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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 Andrew Nabors – December 17, 2019

2020 Porsche Macan GTS is Compact & Capable

Santa told me you like sporty crossovers. Well, even if you don't, every automaker is embroiled in the war for family haulers. Engineers in Stuttgart don't take threats lightly, and that is why the new 2020 Porsche Macan GTS is compact & capable. As the latest Macan, the GTS model completes the lineup of this generation. Under the hood is their latest 2.9-liter V6. It offers 375 horsepower and a whopping 383 lb-ft of torque between 1,750 to 5,000 rpm. With such a broad torque curve, it reaches 60 mph in 4.5 seconds if you order the Sport Chrono package. It rides a bit lower than normal Macans, rolling on 20" RS Spyder wheels. Equally capable are the brakes, with 14" front and 13" rotors on the rear. Browse All Porsche Macan For Sale Pricing in the U.S. starts at $71,300, and deliveries are expected to begin this summer. Click the button above to find our dealer near you, and stay with us for all your Porsche news. " width="680"> Related: Porsche 918 Spyder Price, Specs, Photos & Review

By Edward Jones – December 16, 2019

See the New Porsche Star Wars Starship "In Action"

The surprising collaboration between Porsche and Lucasfilm Ltd. has resulted in the new Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter. Of all of the odd collaborations we've seen, this is definitely one that deserves your attention. To create the Tri-Wing, the teams from Lucasfilm and Porsche had to work in their respective offices across the world (California and Germany). It's not easy working a world apart, but these teams did it and hit it out of the park. To get an idea of the work these teams put in, check out the video below. The video also shows more specifications of the starship and also shows it in action... in a CGI world. It's definitely worth a watch. SEE ALL PORSCHES FOR SALE " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – December 13, 2019

Porsche Formula E as Seen Through Leica Optics

When it comes to Point & Shoot, Leica leads the way. Not only do they build amazing cameras, but their lineup also includes rifle scopes, military hardware, and ophthalmic equipment. So it's only natural that 3x LeMans Winner André Lotterer shoots the Porsche Formula E through Leica optics. Browse Leica Optics We use our Leicas at many events because of the quality and practicality, as such, they are also a perfect Christmas gift. Click the button above for great deals from our friends at B&H, and stay with us for all your Porsche news. Related: New Star Wars Starship Designed by Porsche & Lucasfilm Porsche 911 Turbo S Price, Specs, Photos & Review

By Edward Jones – December 13, 2019

New Star Wars Starship Designed by Porsche and Lucasfilm

Porsche AG and Lucasfilm Ltd. have finally unveiled the product of their collaboration. Introducing the Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter, a new starship for the Star Wars universe. The two companies worked in their studios located in San Francisco and Weissach to develop the new starship and came together to finish the design. The Tri-Wing looks like it would fit in very naturally in the Star Wars universe, but it also has a few Porsche touches. In the front are air inlets similar to what you'd find on a Porsche automobile. At the back are taillights that were inspired by the current 911 generation. “The design of the spaceship is harmoniously integrated into the Star Wars film world while at the same time demonstrating clear analogies with the characteristic Porsche styling and proportions,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche at Porsche AG. “The basic shape of the cabin, which tapers towards the rear, and a highly distinctive topography from the cockpit flyline to the turbines establish visual parallels with the iconic design of the 911 and the Taycan. The very compact layout conveys dynamism and agility, lending emphasis to the Porsche design features mentioned.” SEE ALL PORSCHES FOR SALE

By Andrew Nabors – December 12, 2019

Porsche Type7 Volume 1 Hardcover Announced

As one of the best Porsche pages on Instagram, Type7 is a well-curated compilation of Porsche racers, owners, history and heritage. Thanks to the incredible growth of @type7, Porsche is doing something unprecedented. While the German version will be delivered by Christmas, the English version of Type7 Volume 1 is heading to print later this month. Edited by Ted Gushue, it contains over 450 photos across 280 pages. If you are curious about the name, Type7 is the English translation of "Typ7". It was a 1961 project car by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. The car was such a hit, it became the prototype of the first Porsche 911 for sale. Click the button below to order yours, and stay with us for all your Porsche news. Click Here to Order Related: Porsche 911 GT3 RS Specs, Prices, Photos & Review

By Andrew Nabors – December 12, 2019

Porsche Top 5 Rally Cars

One of the best aspects of all Porsche 911 for sale, is that the engine is behind the rear wheels. Not only does it keep the car from getting stuck, but every 911 also has incredible drifting abilities. Both of those factors make the Porsche incredible on the road, on ice, or even in thick mud. Given these attributes, let's look at Porsche's Top 5 Rally Cars. Browse All Porsche 911 For Sale When I was younger, old rusty Porsche 911 for sale were affordable. That's why many were jacked up with truck tires and raced around the world. We don't advocate abusing any Porsche, but it sure is fun. Click the button above for great Holliday offers from our dealers, and you will have a sports car capable of going anywhere! Related: Porsche Top 5: The Loudest Porsches Porsche 911 GT2 RS Specs, Price, Photos & Review

By Edward Jones – December 11, 2019

Porsche Taycan Ventures Into L.A. in New Series

The new Porsche Taycan is going to make waves when it finally starts rolling out onto the streets. Electric cars are more popular than ever right now, and an EV with a Porsche badge is a recipe for success. Porsche has launched a new YouTube series called the "Taycan LA Stories" that shows how some of their customers appreciate the new model. From Raquel Tavares, the health-conscious founder of Fourth & Heart, to Russell Gewirtz, the writer of 'Inside Man,' you'll see just how some L.A. citizens appreciate the groundbreaking Taycan. SEE ALL PORSCHES FOR SALE " width="680"> " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – December 05, 2019

Porsche Taycan Top 5 Highlights

Being first to market is not a wise strategy. That's why Porsche has studied their competitors in order to build the perfect electric sedan. If the anticipation is too much to handle, you should not watch this. But if you can handle high-voltage and German precision, here are the Porsche Taycan Top 5 highlights. Browse All Porsche For Sale Related: Porsche Taycan Performance Highlights Porsche Taycan Turbo Road Trip: Niagara Falls to Manhattan

By Andrew Nabors – December 04, 2019

2019 Porsche 911 Speedsters Available For Purchase

If you have 502 horsepower, you don't need a roof. That is why Porsche has delivered on their promise to revive a classic. A drop-top masterpiece with Cognac leather, it is the latest model from their Exclusive Manufaktur department. Don't miss this opportunity, and get your Porsche 911 Speedster here! It is essentially a convertible GT3 with a manual transmission, and our dealers are awaiting your call. View Price & Listing View Price & Listing View Price & Listing View Price & Listing View Price & Listing View Price & Listing " width="680"> Browse All Porsche 911 Speedsters For Sale Related: 2020 Porsche Speedster Reviewed by Carfection 2020 Porsche Speedster in Action

By Edward Jones – December 04, 2019

Porsche November 2019 U.S. Sales Figures

Porsche is poised to make 2019 their tenth consecutive year of growth in deliveries to U.S. customers. On top of that, it will also be their eighth successive record year. Yes, Porsche is on a roll and shows no signs of slowing down. In November 2019, Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) saw sales rise by 11.5 percent year-over-year to a total of 6,326 cars. PCNA notes that November 2019 was actually their strongest month ever. The new Cayenne was a huge part of PCNA's November success, which saw a 52.4 increase compared to last year. SEE ALL PORSCHES FOR SALE Model November Sales Year-to-Date 2019 2018 2019 2018 ALL 911 979 1,056 8,602 8,858 ALL 718 247 422 3,689 5,039 ALL PANAMERA 657 800 6,033 7,710 ALL CAYENNE 1,972 1,294 17,519 9,350 ALL MACAN 2,471 2,101 20,992 22,159 GRAND TOTALS 6,326 5,673 56,835 53,116 Source: PCNA

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