Nevera

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 Tyler Rampersaud – August 16, 2024

Rimac Reveals The New 2,107HP Nevera R Hypercar

The Rimac Nevera just got even faster. Championing the Nevera hypercar, Rimac Automobili has enjoyed a rise to stardom as the poster child of the potential of electric performance. Shattering records and joining forces with Bugatti, Rimac is one of the most important names in the automotive world. While the monumental Rimac Nevera could undoubtedly rest on its laurels, Rimac isn’t done yet. During Monterey Car Week, Rimac revealed its new, even more performance-oriented hypercar: the Nevera R. Just when you thought the Rimac Nevera was the pinnacle of electric hypercar performance, think again. Mate Rimac, Rimac Group’s founder and CEO, describes the Nevera as a “grand tourer” with a spacious, luxurious interior and a driving character that was both thrilling and comfortable. Despite the Rimac Nevera breaking plenty of performance records, including at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, there was still room for even more radical performance. Enter the Nevera R, a new hypercar that Mate Rimac says answers customers’ demands for an even more dynamic Nevera, with more power and less weight. Its battery is more performance-oriented, imbuing the new Nevera R with a whopping 2,107 horsepower, and its advanced brakes help translate that power into better overall dynamics. Enhancing the dynamics further is a revised design, including a new wheel design and a fixed spoiler, which increases downforce by 15 percent and aerodynamic efficiency by 10 percent. Michelin Cup 2 tires complete its suite of track-focused features. With its increased power and lighter weight, the new Rimac Nevera R eclipses 186 mph in less than 9 seconds, not before getting from 0-60 in just 1.74 seconds. However, its powertrain also helps complete the brief of optimizing track performance. Its All-Wheel Torque Vectoring system improves its cornering behavior, even on wet surfaces. The car’s Drift Mode has been revised to account for the new tires, and the steering system has been tweaked for sharper response. With manufacturer oversight, the new Rimac Nevera R will reach a top speed of 256 mph, putting it at the highest echelon of hypercar performance while also being a track-focused force of nature. It’s been launched in a new Nebula Green Color, evolving Rimac’s visual aesthetic from the Time Attack Edition predecessor, which was featured in Lightning Green. New interior options include painted carbon fiber, allowing Rimac clients to match interior trims to the car's exterior color. With its incredible track performance and unprecedented electric power, the next electric vehicle engineering masterpiece from Rimac, the new Nevera R hypercar, will only see 40 examples made globally. As the next chapter in Rimac’s growing performance legacy, the new Nevera R is again shaking up the hypercar world. Finance A Luxury or Exotic Car For Sale Image Source: Rimac Automobili

By Tyler Rampersaud – May 17, 2024

Watch The Hamilton Collection Put The Rimac Nevera On A Dyno

The Hamilton Collection unleashes incredible hypercar power. The Hamilton Collection is known for having one of the world's most incredible collections of hypercars. Its portfolio includes some of the most luxurious, influential, iconic, and exclusive creations in the automotive world. One of the latest is the Rimac Nevera, an all-electric hypercar with revolutionary, record-breaking performance and power, changing the landscape of the performance car world. In The Hamilton Collection’s latest YouTube video, that power is being tested as its founder, Steve Hamilton, brings the Rimac Nevera to a dynamometer. A hallmark performance test revered throughout the automotive industry, the dyno test shows how much power a performance car can put down. On a video call with Rimac Group CEO and founder Mate Rimac, Rimac discusses the potential dangers and concerns with putting such a powerful hypercar on the dyno, especially considering that with a single speed, the wheels can possibly overaccelerate and explode the tires if the test isn’t done carefully. However, Mate Rimac assured Hamilton that the dynamometer test wouldn’t void the Nevera’s warranty. Once the Rimac Nevera was on the dyno, it didn’t make the typical noises that an ICE hypercar would make; rather, the steady hum of its electric motors steadily grew in pitch and volume. With the test complete, the true power of the Nevera couldn’t be captured. Still, the dyno captured 1,846 horsepower, an incredible amount that shows just how incredibly capable the Nevera is of revolutionizing the hypercar world. View All Exotic Cars For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – November 15, 2022

Rimac Nevera Hits 258 MPH, Becomes World's Fastest Produc...

The Rimac Nevera is already the fastest-accelerating production car in the world. In a 2021 test, the electric hypercar earned the title with a quarter-mile run of 8.582 seconds. From a standstill, it'll reach 60 mph in 1.85 seconds and 100 mph in 4.3 seconds before continuing onto a limited top speed of 219 mph. It achieves these impressive performance stats thanks to its 1,914-hp output from four electric motors, one for each wheel. During development, Rimac ran a simulated test in which the Nevera delivered a theoretical top speed of 258 mph. Today, the Croatian carmaker announced that during a top-speed run in Germany's Automotive Testing Papenburg track, the Nevera reached that simulated figure, making it the world's fastest production electric car. " width="680"> Rimac's engineers achieved this tremendous figure with the help of a new top-speed mode. This new configuration alters the car's profile to have enough downforce for high-speed stability while limiting drag. The Nevera wore its street-legal Michelin Cup 2R tires for the run. For total transparency, Rimac also announced that it used a Racelogic V-Box GPS-based measuring device to confirm the record. Although the Nevera's top speed comes limited from the factory, Rimac plans to host events where customers can utilize its top speed mode under controlled conditions. According to Rimac, the car's tires are the biggest challenge of these types of runs. As such, the carmaker plans to employ engineers to ensure every vehicle is in good shape to complete a high-speed run before sending customers out to experience the car's full grunt. Rimac delivered its first Nevera customer car just a few months ago to F1 Champion Nico Rosberg. The brand's second production car has a base price of $2.1 million, of which only 150 will be produced. Source: Rimac Automobili

By Edward Jones – February 18, 2022

Watch The $2 Million Rimac Nevera Hypercar Crash Test

It hurts to watch this. In order for any car to get approved for the road, whether it's in the U.S. or Europe, it has to go through extensive crash tests. This is done in order to ensure each car is able to keep its passengers safe during just about every kind of crash you can imagine. For automakers that create very high-end cars, this can come at a cost. For Rimac, they've recently had to put the new electric Nevera through its series of crash tests and Carwow was there to witness it go down. For the test that you'll see up above, the 1,914 horsepower Nevera is flung into a pole at 20 mph. While there is extensive damage done to the car, it protected the would-be passengers. Being the 45th crash test the Neveras have gone through, you would think that they would have made 45 different prototypes. However, this is actually the 10th Nevera prototype to be used in crash tests. This is because some of the crash tests only inflict minimal damage, allowing one prototype to go through multiple tests. Check out the crash test for yourself up above and see just how extensive they truly are. See All Rimacs For Sale

By Edward Jones – September 20, 2021

Rimac Nevera Drag Races Ferrari F12tdf, Puts On the Brake...

That's a bit of a flex. When you're drag racing against someone, the whole idea is to smash the pedal to the ground and go as fast as you can. For this race between a Rimac Nevera and a Ferrari F12tdf, things were a bit different. You see, the Rimac Nevera has 1,914 horsepower and 1,741 lb-ft of torque on tap... right away. That's thanks to its electric powertrain that sends all of the juice in an instant. For the Ferrari F12tdf, things are a bit different. As far as naturally-aspirated cars go, the F12tdf is certainly no slouch. In fact, it's packing quite a bit of power thanks to its V12 engine-- 780 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque to be exact. Of course, it's difficult for many supercars to keep up the electric hypercars that are starting to show up. That's why the Nevera was able to put on the brakes during a drag race and still win. This was all captured by Automotive Mike during Supercar Owners Circle 2021 in Zagreb, Croatia and you can see it for yourself in the video up above.

Nevera

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