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 Andrew Nabors – May 02, 2019

McLaren Senna Real World Review by Carfection

Yesterday marked 25 years since we lost Ayrton Senna. His triumphs for McLaren's F1 team inspired them to build a car in his honor, but is it a track-only machine? Our questions have been answered by this McLaren Senna Real World Review by Carfection. Normally, race-ready cars don't work well on the street. You find yourself dodging potholes and parking a mile away from the store. Nevertheless, Henry and his team decide to travel the same roads that Ayrton did, traveling to Donington Park Raceway. Once there, the car was used to replicate Senna's amazing lap from 1993. Tell us the wildest car you ever drove on public streets in the comments below, and stay with us for all your McLaren news. Browse McLaren For Sale Related: McLaren Senna Price, Specs, Photos & Review McLaren Senna GTR Overview Filmed at Goodwood

By Andrew Nabors – April 12, 2019

McLaren Special Operations Explains Their Paint Process

Two-tone paint was killed by bean counters at the end of the last century. If you want something truly custom, you will either need a cheesy wrap job or a skilled artist. Painting a car by hand is something only reserved for the best cars in production, and that is why McLaren Special Operations explained their paint process. A stunning McLaren 720S Spider was chosen to receive a blend of cerulean blue, black, and their new meteorite gray. The video makes it look easy, but there must have been many late nights of color-sanding and buffing. What makes this blend so unique is their technique named Coriolis. Inspired by the Earth's gyroscopic influence on wind and water, it took 260 hours to finish this car. To get this result from modern water-based paint is amazing, especially considering it is being applied to carbon fiber. If you deserve a car unlike any other, click the link below to find a McLaren dealer near you. Browse McLaren 720S For Sale Related: McLaren Speedtail Price, Specs, Photos & Review Jason Statham's New McLaren 720S

By Andrew Nabors – March 18, 2019

McLaren Senna 0-183 MPH Test Run

If you have enough currency to afford a new McLaren Senna, you probably know how to enjoy the finer things in life. It is unfortunate that many supercar owners never push their cars to the limit, so the public is forced to live vicariously through videos and the best car magazine of all time. As such, our friends at Motorsport Magazine decided to film a McLaren Senna 0-183 MPH test run at Lurcy-Lévis. The French test track includes a 1 kilometer straight for just such a test. Breaking in a new car should be done carefully to make sure the piston rings and valvetrain find there forever homes. This car only had 3,133 miles at the time of filming, so there is no turning back now. Needless to say, this was done on a closed course with a professional driver. It goes to show you just how capable the Senna is, so maybe you think you can handle it. Click the link below to find one near you and stay with us for all your McLaren news. Shop McLaren For Sale Related: McLaren Senna GTR Unveiled McLaren Senna Breaks Records on The Grand Tour

By Edward Jones – February 20, 2019

Justin Bell Tests Out the McLaren 600LT Spider

The new McLaren 600LT Spider and Coupe are incredible hot right now, thanks to their style, power and those beautiful exhaust pipes that shoot out flames. Justin Bell, a British racecar driver and son of Derek Bell, recently had the opportunity to test out the car. To test it, Bell flew out to Arizona to try out the 600LT Spider for his YouTube channel JustinBellTV. "On the road it was tight and agile with a barely contained contempt for being held back, but once out on the race track it showed its true colors," says Bell. Check out his full test drive of the car by clicking play above! view all mclarens for sale Also Check Out: Hennessey Performance McLaren 600LT Upgrade: Hypercar-like Power Why You Should Buy A McLaren 600LT How To Configure Your McLaren 600LT

By Andrew Nabors – February 01, 2019

McLaren 720S New 1/4 Mile Record by Excell Racing

Warning: Drag Racing is addictive. Once you start chipping away at your car's best time, it is hard to keep it stock. Our friends at Excell Racing have been pushing their McLaren 720S into uncharted territory with upgrades strictly limited to tuning and exhaust. But now it's time for turbos, right? Those days are coming to an end. McLaren uses the latest in turbo technology, with the hot and cold sides perfectly matched to their 4.0L V8. This is how they achieved a 9.7 second run in stock form (on Toyo drag radials). This is where they started analyzing the car's tune. Every McLaren uses a torque-by-gear system. The computer limits torque in the lower gears, giving you more as speed increases. I want my torque all the time, it even keeps me awake at night. So the team at Excell Racing developed a new calibration after countless runs at Palm Beach International Raceway. Their efforts resulted in a blistering 9.218 @ 154.14 mph on stock turbos! A glance at the time slip shows an amazing launch. If you are looking for a pre-owned luxury or supercar, Excell Auto Group is located in Boca Raton, Florida. Their gearheads at Excell Racing will be happy to add some power for you also. Stay with us, because I sense an 8-second run coming soon! Browse Excell Auto Inventory Related: McLaren Envisions A Wild Future For GP Racing Top 10 Fastest 1/4 Mile Production Cars

By Andrew Nabors – January 16, 2019

McLaren 600LT Spider Unveiled

The wait is over. Last week we hinted at something wild after a teaser was uploaded to social media. And now we can cheer for a new Longtail as McLaren has unveiled the 600LT Spider. As the 5th McLaren to wear the Longtail badge, it stays true to its predecessors. The third car in their Track25 plan, it is only 110 lbs heavier than the 600LT coupe. Without fluids, it tips the scales at 2,859 lbs, and the MonoCell II chassis required no reinforcements to maintain its impressive strength. In fact, it is 220.5 lbs lighter than the 570S Spider, despite the longer body and folding hard top mechanism. Mclaren 600 LT Price, Specs, Photos Just in front of that dynamic tail is the same twin-turbo 3.8L V8. Offering 592 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque, you will reach 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and 124 mph in 8.4. Only 0.2 seconds slower than the coupe, it will reach a top speed of 201 mph. Production will be limited due to the hand-built construction, and the MSRP starts at $256,500. I personally like the idea of seeing the flamethrower exhaust with the top down. It will offer the same interior and exterior options as the 600LT Coupe, so click the link above to envision your own, then click below to find a McLaren showroom near you. View All Mclarens For Sale " width="680"> Also Check Out: Howard Panes’ Vibrant McLaren Senna is a Must-See McLaren 2018 Sales: More Cars Sold Than Ever Before McLaren Speedtail Gets Three Collections to Make Customizing Easier

By Andrew Nabors – January 10, 2019

McLaren 720S Scorches the Nürburgring Nordschleife

One of the most popular urban myths is that German magazines give preferential treatment to their own brands (Porsche, Mercedes, BMW) when attacking the Nürburgring. While that might have been true in the old days, our friends at Sport Auto chose a McLaren for their latest lap. In a video uploaded to YouTube last night, driver Christian Gebhardt made use of the newly resurfaced track. The McLaren 720S scorched the Nordschleife (north loop) which was extensively updated in December. Instrumentation included two cameras, a G-meter, and GPS speedometer from Race Navigator. This 7.08 lap is only .03 seconds slower than the lap he did back in September. But that car was a Porsche 911 GT3 RS ordered without any options. Porsche 911 GT3 RS Specs, Price & Review Having driven examples of each, the 720S offers a very comfortable and quiet ride. A Porsche 911 GT3 RS is a brutal beast that makes no apologies. Given the extremely different nature of each car, tell us which one you would choose in the comments below. Click the link below to find a McLaren dealer near you and stay with us for more Nurburgrung action. View All McLaren 720S For Sale Related: McLaren 720S Spider Unveiled Check Out Jay Leno's Collection!

By Andrew Nabors – December 14, 2018

McLaren Senna Crashes Hard: Rest In Pieces

Be happy that today is Friday and Christmas is coming soon. Be sad that the world has lost another McLaren Senna. Life isn't fair sometimes. McLaren have repeatedly stated they will only build 500 examples of this amazing supercar. Perhaps the recent news of other McLaren Senna crashes will prompt them to replace these before the line is shut down. Exotic Cars For Sale In the old days, a hit this hard would warp every panel of steel, leaving the car a total loss. But thanks to McLaren's modular construction, the carbon fiber Monocage III cockpit is likely salvageable. The front subframe is a toast but the factory might have a few extra pieces in their inventory. If you want the same screaming 4.0-liter engine in a more subdued body, our dealers have great offers on McLaren 720S for sale. Click the link below and stay with us for all your McLaren news. mclaren Senna for sale Related: How to Detail a McLaren Senna McLaren Newport Beach; The Senna In Detail

By Edward Jones – November 26, 2018

New McLaren 600LT and 720S Drag Race

Hennessey Performance were the first customer in the United States to take delivery of the new McLaren 600LT. This is an exciting notion because it means the famous Texas-based tuner will surely be working on some upgrades for the already potent car. Also, Hennessey isn't shy to test the power of their cars on the drag strip and they do a good job at filming the outings. For example, they've already taken their new 600LT out to the Pennzoil Proving Ground for a race against the 720S supercar. The race happened thanks to McLaren Houston, who brought the 720S over from their dealership. In the video above, you see the two McLaren racing in both a drag race and roll race, with one car being the victor in both races. Check it out for yourself by clicking play! Related: McLaren 720S Specs, Price, Photos & Review 10 Second Quarter Mile Cars McLaren Introduces “Albert”, the 1st Speedtail Prototype

By Andrew Nabors – November 12, 2018

How Fast Do Supercars Shift?

We don't like to ruffle any feathers, but transmission opinions can be argued to death. When Ferrari first started replacing their manuals with the F1 gearbox, the idea of an automated single clutch scared the world. The dual-clutch automatic is heralded as the most advanced, but having two wet cluchtes makes them heavier than traditional automatics. Check Out These Deals On The Lexus LF-A BMW used dual-clutch transmissions on the M cars up until this model year, but they quietly went back to normal automatics. In the latest upload from Engineering Explained, the host attemps to lock down the shift times of the McLaren 720S. My own transmission is capable of 0.25 second shifts while cruising, and faster in Wide Open Throttle. Tell us your favorite gearbox in the comments below, and stay with us for all your McLaren footage. Related: View All McLaren 720S For Sale McLaren 720S Price, Specs, & Review

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