Porsche 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 Edward Jones – June 13, 2018

How to Pronounce Porsche "Taycan"

The all-electric Mission E has been officially announced as the Porsche Taycan. After reading that sentance, how did you pronounce "Taycan" as you were reading it? Maybe you pronounced it like "taken" or "ty-con," but no matter how you said it, you probably asked yourself what the correct pronunciation is.Thankfully, Porsche has released a video that lets us know how their upcoming model's name is really pronounced.Those that went with the "ty-con" pronunciation, congratulations because you were correct.In the video, the informative narrator also talks about how every Porsche has one thing in common: a soul. This was brought up because many are talking about how the soul of a car is ripped out when the gasoline engine is missing. For that, Porsche is promising that the soul we've felt in all of their models will be present in the Taycan. Referring to the Taycan, Porsche says in the video description: "...although his heart is powered by a different force - electricity - the soul, once again, is the same."

By Andrew Nabors – June 12, 2018

Porsche 70th Anniversary Celebration Film

It took serious determination for a German engineer to start a sports car company in the aftermath of WWII. Ferdinand Porsche Jr couldn't afford to build them, so he went to Volkswagen dealers and sold them on a dream. A fast & nimble machine that would appeal to buyers who wanted more than a Beetle.The first few deposits allowed 49 examples of the Porsche 356 to be built by hand in a sawmill in Gmund, Austria. Sales of these allowed Ferdinand to pay his father's ransom, and the old man was released from a French prison. Their home in Stuttgart was ravaged day & night by Allied bombers, along with their Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg. But the British saw the potential of the Beetle and rebuilt the factory.Dr. Wolfgang Porsche’s Five Favorite CarsBecause Porsche designed the little bug, they received a royalty on each one. Given that over 21,529,464 Type 1 Beetles were built, it provided the means for Porsche to build the world's best sports cars. The old man died of a stroke in 1951, but his son and grandsons have overseen 7 decades of success. If you have never experienced a Porsche 911 for yourself, click the link below and let your adventure begin.Find Your Porsche 911 Here!

By Andrew Nabors – June 08, 2018

Porsche is Celebrating 70 Years With New 911 Speedster

When Jerry Seinfeld announced the new season of his show, it reminded us that he owns one of the original Porsche 356 models built in Gmund, Austria. The aluminum bodies were hammered and formed by the survivors of a decade of violence. Beating their swords into plowshares paid for the release of Dr. Porsche from a French POW prison, and he was amazed at what his son had built.Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee Returns July 6thThe Porsche 356 Speedster was essentially a gorgeous body on the chassis of their Volkswagen Beetle. Seventy years later, the Porsche 911 is at the forefront of automotive engineering and build quality. These two cars couldn't be farther apart by any measure. "Pollie" is Mr. duPont's 356 Speedster, and it was the first 356 I had driven. Of course, it stays in like-new condition, so it is as close as anyone will get to a time machine. But there is something in the way it communicates with the driver. It corners like nothing else from the old days. It is nimble, and the carburetors offer instant power.So, Porsche has decided to give themselves something amazing. The 911 Speedster Concept bridges the gap between old and new. Starting with a new 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, the rear seats are deleted and the convertible top is replaced by a carbon fiber tonneau cover. Keeping with the 356 theme, you won't find air conditioning, audio, or an automatic transmission. The fuel filler is dead center of the front end, and the classic Talbot mirrors are a gorgeous touch.Power comes from the 911 GT3 RS, with over 500 hp at only 9,000 rpm. This is sent to 21" Fuchs replica wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. We would sell a pile of kidneys to get this concept into production, and we're sure you agree. But this is just the start of their 70th Anniversary, so stay with us for all your Porsche updates.Find Your Porsche 911 For Sale Here The Porsche 911 Speedster Concept forges a link between the very first Porsche 356 ‘No. 1’ Roadster and the Porsche cars of today. More: newsroom.porsche.com // article: The Porsche 911 Speedster Concept: open-top and pure #porsche #porschenews #porschenewsroom #911speedsterconcept #911speedster #concept #911 #porsche911speedster #porsche911 #porsche70yrs #sports #cars #sportscars #sport #car #sportscar #opentop #pure #356no1 #details #wheel #interior #porschelife #porschepix A post shared by Porsche Newsroom (@porsche_newsroom) on Jun 8, 2018 at 11:59am PDT

By Edward Jones – June 08, 2018

The New Electric Porsche Has a Name: Taycan

We've become familiar with the Porsche Mission E over the recent months. Now, the Mission E has been given an official name: Taycan. This name is derived from Turkish and can be roughly translated to "lively young horse." If you've even taken a close look at a Porsche emblem/crest, you've noticed the leaping steed that's been there since 1952.“Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it’s a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom,” Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, explains. Horses can travel long distances, are strong and dependable and ones found in the wild are as free as can be. I'd say this is a fitting name.

By Andrew Nabors – June 07, 2018

Porsche Is Ready For LeMans 2018

We are a week away from the 86th running of the world's most famous endurance race. The 24 Hours of LeMans is a test of drivers, engineers, pit crews, and their cars. In a Porsche Press Release, they are confident that the 911 RSR is ready to win the GTE-Pro class. Four customer teams are also fielding six of them in the GTE-Am class. Our friends from @porsche.museum brought together two icons and an actual pink pig! Porsche at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans: newsroom.porsche.com // article: Two Porsche 911 RSR compete in historic livery #porsche #porschenews #porschenewsroom #porschemuseum #porschemuseumworkshop #porsche911 #porsche911rsr #911rsr #porsche917 #porsche91720 #pig #24heuresdumans #lemans #lemans24 #lemans24h #motorsport #porscheraces #motorsports #sportscar #car #instacar #racecar #dickeberta #pinkpig #sau #history #historic #porschelife #porschepix A post shared by Porsche Newsroom (@porsche_newsroom) on Jun 7, 2018 at 2:36am PDT Cars 91 and 92 will wear historic liveries from the 70's and 80's. Car 91 is blue and white, the same scheme found on cars sponsored by the Rothmans during the early 80's. Car 92 resurrects the famous colors of the "Pink Pig". It was the 917/20 that dominated the 1971 race. It will be driven by Kévin Estre, Michael Christensen & Laurens Vanthoor. Just like the 917, this pig will feature butcher marks. Fans also called it the "Truffle Hunter" and it is among Porsche's most famous racers.Car 91 will be piloted by Gianmaria Bruni Richard Lietz Frédéric Makowiecki in the Rothman's Livery. The famous British tobacco makers sponsored a 1986 Porsche 959 in the Paris-Dakar rally and a few 962 C cars in the mid-80's. Good luck to all the Porsche teams, especially the GTE-Pro, since Team Corvette is returning with the same C7.R that won a podium finish last year. Stay with us for all your Porshe updates and click the link below for great deals on 2018 models.Browse Porsche 911 For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – June 06, 2018

Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo Debuted in California

No other state in the union has more Early Adopters than California. For some reason, our nation turns to celebrities and film stars for the latest in technology. That's why Porsche has released the Mission E Cross Turismo for a tour of the state.In a press release this morning, Porsche said 20 media representatives from10 countries had a chance to get behind the wheel. This beauty arrives with 20" wheels wearing 275/40 tires on all corners. Based on Porsche new 800-volt system, it can quickly be recharged at the 800v network being installed at every US Porsche dealer.Power is limited to 600 hp to conserve the range while still offering 0-124 mph in 12 seconds. If you are conservative with the skinny pedal, you will have well over 310 miles between charges. Taking a tour of Malibu, the probably passed many electric cars from the California-based Model S builders. Germans never tend to give warning shots before invading, so it looks like an electric war is upon us. Your local Porsche dealer has 800v chargers ready for this new lineup, including the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. So click the link below and stay with us for all your Porshe news.Peruse Porsche Panamera For Salehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=oa5F1cWLnRg

By Andrew Nabors – May 31, 2018

Porsche Hints At New Front Engine Sports Car

Sales of the Porsche 911 were booming in the early '70s, but the boss had always longed for a proper Grand Touring car. Ferdinand Porsche assembled a team to study the idea of building a balanced coupe with the engine mounted up front. This would be a first for the brand, so they decided to tell us how the Porsche 928 was born in a press release.To achieve perfect weight distribution, engineers decided the 4.5 liter V8 would be balanced by mounting the transmission at the rear. Combining the differential with the transmission, the innovation was known as the Weissach Axle. The rear suspension geometry was so ahead of its time, that Porsche Suspension Manager Manfred Harrer said it is a "revolution in suspension that’s still the basis of our work today". The Panamera uses the same configuration. The engine and transmission were connected by a torque tube. This rigid structure housed the driveshaft and also formed the basis of a solid chassis. While Porsche claims the 928 was the first car to have this style of drivetrain, they seem to have overlooked the 1961 Pontiac Tempest. Photo credit GM & Motor Trend (May 1961 issue)John DeLorean was Pontiac's Chief Engineer and he designed the first production car with a rear-mounted transmission. Instead of a solid driveshaft, he used a torsion bar that stored energy between the engine and the gearbox. This car was so far ahead of its time, it has handling comparable to modern cars. We'll cover it another day. When GM found out what he was doing, the first-gen Tempest was seen as too expensive and it was canned in 1963.When John DeLorean Ruled the StreetsPorsche did unveil a host of new technology on the 928. The first prototypes suffered from snap-oversteer if you let off the gas pedal while cornering. To solve this, they developed progressive rate bushings. They are now standard across the automotive industry, but it allowed the 928's rear wheels to keep their composure in all situations.Lamborghini Marzal in Public for 1st Time Since 1967This has saved countless lives over the last 40 years. It even gave the axle its own acronym based on the Weissach development center. They named the axle: Winkel einstellende, Selbst stabilisierende Ausgleichs-Charakteristik (angle-adjusting, self-stabilizing equalization characteristic). So why is Porsche reminding us of something 4 decades old? Perhaps it is the same reason their cousins at Lamborghini keep reminding us of the Espada. Something amazing is in the works, and it will be a potent front engine-rear transaxle GT car. Tell us what you think it will be in the comments below and stay with us for all your Porsche news. Browse Porsche 928 For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – May 31, 2018

Porsche Embraces Japan's Songs of the Road

If you happen to drive a Porsche 718 Cayman to the Observatory in Takayama Japan, don't be surprised by the familiar tunes coming from your tires. In a Porsche press release, they investigate the social impact of this unique program.Sell Your Exotic Car with duPont REGISTRYMusical roads are nothing new, but Civil Engineer Shizuo Shinoda discovered they had many benefits. On the northern island of Hokkaido, tractors and farm implements damaged his drive to work, and the ruts reminded him of a familiar tune. So he began working with the Hokkaido Industrial Research Institute to study further uses for musical asphalt.The first observation is that drivers simply enjoy the melodies. Several roads in Gunma Prefecture have famous tunes. From "When you wish upon a star" to "Take me home, country roads", are joined by many traditional Japanese tunes. The real genius is that the songs are only played in the correct key if you are driving the speed limit.Another noted effect is keeping drivers alert. This has led to more ambitious projects like a road in Akitakata. Driving there, your right tires play the rhythm while your lefts play the chorus. Properly tuning the roads has been an advunture unto itself. Residents of Kita-Karuizawa complained in July of 2012 that the tunes could be heard for almost 1/3 of a mile.There is probably more to this story, perhaps the melodies won't play on American or Italian rubber. Nitto and Toyo are both excellent brands so it could be time for an upgrade. If you want to test this for yourself, the 718 Cayman would be the most fun, as the firm suspension bushings will allow the sounds to enter the cabin. But if you are like us, the throaty exhaust might cause us to exceed the 40 kmh speed limit. Some songs are better in fast forward, so tell us what you would drive in the comments below.Browse Porsche 718 Cayman For Sale P.S. Florida's roads are designed to sound and feel like the Western Front, which might account for some of the road rage.

By Andrew Nabors – May 29, 2018

Porsche 919 Tribute Tour: 956 & 919 At The 'Ring

It has been 35 years since the Porsche 956 broke the lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Norbert Singer was tasked with winning the FIA World Championship, so he shocked everyone in 1982. The 956 was a Group C competitor that turned in the fastest time at Germany's famous track.Singer Vehicle Design Joins Forces With Williams For New PowerTo show us just how far they've come, the 956 was joined by a 919 Hybrid Evo to celebrate the successes of both cars. The 919 Hybrid has been retired, so Porsche is taking it on a world tour for all to see. Their first stop was Manhattan, the site of the first Porsche dealer in the Western Hemisphere. Then it was on to Spa, a track where Porsche has dominated for decades.Uploaded in a YouTube video last night, it was a return to Castle Nürburg to see these legends in action. The 956 is powered by a 2.65 liter flat-6 with enough turbo boost to make 635 horsepower. Essentially it was a Porsche 930 engine tuned for Indianapolis.Porsche 930: Raw Power for a 911The 919 Hybrid uses an even smaller 2.0 liter V4 (also turbocharged), but it has an advanced hybrid energy storage system. Both cars represent the state of the art of their era, so it makes us wonder what's coming next. Of course, the closest we will ever get to driving a 919 Hybrid is the Porsche 918 Spyder, so click the link below to find yours and stay with us for all your Porsche updates.Browse Porsche 918 Spyder For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – May 25, 2018

Porsche Explains the Lizard Green Paint on the 911 GT3 RS

No decision is arbitrary when it comes to Porsche's pride & joy. Even the smallest change invokes a discussion amongst the management, so they decided to let us in on how a new color was chosen for the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Barbara Sika and Daniela Milošević are the ladies in charge of Porsche's paint shop.Because the GT3 RS is so polarizing, Barbara said: “The 911 GT3 RS pushes the limits of what’s technically possible, so it also needs a cutting-edge color". Daniela followed her with: "We match the color precisely to the character of the car. The color should be like a superb article of clothing that perfectly highlights the car’s qualities."Barbara also pointed out that Lizard Green extroverted, and we couldn't agree more. The brilliant shade is found on the seats, roll cage, and even the seat belts. That's why it has been chosen as a "Communication Color". The press release says we will see this car in many brochures, videos, and social media in the near future. If you need more green in your life, click the link below to find your GT3 RS and have a great weekend!Browse Porsche 911 GT3 RS For Sale

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