Photographer's Perspective

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 – November 08, 2016

Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta Photoshoot by AJ Automotive & Tr...

About the photographer: AJ Automotive & Travel Photography has been a car lover since he was a little kid. He would watch them, collect then and play with them at a young age, but this passion became more prominent the older he became.He also enjoys taking photos of the places he travels to. Seeking and enjoying destinations is one of his passions. Thankfully, his travels lead him to many of the world's finest cars.About the car:As far as performance figures go, the LaFerrari Aperta is just as formidable as its Coupe brethren. Motor1 notes that the hypercar will run these figures: 0-60 mph in less than three seconds, 0-124 mph in less than seven seconds and 0-186 mph in 15 seconds. Its top speed is currently rated at over 217 mph.To achieve these numbers, Ferrari’s engineers made sure they could get the most out of the 963 hp combination of V12 engine and electric motor. And to do this, they had to engineer the heck out of its open-top aerodynamics and its chassis. Ferrari notes that the LaFerrari Aperta has the same rigidity and drag coefficient characteristics as the LaFerrari coupe, both being huge feats.2018 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta Specs, Price, Photos, & Review

By Edward Jones – December 10, 2015

Matte/Chrome Blue Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT by C3 Photography

Photos and Article by: Cris Guamanzara of C3 Photography A few weeks ago, I reached out to Matthew over at Phenomenal Vinyl to set up a photoshoot of his ride, he mentioned he actually had an Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT he was working on and wanted that car shot instead. We scheduled the shoot post his SEMA trip. A week after the SEMA storm had calmed, we linked up to shoot his client's SLS AMG GT. Wrapped in APA Matte blue chrome, this beast can not only be heard from a mile away, but seen as well. The photoshoot was essentially the first shoot done of this vehicle outside of the shop itself. Shot on one of the windiest, coldest days of the season, the GT kept its surroundings warm with its good looks and in-your-face wrap job. Peep the photos below and you too will feel the heat that exudes from this beast. Huge thanks to Matt for helping me make this photoshoot happen! Follow C3 Photography on Facebook and Instagram Gallery

By Edward Jones – November 18, 2015

"Gotham City" Audi R8 Photoshoot by C3 Photography

Article and Photos by Cristian Guamanzara (C3 Photography): @xtreme631 on Instagram for making this shoot happen!C3 Photography Facebook and Instagram

By Caitlin Duffy – November 02, 2015

The Multi-Million Dollar Car Fleet, by C3 Photography

Article and photos by Cristian Guamanzara, C3 PhotographyI met Sergio years back when I just started shooting for ADV1 back in 2010, they asked me to shoot his SLK55 AMG. Ever since then we’ve kept in contact and I’ve shot some his other cars over the years.Skip to this year, I came across Sergio's Instagram account, @AiMotorsports, and saw that he had picked up a Porsche 918 Spyder. I reached out to him and mentioned that I wanted to shoot his 918. He liked the idea and decided that we could shoot his fleet of cars but focus on the 918.I have been trying to shoot a 918 for some time, but something always came up and I never got around to shooting one. So I made sure that I did everything possible on my end to guarantee this shoot took place.The photoshoot was held at Sergio’s place, where his stable of cars included the Porsche 918, Turbo S, Maserati Gran Turismo, Lamborghini Huracan, Super Leggera, Ferrari 458 Speciale and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which, to me, is like my dream collection.My goal for this shoot was to get some great group shots. So, I brought out my Nikon D800 and used the Nikon 24-70 lens. It was the ideal lens to capture some great group shots.We began shooting at around 8 am and thankfully it was a gorgeous day to shoot; the lighting conditions were ideal. Peter, my assistant that day, helped me with the ladder and tripod set up to get those high group shots. While I was shooting, Sergio brought out his drone and got some great video of the photoshoot taking place. Overall it was a great time shooting these exotics.While wrapping up the photoshoot, Sergio also mentioned that he has four additional cars coming in very soon, which I will have the exclusive once they come in. So until that next photoshoot takes place, take a look at these shots of his Multi-Million Dollar Fleet.To see more of Cristian's work, follow him on Instagram at @c3nyc and Facebook at NYC-C3 Photography / C3 FilmsGallery See More Photographers' Perspectives

By Caitlin Duffy – September 01, 2015

Photographer's Perspective: The Quail, A Motorsports Gath...

Photos and article by Tanner Mashburn, TMashPhotos Out of the dozens of events that take place during Monterey Car Week, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, has become a favorite for most. Car companies from all around the world come to show off the best they have to offer and this year was no different. Every car company, from Pagani to Acura, was in attendance to show off their latest creations. What makes The Quail even more unique is that, for some manufacturers, it is the only place during the whole of Car Week where their cars are on display for the public to see. One of these examples is the Lamborghini Aventador Roadster SV. The 750 hp blue masterpiece made its global debut at The Quail but was then reserved the rest of the week for private events. The Koenigsegg One:1 also made an appearance and stole the attention of thousands who passed by, including Jay Leno and Instagram motivator Manny Khoshbin. Acura’s display of red, blue and black NSX models gave people a first look at the new car before they begin to hit showrooms in the near future. Pagani’s display was definitely a sight to behold, with customer cars surrounding a display where Mr. Pagani himself was explaining to everyone who walked by what made his cars a true Italian work of art. Other new cars on display included the Porsche GT3 RS, BAC Mono, Bentley EXP 10, Shelby GT350, Aston Martin Lagonda, redesigned Ford GT and many others. However, it is not all about the new cars. Jaw-dropping sights, such as a gathering of Ferrari F50s, a Ferrari 250 GTO, a Jaguar XJ220s, a Lamborghini Countach and countless other classics, were on display. Although The Quail is a public event, tickets sell out very quickly. For those who are not able to get a ticket in time, the spectator parking lot in itself is a combination of hundreds of the best cars ever made. An incredibly rare sight any other time of the year, Porsche 918 Spyders, Mclaren P1s and Ferrari LaFerraris seemed almost common throughout the parking area. The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering never disappoints and continues to grow. Although it is hard to imagine, next year will almost certainly be even better. See More of Tanner's Work on Facebook Gallery See Other Photographers' Perspectives

By Edward Jones – July 01, 2015

Exclusive: $17 Million Hypercar and Supercar Photoshoot a...

Article and Photos by: Taylor SangerOn Instagram, he is known simply as Sparky18888. But, behind the name is a man that avidly reads the duPont REGISTRY, lives in a castle and drives a one-of-a-kind Pagani Huayra King Edition. During this past weekend, I (@taylorsangerphotography) had the chance to join Sparky for a small luncheon for some of his close friends.Traveling from my hometown of Tampa, Florida, I made my way up to Connecticut to attend the legendary Newtown Car Show and the Ferrari Concourso & Friends in Hartford while visiting various friends in the area. But, the Sparky Luncheon was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.Sports Cars For SaleHis driveway started with Sparky18888’s Pagani Huayra and Aventador on it, but it quickly turned into a parking lot filled with $17 million worth of supercars. We had so many exclusive vehicles that cars from prestigious manufacturers such as Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin and Maserati had to park down the driveway.It’s typically very uncommon to have the most exotic cars on the planet in one place, but it all happened at this luncheon. It’s events like this that are a great opportunity for some of the country’s largest supercar collectors to make new friends. I am very fortunate I got to be a part of this great event.Ferrari For SaleFor a chance to see these unique cars and even more, be sure to attend the Dream Ride Car Show in Farmington, Connecticut. Visit their website for more information about this great charity at DreamRide.org.I encourage everyone to follow my adventures on Instagram @taylorsangerphotography.Highlight of the cars that attended: Pagani Huayra & Lamborghini Aventador owned by @Sparky18888 and @VTM_theking_4 Maserati MC12 owned by @Capassot Koenigsegg CCXRS owned by @csid830 LaFerrari & Enzo owned by @lemonman6 Chrome Lamborghini Aventador owned by @TeamSalamone White Ferrari 458 Speciale owned by @sferrari458 Orange McLaren 12C owned by @bsilverbush Aston Martin DBS owned by @lambojules Nissan GT-R owned by @rpjeweler Gallery

By Caitlin Duffy – June 05, 2015

The Abu Dhabi Police Lykan Hypersport Photoshoot

Article and photos by Drew Larrigan, eGarageLife can be all about timing. Here I am on a journey in the United Arab Emirates, a land very far and very different than life at home in Seattle. The energy in the UAE is nothing like the laid back Pacific Northwest. People here live fast. The immense heat seems to never slow them down. Constant construction and creative projects seem to pop up everywhere you look.I stumble upon the W Motors Lykan Hypersport as they released a car to the Police of Abu Dhabi. A 780 hp, 0-60 mph in 2.8 second dream machine. In collaboration with Abu Dhabi Police, W Motors wants to help promote road safety here in the UAE. Under the Arab sun, we all know this is a land of high horsepower and luxury. W Motors is the first Arabian Supercar manufacturer and who better for the Abu Dhabi Police to collaborate with on their road safety project.Be sure to visit eGarage to see the full gallery and follow more of Drew's work at www.egarage.com See More Photographer's Perspectives

By Edward Jones – September 25, 2014

Lamborghini Aventador 50th Anniversary by Tanner Mashburn

Article and photos by TMash PhotosIt isn’t very often that I get to shoot a car as rare as the Lamborghini Aventador 50th Anniversary Roadster. I saw one back in 2013 at Pebble Beach, but was not a huge fan of the one on display. However, when I arrived to do the shoot of this car, the garage door opened and that glorious blue paint made the car really pop. It's amazing how a color can completely change your opinion of a car. I also truly believe that this particular Aventador is the best to ever come out of the Lamborghini factory.I spent a couple of minutes talking to the owner about his newest car and he pointed out different small details that most would never notice. There is carbon fiber everywhere, a full Alcantara interior, yellow springs in the engine bay and, my favorite detail, a yellow 50th Anniversary logo stitched into the doors. Once I began to take some photos I realized the car was very easy to photograph. With the help of my polarizer, the Blue Nethuns paint was almost glowing. However, throughout the shoot there was one issue that I quickly found when photographing the car from the front.The 50th Anniversary front bumper really likes to blend in with the shadows, making it very hard to see in pictures. There could have been several ways to correct this on location, but I realized it wasn't a huge problem, and a little editing after the shoot cleared the issue with no troubles.This paint, similar to a McLaren’s paint, completely changes color in different intensities of light. That being said, I highly suggest to anyone shooting a car with bright paint to always find the location with the most sun available.We went to one of my favorite locations that put us on the top of one of Tennessee’s many rolling hills. From there the sun really brought the best out of the Blue Nethuns paint. The empty road leading up to the mountain also allowed for some motion shots without the worry of traffic coming. When shooting photos on public roads, I always suggest to go as far away from the city as possible. This allows you to not have to worry about cars coming, which can pose danger or get in the way of your shot. If this isn't an option, be sure to bring an assistant to direct traffic and consider contacting local authorities to alert them of potential issues.All-in-all, I believe this photo shoot was a success. It's hard to take bad photos when the car looks this good, but also easy to take incredible ones.To see the full shoot, please check out the link below: See Full GalleryGallery (Source: TMash Photos)

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