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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 04, 2018

The New Porsche 935: How it Came to Life

When Porsche Motorsport engineers decided to revive a legend, no expense was spared. The new Porsche 935 is loosely based on the 911 GT2 RS and it is ready for any track in the world. Extensive computer modeling and countless hours in the wind tunnel have produced a stunning design. Only 77 examples are planned, so we hope a few of them reach the US. Their goal was to breathe new life into the Clubsport racing scene with a wild 911. Many of these will undoubtedly be locked away in Porsche collections around the world, and you will see them on the pages of our magazine. This 700 horsepower beast is the stuff that dreams are made of, so stay with us for all your Porsche news. Related: 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS Specs, Price, Photos, & Review Porsche 911 GT3 Crashes Hard Going 152 MPH at Nürburgring 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S Configurator is Live!

By Andrew Nabors – November 26, 2018

2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S Spied Attacking Nurburgring

The world will see the next generation Porsche 911 at the LA Auto Show next week. There will be a new Carrera on the streets, which means the Turbo and Turbo S models aren't far behind. What started out as a heavily camouflaged coupe has been finalized into the 992 Generation for model-year 2020. To make sure it surpasses the 7 generations before it, Porsche has been flogging the next Turbo S along with the 718 Series and the Taycan at the Nürburgring. Uploaded to YouTube by Automotive Mike, check out the other prototypes he caught at the Industry Pool. Played in slow motion, you will see a few upcoming cars that haven't been mentioned in a while. The future looks promising, so stay with us for all your Porsche news. Also Check Out These Related Articles: Next-Gen Porsche 911's Brutal Testing Porsche 993 Specs, Photos, Prices & Review Porsche Explains 911 Lineup

By Edward Jones – November 12, 2018

Hidden Porsche Workshop is Heaven on Earth

In Lisbon, Portugal lives Sportclasse, an independent Porsche specialist. But they're more than just a workshop, as they're built around the famous Porsche rally racer Américo Nunes' history and heritage. Because of Nunes' close relationship with the Porsche brand, his son, Jorge founded Sportclasse. This company specializes in restoring and maintaining Porsche, with most of them being classic and iconic examples. The result is a workshop that's constantly swimming in some of the most gorgeous examples of Porsche automobiles. YouTube channel Seen Through Glass was recently in the Lisbon area when he was told about the shop. Naturally, he stopped by for a visit and recorded a walkaround of the shop with owner's son, Andre Nunes. In the video, we see a few cars in the process of being restored, like a classic Porsche 911 RSR and even some of his grandfather's prized racing cars. Be sure to click play below to see this incredible workshop., especially if you're a Porsche enthusiast. Related: Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR Shatters ‘Ring Record Time Porsche Classic’s Project Gold Sells for $3 Million Porsche 993 Specs, Photos, Prices & Review

By Andrew Nabors – November 08, 2018

Porsche 935 in Action at RennSport Reunion VI

Back in September Porsche announced the resurrection of the 935 race car. The 935 was a brutal race car that won LeMans in 1979. It had the shape and looks of a 911 Turbo, but everything underneath was built to dominate the track. Named Moby Dick for the giant white spoiler, they were raced by factory and privateer teams around the world. Foreign Cars That Are Illegal In The US! When Porsche announced its return, we had no idea just how gorgeous it would be in motion. In the latest upload from 9:11 Magazine, the engineers describe the finer points of the design. Other clips include Walter Röhrl's return to rally racing, and an epic rematch between a classic 911 and a drag bike. Related: Porsche 911 GT2 RS Specs, Price, Photos & Review View All Porsche 911 GT2 RS For Sale Porsche 918 Weissach Package Explained

By Edward Jones – October 15, 2018

Porsche 911 GT3 RS Generation Comparison

The new 2019 Porche 911 GT3 RS is considered a part of the 991.2 generation, while the previous model year example is within the 991.1 generation. This may confuse to some, but to Porsche aficionados, it's just part of how Porsche rolls out changes. To better explain what the differences are between these two models, Porsche West Palm Beach put together a video that compares the two different 911 GT3 RS generations.The many changes made to the 991.2 generation of the 911 GT3 RS have undoubtedly led to increased performance. For example, Porsche lapped the updated model around Nurburgring in order to show off its newfound agility. This resulted in a lap time that was faster than the 918 Spyder hypercar and any 911 GT3 RS that came before it. Not bad.New Porsche 911 GT3 RS TECHART Carbon Sport PackAs for the specifics of the car, its powered by a naturally aspirated engine that produces 520 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. It also has a curb weight of just 3,153 and a power-to-weight ratio of 6.1 lb/hp. Its 0 to 60 mph time is just 3 seconds and the car has a top speed of 193 mph. Basically, this new generation of the 911 GT3 RS is a Gern improvement on a model that was already superior to so many other cars.Porsche West Palm Beach Inventory Porsche 911 GT3 RS Specs

By Edward Jones – September 06, 2018

Porsche Rolls 9.5-Times in Scary Nurburgring Crash, Drive...

Nurburgring is without a doubt one of the most famous places to race in the world. The most well-known portion of the Nurburgring is Nordschleife, which consists of 73 turns, massive differences in elevation and long spans of straight roads. Nordschleife's variations make it a difficult road and because of this, there are many spin-outs and crashes that happen all of the time.Recently, John Shoffner of J2 Racing was taking on Nordschleife in his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car for the VLN Endurance Championship. When he was coming around a corner, he lost control and his car was launched into the guardrails while it rolled 9.5-times. Eventually, the Porsche stopped rolling and it landed on its roof. You can view the video of this crash by Eifeler888 below.Fortunately, John is okay. He was taken to intensive care at a hospital, but J2 Racing has said he was released from IC the following day but was to remain in the hospital for monitoring. They also note he's feeling "ok, with no pain."We wish John Shoffner a speedy recovery and hope he gets back behind the wheel soon!

By Andrew Nabors – July 16, 2018

Porsche Steals the show at Goodwood

Inflatable Gorillas might help used car lots, but every dealer has been outdone by Porsche's Anniversary Display. Placed at on the lawn of Goodwood House was a spire holding six significant Porsches. Using a 4.72" thick steel pole, the six cars were balanced on a star, 170 feet above the grass. Because they were elevated, Porshe sent us a press release with the details of the elevated automobiles. 6. 1978 Porsche 935 Moby Dick Built to dominate, Type 935 won its first race only 7 laps in front of the 2nd place car. Hans Mezger built a 3.2-liter twin turbo that made 845 horsepower. The top speed of 227 mph was too much for the FIA, so it was restricted to 750 to remain competitive. While the cylinders remained air-cooled, a water jacket surrounded each cylinder head to keep the cams and valves happy during endurance runs. 5. Porsche 962 C This car would be fine in any direction because it generates more downforce than it weighs. Using a full belly pan and several NACA ducts, the 965 and 962 brought home 7 LeMans Victories and three Manufacturers' World Championships. This 1987 example is powered by a 3.0L flat six with twin turbos. It makes 700 horsepower and only weighs 1,874 lbs 1962 Porsche 804 F1 The first Porsche with disc brakes also featured other wild innovations. It has a 1.5L flat eight-cylinder engine with dual overhead cams. It allowed this 1,016 lb rocket to reach 167 mph thanks to 180 horsepower. 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1 If you are wondering why the rear tires are so wide, it is because the Carrera RSR had a 31.7-gallon gas tank right behind the driver. Mounting the tank where the rear seats were changes the center of gravity to an optimal position. Every other 911 has a front-mounted tank that changes the load on the front suspension as fuel is consumed. The 2.1 turbo made 500 horsepower and offered a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds. The top speed was limited by the wide rear quarter panels to 186 mph. 1984 Porsche Carrera 4x4 Paris-Dakar Porsche's rear engine design has always made it a favorite for off-road adventures, so Type 953 was built for the Paris-Dakar Rally. Using a nearly stock engine, the coil-spring suspension had dual shocks at each corner and 10.6" of travel. It was the first sports car to win the event, and it proved the performance of 4WD in the 911. 1988 Porsche 2708 Indycar Another one of Mezger's masterpiece engines was used to power their 1988 Indycar team. It packs a 2.65L V8 with twin turbos into a one-piece chassis. Made of alternating layers of carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb, it allowed this 750 horsepower beast to be a dominant force in the '88 season.Hopefully, these historic models make it home safely. It makes us wonder what Porsche will do in their next 70 years. Tell us which one you would daily drive in the comments below and stay with us for more coverage of Goodwood.

By Andrew Nabors – June 29, 2018

Porsche Sets New Record Time at the 'Ring

Porsche is retiring the 919 Hybrid Evo, so they have been taking it on a tribute tour around the world. What started on the streets of New York City had a stop at Spa, where it ran a faster lap than Lewis Hamilton's track record. Other stops along the way have let Porsche fans get one final glimpse at this winner before it goes into their museum.Porsche 919 Hybrid Parades Around NYCKnowing full well it would be the last time to lap the historic track, driver Timo Bernhard had one goal: keep the right pedal on the floor. The press release this morning stunned us because he followed orders. The result is a lap time of 5.19.55.... He destroyed every prior record for the 12.9 mile Nordschleife (North Loop). The previous record of 6.11.13 was set in 1983 by Stefan Bellof in 1983. The closest we can get to driving the 919 Hybrid is the 918 Spyder, so check out these listings from our dealers in the link below.Browse Porsche 918 Spyder For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – June 26, 2018

2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S Caught Testing

Something new is being cooked up in Stuttgart. The recipe includes a flat-six engine, carbon fiber, and a heaping helping of horsepower. Model year 2019 will be the Grand Finale for the 991 generation of the Porsche 911. Logically, the next generation car is the 992 chassis, and it appears to be in the final stages of development. We say that because a YouTube video uploaded by Automotive Mike shows a test car wearing almost no camouflage. Although it doesn't really need to, because the 911 has stayed true to its heritage since the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963. The motor pool is a week of hot laps at the Nurburgring. It is a chance for Teutonic Test machines to be pushed to their limits. As such, we see Audis along with a Bugatti Chiron testing alongside other models in the VW Group's portfolio. As their most expensive model, the Turbo S Cabriolet is easily identified by the large intakes and the chin spoiler. Most of the significant changes will be under the skin so it will be interesting to see how they surpass the incredible chassis of the current series. Our guess is more composites and perhaps a spaceframe instead of the unibody. But as soon as we have more details, you will see them first here on Autofluence. Browse Porsche 911 Turbo S For Sale https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=_hWiZmrBlWM

By Andrew Nabors – June 20, 2018

How To Drive a Porsche 911 GT3 RS Faster Than Ever

How many laps of the 'Ring did it take for Porsche to tune the 2019 GT3 RS? We don't know, but the time spent building this car has surely paid off. If you opt for the Weissach package, the rubber suspension joints are replaced by steel ball joints. You will have a massive rear spoiler and more downforce than many race cars.Porsche Explains the Lizard Green Paint on the 911 GT3 RSSome of the components are actually shared with the GT3 R, which is raced around the world. Nothing was left on the table. The new 4.0-liter engine has solid lifters, which eliminates valve float at a screaming 9,000 rpm. A thicker forged crankshaft and titanium rods allow it to make 520 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque. This allows it to lap the historic track in 6.56.4. It is faster than your car, your friend's LS-swap, and even the Porsche 918 Spyder. So if you want to experience it, our dealers will get yours on the way. Stay with us for all your Porsche news.Browse Porsche GT3 RS For Sale

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