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

Pagani News

Pagani news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated as each story breaks, covering the Utopia, the Huayra in its many forms, and the Zonda that made the marque's name. Our reporting takes in reveals, first drives, bespoke builds and the auction results that set collector values. Pagani finishes fewer cars in a year than most makers build in a single day, so each sale sets a benchmark. That is where our marketplace becomes useful to readers. Paganis covered here are sometimes listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, which puts the reporting beside a real figure. For Pagani news today, and the hypercar news and exotic car news around it, start below.

By Edward Jones – July 11, 2016

Rare Pagani Zonda Revolucion Racing and Pit Stops at Sebring

Back in 2013 Pagani unveiled the new Zonda Revolucion. This car would mark a supposed end to the production of the Zonda, even though some new Zondas have been created since then.This historic car is powered by a terrifying 6.0-liter V12, which is capable of 800hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. And thanks to the extensive use of lightweight carbon fiber, the car itself weighs in at 2,358 lbs. Other features include a Formula-1 inspired DRS system and Brembo CCRM brake discs, an upgraded ABS system, and a price tag of $2.88 million. Only five Pagani Zonda Revolucions were planned to be produced.(Also Check Out: Sound Off: Bugatti Chiron vs Pagani Huayra BC)Of those five, one was spotted by fansofthe12hours at Sebring Raceway taking some laps. This appearance at the Florida racetrack was indeed a rare one and it made for a brilliant soundtrack. Click play below if you need the pure sounds of a massive V12 engine in your life. Pagani For Sale

By Edward Jones – July 05, 2016

Chasing 19 Paganis Through The Mountains

This year Pagani set out for the 2016 Vanishing Point Raduno with 19 of their models. Yes, you read that correctly, 19 Paganis travelling through Italy in what may be one of the most gorgeous lines of cars.(Related: Pagani Huayra BC Flies and Shoots Blue Flames)While I may not be able to attend the rally, TheStradman has been following the cars along their way and uploading footage to his YouTube channel. Models shown in the rally include the Huayra BC, Huayra with the Tempesta Package, Zonda 760s and many more.Check out the videos below to see just how beautiful this rally is. I'm not talking only about the cars, but the scenery as well-- after watching you'll want to add the Dolomites to your bucket list.

By Edward Jones – July 01, 2016

Pagani Huayra BC Flies and Shoots Blue Flames

If you ever visit Italy, there are plenty of automotive factories you should visit, like the Pagani one. Because if you hang outside of it long enough, you might just see a car like the new Huayra BC taking off and shooting some flames. (Also Read: Jump Starting A Pagani Huayra?) Well, at least that's what happened to 19Bozzy92 when he stuck around on the roads outside of the Pagani factory. In a video uploaded today, we get a chance to hear and see the Huayra BC rocketing down two-lane roads and even showing a spat of fire out of its exhaust. What I will also note after watching this video is that the sound of the Huayra BC is so much more "throaty" than I expected, with a sound that consists of more bass than treble. It's a brutal sound, that's for sure.

By Edward Jones – June 13, 2016

Jump Starting a...Pagani Huayra?

Sometimes things happen and you have to jump start a Pagani Huayra. At least, this was the case at the CF Charities Super Show.At the show, a very special guest showed up: a Pagani Huayra. When it came time to start the car up, sgfreak96 says that nothing happened. He said it could have been because "a battery tender was not hooked up, and the battery was simply low on power." To solve the problem they found a BMW X6M and some jumper cables to give the hypercar a jump start.Have you ever have a bad experience with having to jump start your own car or someone else's? Let me know in the comments below!(Also Read: Going Grocery Shopping in a Pagani Huayra)

By Edward Jones – April 07, 2016

Insanely Fast Hot Lap In The Pagani Huayra BC

The latest from Pagani, the Huayra BC, is their most technologically advanced model yet. They say they it is the lightest, globally homologated hypercar and that it has been redesigned appearance-wise. Needless to say, this car is an absolute stunner from the inside out. Being called a hypercar, you'd expect it to track well, like the Porsche 918 Spyder or the McLaren P1. Well, if you were expecting it to do a fine job on the circuits, then I'm here to present you with a video that will meet those expectations. In a video from Automoto.it, we get to see Pagani's test driver, Andrea Palma, take the Huayra BC for high-speed hot laps around Autódromo do Estoril in Portugal. After watching the video found below, I can safely say that the circuit is a blank canvas, the Huayra BC is the finest paint you can buy and Palma is an artist, painting a picture of fantastic lines throughout the track. See for yourself below.

By Edward Jones – April 07, 2016

Pagani Zonda 760 PS Startup and Revs Sound Glorious

Back in 1999, Pagani debuted the Zonda, one of the finest and most ferocious Italian supercars to ever hit the road. Throughout the years, different engines have been powering the car, including the 6.0-, 7.0- and 7.3-liter AMG V12 engines. Along with a wide variety of engines, there have been numerous editions of the Zonda, like the 760LH, Revolucion and F Clubsport, just to name a few.TheTFJJ recently caught a one-of-one Zonda 760PS (PS is for the owner, Peter Saywell) starting up and revving its engine. The video of the event, found below, reminds us all just how incredible the sound of the Zonda really is. Check it out for yourself by clicking the play button below.View All Pagani News

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