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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 – July 28, 2022

Porsche Increases Sales Revenue, Operating Profit, And Re...

When it comes to the road, track, and in business, count on Porsche to perform. Despite a challenging environment for the entire automotive industry, Porsche has managed to increase its sales revenue, operating profit, and return on sales in the first half of 2022. So far, the year has given the car industry a tough challenge with supply issues making it difficult for automakers to deliver cars. Even in the face of this, Porsche has managed to increase sales revenue by 8.5% to nearly $17 billion, and operating profit by an incredible 24.6% up to $2.7 billion. Although fewer cars were delivered in the first half of this year than the first half of last year, the return on sales increased to 19.4%. MUST READ: Porsche Delivers 5% Fewer Vehicles Worldwide In The First Half of 2022 Compared to 2021 Porsche credits this increase to a strong product mix and the benefits of current currency exchange rates. As the Porsche Cayenne celebrates its 20th anniversary, Porsche has been celebrating taking what was at the time a risky decision to invest in creating a luxury performance SUV, and to this day, that decision still benefits the brand as the Cayenne remains one of Porsche’s most popular models. Porsche hopes to continue this success with the goal of reaching a return on sales of 20% in the long term, and while challenges still loom over the industry, Porsche sees this success as a sign that it has what it takes to persevere. View All Porsches For Sale Source: Porsche

By Tyler Rampersaud – July 01, 2022

Porsche's Q2 2022 U.S. Sales See A 3% Improvement Over Q2...

Despite supply issues continuing to plague the industry, Porsche remains successful. The automotive industry is in a difficult place as supply issues continue to make it difficult for manufacturers to get cars off the assembly line. However, in the United States, Porsche still manages to remain successful with 19,487 deliveries this quarter, which is an increase of nearly 3 percent over the same period last year and brings total deliveries for the first half of the year to 32,539. While that is still not quite as high as last year’s figures, those figures were for the strongest sales year in PCNA’s history. MUST READ: Porsche Design Releases The New P’8937 Sunglasses, Available Now Continuing with what has been typical for Porsche sales numbers, the Macan and Cayenne continue to be the two favorite models for U.S. customers. Below them, the Taycan and 911 achieved similar figures, with the 911 coming out on top this time, and the Panamera, along with the 718 models slotted below them. Along with that, Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned sales in the United States improved over last year’s figures, totaling 15,449 and increasing the figure by 6 percent. While there are still challenges surrounding the automotive industry, Porsche is overcoming them and is ready to succeed when they subside. View All Porsche 911 GT3s For Sale Source: Porsche

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 08, 2022

Porsche Acquires German eBike Manufacturer Fazua With Pla...

Porsche’s involvement in the eBike space just got much bigger with its latest acquisition. Back in January, Porsche bought a 20 percent stake in Fazua, an eBike company basked in Ottobrunn, Germany. Months later, Porsche has just announced that it has acquired all of Fazua’s shares, expanding its footprint in the eBike category. Fazua is known for developing light and small drive systems like the new Ride 60. Porsche’s involvement in the eBike industry includes ownership of a majority stake in Croatian eBike brand Greyp, as well. MUST READ: Porsche Unveils The Art of Dreams ‘Everywhereness’ At Milan Design Week 2022 Porsche plans to merge all of its eBike activities by establishing two joint ventures with Ponooc Investment B.V. The first is going to develop and manufacture Porsche-branded eBikes, and the second will create technology for the growing micro-mobility market. Also, Porsche plans to continue working with its partner, Rotwild, on their collaborative eBike models. Last year, Rotwild and Porsche released the Porsche eBike Sport and eBike Cross. The Porsches that come out of this investment and expansion might have two fewer wheels, but they’ll be made with just as much innovation. View All Porsches For Sale Source: Porsche

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 18, 2022

Porsche Sets A New Goal For An 80% All-Electric Lineup By...

Porsche’s ambitious new goals include public trading and a comprehensive all-electric lineup. With over 300,000 vehicles delivered in 2021, Porsche had a year full of success and validation in the direction in which the brand is currently going. Its recent success has even gotten Porsche to consider trading publicly, allowing public investment to fuel quicker and larger developments. One of the most important highlights to come out of that announcement was the fact that sales of the Taycan more than doubled, soaring to 41,296 global deliveries. Despite the 911 setting a new record high for sales in 2021, the Taycan still managed to outperform it, which leaves no doubt in Porsche’s mind that the enthusiasm for electric cars is very real. MUST READ: Sean Wotherspoon x Porsche Unveil The Taycan 4S Cross Turismo Art Car As a matter of fact, 40% of Porsche’s deliveries in Europe were of vehicles that had some sort of electric component, like hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles, and Porsche has been developing an all-electric version of the Porsche Macan SUV, set to launch in 2023. Porsche has also announced that, by “the middle of the decade,” an all-electric version of the Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman sports cars will be released. Looking even further, Porsche has announced that by 2030, 80% or more of new Porsches should be all-electric. To help this goal along, Porsche is working on creating its own charging infrastructure, as well as battery systems, which are being developed in collaboration with Cellforce Group. Porsche’s current performance might be phenomenal itself, but its goals for the future are even more so. All Porsches For Sale Source: Porsche

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 12, 2022

Porsche's Record-Breaking 2021 Saw Over 300,000 Vehicle D...

Over 300,000 worldwide deliveries marks Porsche’s best year on record. While China remains the largest market for Porsche, sales increased the most dramatically in North America, where Porsche sold over 70,000 vehicles. The existing trend continues of SUVs being the largest volume sellers for the brand, with both the Macan and Cayenne selling over 80,000 examples each. MUST READ: The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Is Now A Guinness World Record Holder However, as with so many brands this past year, electric cars have proven to be a look into the future of the automotive industry, and sales are reflecting that. The Taycan doubled its sales compared to 2020 with over 40,000 units sold, which put it above the 911, Panamera, and both 718 models. With this amount of success for the brand as whole and for the electric Taycan model even in the face of adversity due to the pandemic and supply chain bottlenecks, it’s clear that Porsche’s future is bright, and that electric vehicles are an integral part of the success that is yet to come. In Europe, 40 percent of Porsche sales were either electric or plug-in hybrids. Is 2022 the yeast that you get behind the wheel of a Porsche? Click below to browse Porsches for sale on the duPont REGISTRY, you never know. Porsche For Sale Source: Porsche

By Edward Jones – October 04, 2021

Porsche Continues Impressive Sales in Q3 2021

Porsche took a tiny hit to deliveries due to supply chain issues. Porsche has just posted their sales and deliveries numbers for Q3 2021 in the United States and they show a continuation of impressive results. While the delivery of 15,289 vehicles was 1.7 percent down when compared to the same time quarter last year, Porsche points this problem to supply chain issues. Additionally, Porsche has already had a phenomenal year so far, with the first nine months of 2021 outperforming the same time period in 2020 by 20.0 percent. While 2020 was the main year of pandemic-related sales issues, Porsche also points to the first three quarters of 2021 outperforming the same time period in 2019. In regards to individual model sales, the new Porsche 911 was the leader in the third quarter in terms of growth with an increase of 2.4 percent when compared to last year and 5.1 percent year-to-date. You can view the chart below to see how sales stack up from 2021 to 2020, model by model. Model July-September Sales Year to Date 2021 2020 2021 2020 ALL 911 1,621 1,567 6,729 6,402 ALL 718 753 1,084 3,165 1,956 ALL TAYCAN 1,861 1,858 7,228 2,897 ALL PANAMERA 1,090 1,064 2,806 3,119 ALL CAYENNE 4,874 4,509 15,108 12,153 ALL MACAN 5,090 5,466 16,579 13,207 TOTALS 15,289 15,548 51,615 39,734 See All Porsches For Sale Source: Porsche

By Jordan Aquistapace – July 16, 2021

Porsche Delivers 31% More Vehicles In The First 6-Months ...

If you've been seeing more Porsches on the road, it's because the brand is breaking records. After a series of unfortunate events over the past year, the automotive industry is starting to regain traction with Porsche presenting some incredible production numbers for the first half of 2021. Porsche delivered 153,656 vehicles worldwide, representing an increase of 31 percent compared to the previous year. The significant demand growth spanned all model series and global sales regions. The most successful model was the Cayenne at 44,050 units delivered, twelve percent more than last year. The Macan is in second place at 43,618 customers taking delivery in the first half-year. The all-electric Taycan celebrates a special success: with 19,822 vehicle deliveries, it is just under the level of 2020 as a whole at the end of the half-year. The latest member of the model range is on a par with the sports car icon, the 911, with deliveries of 20,611 and an increase of 22 percent. The 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman models saw 11,922 units delivered to customers (up 33 percent). For the Panamera, it was 13,633 vehicles, an increase of six percent. Along with the percentage of sold Porsches on the rise, the German automotive manufacturer is also happy to report an influx in sales across all regions. The United States achieved particularly strong growth within the markets with a rise of 50 percent: 36,326 vehicles were delivered. For more Porsche news, Check out Watch John Mayer Promote His New Album ‘Sob Rock’ In A Porsche 911 GT3

By Andrew Nabors – March 19, 2021

Fast Financials: Porsche is Unstoppable

Normal automakers are cooking up dozens of excuses for their 2020 performance, but Porsche is unstoppable. Driven by the incredible 992-series 911 and the Taycan's popularity, the value of the brand surpassed 2019's numbers by $119 million dollars. This puts a total value at $34 billion, and it justifies Porsche as being the cornerstone of the VW empire. “The financial year 2020 was successful for Porsche – despite challenging circumstances,”- Chairman Oliver Blume Deliveries of 272,000 cars was only down 3% despite being shutdown during the outbreak. They saw a 14.6% return on sales to yield an operating profit of 4.99 billion. With more than 20,000 Taycans delivered, Porsche has opened a door to electric car enthusiasts who would have never considered the brand before. Covid forced all automakers into a precarious situation, but Porsche saw it as an opportunity to trim some fat. Without losing any of their 36,000 employees, they eliminated waste by improving logistics and cancelling corporate expenditures that no longer made sense. Every worker received a Christmas bonus of $9,332 for helping make that a reality. "Profitability Programme 2025" is a plan to grow the business by 11.8 billion over the next four years, and you will see it happen here. Stay with us for all your industry insights. Browse Porsche For Sale Images (C) Porsche A.G.

By Andrew Nabors – January 06, 2021

Fast Financials 2020 Q4: Porsche Taycan Shocks The World

As a signal to everyone that electric cars are the future, our latest Fast Financials for Q4 shows clearly that the Porsche Taycan has shocked the world. In a press release earlier today, Porsche reported their 2nd strongest year-to-date. Model Year 2020 ALL 911 8,840 ALL 718 3,447 ALL TAYCAN 4,414 ALL PANAMERA 3,870 ALL CAYENNE 18,092 ALL MACAN 18,631 GRAND TOTALS 57,294 With a grand total of 57,294 cars sold, the Taycan represents 4,414 examples in its first full-year of production. Considering it beat the Panamera by nearly 1,000 cars, this is an impressive first year for the electric luxury sedan. The Cayenne and Macan remain at the front of the pack, followed by the 911, with the 718 series rounding out the group. Of course, the actual profit and cash flows are heavily guarded because Porsche is the centerpiece of the VW empire. These numbers speak for themselves, so click the button to find one for yourself. Browse Porsche For Sale Image (C) Porsche Cars North America

By Edward Jones – November 02, 2020

Porsche Sees Successful Year So Far Despite Pandemic

Even though the world has been fighting an ongoing pandemic, Porsche has been able to post some solid numbers throughout the first three quarters of 2020. In total, Porsche generated an operating result of 2.0 billion euros (~$2.3 billion USD). Porsche also notes they had a revenue of 19.4 billion euros (~$22.5 billion USD_ which was a 10.4 percent return on sales. While the operating result was down by 28 percent when you compare it to last year's numbers, Porsche is satisfied considering the situation the entire world is facing every day. “Our young, attractive product portfolio appeals to customers. I’m optimistic about the coming months,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG. “The new 911 and our electric sports car, the Taycan, impressively demonstrate our innovative strength, and their sales figures have exceeded our expectations.” For these first three quarters, Porsche delivered a total of 191,547 cars to customers around the globe, a five percent decrease compared to 2019. Interestingly enough, the Chinese market has been a source of success for Porsche as they have delivered a total of62,823 cars to China. Getting down to models, 25,400 units of the 911 were delivered and 11,000 units of the Taycan. See All Porsches For Sale

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