Motorsport

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 – June 27, 2025

New Record: 4-Door EV From Smartphone Brand Outguns Hyper...

If the name ‘Xiaomi’ doesn’t ring any bells, you’re not alone. However, in China, they are an engineering giant and a household name, manufacturing everything from smartphones to household appliances. Often touted as the Apple of Asia, the company, like so many others, decided to enter the fiercely competitive car space and compete in the world’s largest automotive market, China. But unlike so many other startups that have failed (there were more than 600 automotive startups in China at one point), Xiaomi has recently been making waves not just domestically, but on the international stage. Its very first product, the all-electric four-door SU7 sport sedan, was announced back in December 2023. While many called it a Taycan knock-off, when you look at the performance numbers and the price point at which it is being offered, it becomes hard to ignore, and as a result, it now outsells the Tesla Model 3 in China. Ford CEO Jim Farley famously has a Xiaomi SU7. Now that you have some context, let's get back to why the brand now has the automotive world’s attention. Meet the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Prototype, the all-electric sedan that just got around the Nürburgring in " title="YouTube video" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen> minutes, setting a new prototype lap record. This makes it the fourth fastest car to ever lap the Nordschleife, with only the 919 Hybrid Evo (5:19.546), the Volkswagen ID.R (6:05.336), and the 1983 Porsche 956K (6:11.13), being quicker around the 12.92-mile (20.8 kilometer) circuit. Now, this isn’t the first time that Xiaomi has attempted a record. Back in 2024, a stripped-down pre-production SU7 Ultra prototype recorded an unofficial time of 6:46.87; quick, but controversial. This time, they’re back under official conditions and have managed to slash nearly 24 seconds off that run. Also, if you keep tabs on production car lap records at the ring at all, the SU7’s time is quicker than the $2.7 million Mercedes-AMG One’s record time of 6:29.029. So while the Mercedes hypercar is street-legal, and the SU7 Ultra-prototype isn’t, the Chinese EV still shares much of its architecture with the production car. But with a time of " title="YouTube video" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen>as of June 11, 2025, the standard road-going SU7 is officially the fastest production EV around the ‘Ring, beating the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT’s 7:07.55. As for performance, the all-carbon Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Prototype is powered by a tri-motor drivetrain that draws power from a 93.7 kWh battery pack for a combined 1,548 horsepower and 1,405 pound-feet of torque. 0-62 mph comes up in 1.97 seconds, and the top speed is rated at 217 mph. Tipping the scales at 4,188 pounds, the SU7 Ultra Prototype is capable of producing 4,728 pounds of downforce at speed. To celebrate this achievement, Xiaomi will offer 100 examples of a Nürburgring Limited Edition SU7 Ultra, costing 814,900 yuan (~$114,000). Now that is a bargain and a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay for a typical record-breaking hypercar. Sure, Xiaomi and other automakers like Nio or Denza, from China may not have the pedigree of most legacy automakers, but what they’ve managed to achieve in such a short span of time is commendable. Source: Xiaomi, Nürburgring

A yellow race car crosses the finish line as a pit crew celebrates; below, a group stands on a podium holding trophies at a thrilling Le Mans racing event, with Ferrari and Porsche teams among the competitors.

By Khris Bharath – June 16, 2025

Ferrari Clinches Historic Third Straight Victory At Le Ma...

Under the June summer skies and in front of a record 332,000 spectators, Ferrari took its third consecutive victory at the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Giallo Modena liveried (#83) 499P, fielded by privateer squad AF Corse, outpaced its factory-backed contemporaries and took the top step of the podium, with a trio of drivers who are now firmly in the history books: Poland’s Robert Kubica, Britain’s Phil Hanson, and China’s Yifei Ye. Le Mans 2025: Porsche Closes In, But Ferrari’s (#83) Holds Its Nerve Kubica, who is a one-time Formula 1 winner, drove a staggering 43 percent of the race distance, including an unplanned five-stint finale. It was redemption for the Pole, who saw a throttle sensor deny him victory back in 2021 on the final lap, when racing in the LMP2 class. While he finished runner-up in 2022 and 2023, this year Kubica managed to control the race pace and traffic. For teammate Ye, the win was historic, as he became the first Chinese driver to do so, while for Hanson, it marked a return to the top, after his LMP2 Class win from 2020. Starting from 13th on the Hypercar grid, the yellow-liveried Ferrari wasn’t one of the favorites going into race weekend. They faced stiff competition from seasoned factory teams. The (#05) Porsche was quick to take the lead from Cadillac in the opening stints. The drama unfolded throughout the night on the nearly 8.5-mile circuit, with several close calls, punctures, retirements, and the flashing lights of Hypercars screaming past LMP2 and LMGT3 class cars down the Mulsanne straight. However, the following day, it was Kubica at the wheel of (#83) Ferrari AF Corse 499P who was 14.084 seconds clear of (#06) Porsche Penske 963 when the chequered flag fell. The hard-charging Porsche nearly upset Ferrari’s weekend. After being disqualified from qualifying, the (#06) Porsche 963 that started last, surged past the field over 387 laps with Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Matt Campbell demonstrating tremendous perseverance. Meanwhile, the Ferrari works teams, winners in 2023 (#51) and 2024 (#50), were forced into support roles following a series of penalties and a costly spin by Alessandro Pier Guidi. Despite this, (#51) secured third in the Hypercar class with teammates Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado, tightening Ferrari’s grip on the World Endurance Championship. (#50) Ferrari AF Corse in fourth and (#12) Cadillac Hertz Jota round up the top five in the Hypercar Class. The Prancing Horse now leads the manufacturer’s standings with 202 points, more than double Toyota’s tally. Elsewhere, heartbreak defined the LMP2 finale. A late penalty robbed Inter (#43) Europol Competition of what appeared to be a certain win for (#48) ORECA-Gibson, which was leading the LMP2 class. Inter Europol received a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane, which handed the advantage to Estaban Masson’s VDS Panis car; however, it faltered in the final 20 minutes of the race, owing to a mechanical issue. Nick Yelloly in the (#43) eventually took the lead and swept through, giving the Polish team its second win in three years. In LMGT3, it was Porsche that was the dominant force once again. Manthey Racing, the German marque’s racing partner from the Nürburgring, claimed back-to-back victories with Richard Lietz, Ryan Hardwick, and Riccardo Pera taking top honors in the (#92) demonstrating Porsche’s supremacy in GT racing. Ferrari’s Triumphant Comeback At Le Mans Is A Historic One This triumph adds a new chapter in Ferrari’s long-standing history at Le Mans. The Italian marque first conquered the French classic back in 1949 with Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon with the wheel of a 166MM, jumpstarting a golden age for Ferrari’s motorsport legacy. But Ferrari’s most dominant stint at Le Mans would come the following decade, where it won for six consecutive years between 1960 and 1965 with the iconic 250 LM. It was also the last Ferrari to win outright, as the Italian sports car maker withdrew from top-level endurance racing for nearly five decades as the rule changes that favored Ford’s dominant GT40s in the mid-to-late ‘60s. Ferrari shifted its attention and began to focus on Formula and production-based racing, But in 2023, Ferrari finally returned to Le Mans with the 499P in the Hypercar class, taking the win at the centenary edition of Le Mans, followed by another win in 2024. The win in 2025 makes it Ferrari’s third consecutive win, a feat. Not achieved since the 1960s, granting the Italian automaker the rare right to retain the winner’s trophy permanently. Other manufacturers that have three-consecutive Le Mans victories to their name include Bentley (1927–1930), Alfa Romeo (1931–1934), Jaguar (1955–1957), Ford (1966–1969), Porsche (1981–1987), Audi (2000–2002) and Toyota (2018–2020). While the competition will be back next year, vying for a win at Le Mans, 2025 belongs to Ferrari. Catch the full highlights below. " width="680"> Source: Ferrari, Porsche, FIA WEC

By Charles Bradley – June 13, 2025

FIA WEC Commits To Hypercar Platform Through 2032, More L...

The golden age of endurance racing isn’t just back, it’s here to stay. The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) has confirmed that its wildly successful top-tier Hypercar class will remain the sport’s pinnacle platform through at least the end of the 2032 season. For collectors, luxury automakers, and the motorsport-curious elite, this signals long-term stability around sports car racing’s most prestigious stage – the 24 Hours of Le Mans – to showcase the pinnacle of automotive passion and performance. Introduced in 2021 as a replacement for the outgoing LMP1 class, the Hypercar regulations – allowing for both Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) and Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) specifications – have rewritten the rules of engagement in global sports car racing. What began with just three manufacturers has exploded into a full-blown renaissance, with eight different OEMs currently on the grid: Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche, and Toyota. Meantime, Acura and Lamborghini race in America’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship that uses the same rules set, a global strategic alliance that has also been extended through 2032. And the momentum isn’t slowing down. Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis will join the WEC’s Hypercar ranks in 2026, followed by two blue-chip names with immense motorsport pedigree – Ford and McLaren – in 2027. What makes the Hypercar formula so enticing to ultra-luxury and performance brands isn’t just the prestige of Le Mans, it’s the balance of freedom and control. The regulations are deliberately open in aesthetic and aerodynamic design, encouraging brands to inject identity, drama, and heritage into their race cars. Yet these freedoms are underpinned by strict cost controls and homologation rules that prevent runaway spending. The result is a formula that’s not just competitive, but compelling. The cars are fast, beautiful, and unmistakably linked to their road-going cousins – critical for brands where image and exclusivity matter as much as lap times. Balance of Performance regulates the competition, allowing for various specifications of powertrains and hybrid systems to compete on a playing field that’s levelled by scientific formulas that constantly adjusts as the racecars evolve. With the homologation cycle now extended from 2029 to 2032, the FIA and the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) have delivered something rare in motorsport: certainty. This allows current participants to continue refining their platforms while giving new entrants enough runway to develop competitive, brand-aligned programs from the ground up. For marques like Formula 1 World Championship leaders McLaren – whose just-announced Hypercar will feature a twin-turbo V6 developed in-house and run in collaboration with United Autosports – this timeline should ensure a competitive debut in 2027 and a multi-year window to prove their mettle at Le Mans and beyond. In today’s luxury landscape, motorsport is no longer just about trophies. It’s a marketing platform, a design laboratory, and a narrative engine. The Hypercar category offers a front-row seat at the intersection of engineering, art, and ambition. For buyers and collectors, it also offers the ultimate provenance: race-bred technology and brand authenticity forged on the world’s most demanding tracks. The WEC’s environmental credentials are growing as well. With recent certifications including ISO 20121:2024 and FIA 3* Environmental Accreditation, the championship aligns with broader sustainability trends in the luxury and automotive sectors – further reinforcing its appeal to modern buyers and investors. As the calendar continues to draw crowds at iconic venues like Spa, Imola, Interlagos, and Fuji, and of course, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (set for June 13-14 in 2026), the FIA WEC's future looks brighter than ever. With a grid stacked with the most desirable badges on Earth and a ruleset that blends style, substance, and sustainability, endurance racing is once again the proving ground for the world’s most elite automotive brands. And now, thanks to this regulatory extension, the Hypercar era is no longer a foundation – it’s all set to become a shimmering skyscraper. Source: WEC

By Jordan Aquistapace – November 17, 2023

Bonhams Set To Auction Max Verstappen's 2023 Dutch GP-Win...

Max Verstappen’s 2023 Dutch GP winning overalls auctioned by Bonhams|Cars to benefit Wings for Life charity. The auction specialists Bonhams Cars is set to offer a unique piece of Formula 1 history: the race suit worn by three-time World Champion Max Verstappen during his victory at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. This exclusive online auction, running from November 17 to 30, presents a rare opportunity for Formula 1 race fans and motorsport memorabilia collectors. Max Verstappen clinched his 46th Grand Prix victory at Zandvoort behind the wheel of Red Bull's RB19 race car, marking a significant moment in front of his hometown crowd. The race suit, displayed in the dark blue of Oracle Red Bull Racing, are a symbol of Verstappen’s victory and his remarkable on-going achievements in the sport. Estimated to fetch between $75,000 and $87,000, the race suit is signed by the champion himself and come with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One Team. The auction proceeds will benefit Red Bull’s Wings for Life charity. Established in 2004 by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz and motocross champion Heinz Kinigadner, the charity is dedicated to funding research and clinical trials globally to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. Emma Hind, CEO of Wings for Life, expressed gratitude for the partnership with Bonhams Cars and the support from Oracle Red Bull Racing and Verstappen. The auction is focused solely on supporting a noble cause that continues to make significant strides in medical research. Shop All Oracle Red Bull Racing Gear Source: Bonhams Cars

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