto manufacturers use it when testing prototypes.The 570GT is capable of 26 miles per gallon on flat land and probably at sea level. It has 562 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, which might seem like overkill in the sand of the Mojave Desert. Watch the hijinx in the video below and let us know your ideal choice for a weekend off the grid. If you need the perfect camping accessory, we have many examples of the 570GT for sale. Stay with us for more McLaren reviews.

By Andrew Nabors – May 25, 2017

720 Horespower McLaren 570GT Goes for a Test Drive

One of the most satisfying drives is after a major upgrade, and the fact that you didn't lose your 10mm socket and nothing fell down the intake. For the gearheads at Germany's PP-Performance, they take delight in adding a few hundred horsepower to already potent supercars. Earlier this week we showed you a wild Porsche 911 Turbo S that was boosted to 750 horsepower, thanks to filming by AutoTopNL. But it looks like they aren't just a Porsche shop, as the latest upload features a 720 horsepower McLaren 570GT. The Sports Series from McLaren is aimed at a performance-minded daily driver, as it has an opening rear hatch for additional storage and a low door sill for easy entry.The Sports Series from McLaren is aimed at a performance-minded daily driver, as it has an opening rear hatch for additional storage and a low door sill for easy entry. We like the 570S because it has a very friendly price along with better engineering than any other car on the road. But the 570GT has aggressive aerodynamics along with a panoramic roof, which is worth its weight in gold. It does without super expensive carbon brakes because some people don't want to sell their children to afford new rotors. On the showroom floor it makes 562 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque at the crankshaft. This is perfectly adequate for a carbon fiber two-seater, but since the same basic engine is used across the lineup, PP Performace upped the boost and worked their magic. AutoTopNL is famous for their flat-out Autobahn films, and they promise one is coming. But for now, enjoy the sights and sounds 720 horsepower through the countryside. Both the 570S and the 570GT are great in stock form, so check with our dealers for great incentives.

By Edward Jones – February 24, 2016

New McLaren 570GT Is The Most Luxurious McLaren to Date

It wasn't long ago that McLaren had the MP4-12C as their only production car for sale. Actually, the 12C was their first car since the legendary F1. Now, about five years after the 12C's launch, McLaren is set to show off their largest selection of models, ever, at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.This includes the just announced 570GT.According to the English automaker's press release regarding the new model, the 570GT is the "most refined and road-biased McLaren yet, designed with a focus on day-to-day usability and long distance comfort. It offers increased levels of practicality and comfort, while remaining a true McLaren."Being marketed as their most practical model, the 570GT joins the Sports Series models with a cabin designed for comfort. Its seats are eight-way adjustable and are laid with leather as standard. From these seats, the driver and passenger can control the AC, telephone, navigation and audio from the centrally-mounted touchscreen.To make the ride quiet, McLaren took a few extra precautions. The panoramic roof features glass that has been treated with 18% transmission tint, the same as the P1. The glass also has Sound & Solar Film, making the ride quieter and with less glare. Pirelli P Zero tires are also fitted to the 570GT, reducing the in-cabin road noise by as much as three decibels.As for power, the famous twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 M838TE engine, first debuted in the 570S Coupe, is utilized. Its power sits at 562 bhp and 443 lb-ft of torque, which is transferred through a seven-speed transmission. Driving "modes" can be selected while driving the 570GT, including the Normal, Sport and Track modes. Each ensures that the car performs no matter the condition.As far as price, the 570GT will have a starting cost of £154,000 in the United Kingdom, with deliveries starting in late 2016. In USD, this equates to roughly $210,000 at today's current exchange rate.For more information, be sure to stay with us as we get closer to the Geneva Motor Show.McLarens For Sale

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