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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 – May 28, 2019

Jay Leno Drives a Porsche 959 Komfort

Rally racing was the birthplace of many great supercars. Ferrari engineered the 288 GTO and the F40 to compete on the world's roughest terrain, and Porsche needed to beat them at all costs. Chief Engineer Hemuth Bott was given a blank check to build the ultimate Porsche 911, and this is the result. Only 345 cars were built, so it is rare to see Jay Leno driving a Porsche 959 Komfort. Built in two versions, the 959S used traditional suspension to perform on the track. But the 959 Komfort used a high-pressure active suspension that could leap through the woods if needed. After all, many Group B races took place on the worst possible roads, so it was built with three distinct modes of ride height. Jay Leno's Car Collection The 2.8L flat-six has air-cooled cylinders and water-cooled heads. It is nearly identical to the 956 and 962 race cars, offering 444 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. The manual transmission has a granny gear for offroad fun, and 5 normal gears for the street. It is coupled to an AWD system years ahead of its time. It sends 80% of torque to the rear wheels at wide-open throttle, and it constantly changes the split based on wheel slip sensors. The body is made of Kevlar and Nomex for safety and strength, not to mention incredible weight 3,140 lbs. Because every aspect of the car was revolutionary, our Federal Government forbid its sale in the U.S. Thankfully, the cars are aging out of the 25 year ban. The 959 was designed to compete in the world's roughest races, so it needs to be driven. We applaud the owner for running errands in such a valuable car, and we have a few examples for sale in the link below. Stay with us for more updates from Jay Leno's Garage. Browse Porsche 959 For Sale Bruce Canepa Explains the Porsche 959 Bill Gates' Porsche 959

By Andrew Nabors – May 24, 2019

2020 Porsche Speedster Reviewed by Carfection

Sardinia looks like an amazing place to live, so you wouldn't want to drive a boring car on these winding roads. Stuttgart has turned out several Speedsters over the past 70 years, and their latest offers more than any of its predecessors. That's why Henry Catchpole and his team decided give us all the details. If you want a Porsche 911 unlike any other, here is the 2020 Porsche Speedster reviewed by Carfection. History will look at the 991 series Porsche GT3 as a prolific automobile. It spawned the latest GT3 Touring, GT3 RS, and the Speedster will be the end of this generation. Essentially a GT3 Touring with the roof removed, it arrives with the same 503 horsepower flat-six, rear steering, PCCB brakes, and a six-speed manual transmission. 2019 Porsche Concept Previous Speedsters have had no roof, or a flimsy cloth targa, but this one is a game-changer. Under the carbon fiber deck lid is a manual cloth top. The only electronics involved are the latches, and this is appealing thanks to the loss of the electro-hydraulic system. This masterpiece is a proper farewell to the 991 series Porsche 911, so click the link below to find out dealer near you. Browse Porsche 911 For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – May 22, 2019

1350 HP Nissan GT-R vs 1200 HP Porsche 911 Turbo S

Some folks will tell you that it takes no skill to drag race an AWD car. This couldn't be more from the truth. Even though they have more traction, leaving the line at the wrong RPM could hurt your chances, or destroy your drivetrain. Because Russia makes up 1/5 of the Earth's surface, they are not limited to 1/4 mile racing. That's why Dragtimesinfo just uploaded a 1350 HP Nissan GT-R versus a 1200 HP Porsche 911 Turbo S. They are both AWD, and both use twin turbo 3.8L six cylinder engines. But the way the power is routed is another story. Nissan mounts their V6 in a traditional spot under the hood. From there, a torque tube connects the crankshaft to a six-speed dual clutch automatic. The front wheels are powered by another shaft sending power rear to front. Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition Revealed Porsche's 911 has always had its flat-six mounted behind the rear wheels, and it is bolted to a 7-speed dual clutch. The rear axles come directly out of the gearbox, and the front wheels are powered by a torque tube. My Russian is a little rusty, so I don't know if their horsepower was measured at the crank or the wheels. But it honestly doesn't matter when you are in the 4-digit range. Does GT-R mean Get Transmission Replaced, or will it serve a heap of Gapplesause to the Turbo S? Tell us which car you would own in the comments below, and stay with us for all your 1/2 mile action! Porsche 911 Turbo S For Sale Related: Porsche 911 GT2 RS vs Lamborghini Huracan Performante Ferrari 488 GTB vs Audi R8 V10 Plus & 715 HP Corvette Z06

By Andrew Nabors – May 21, 2019

Mercedes-AMG GT R vs Porsche GT3 RS at the 'Ring

It is always nice to see two German supercars going at it on their home track. The driver in this upload is known as "//", and his weapon of choice has been prepped by Manthey-Racing. The opponent is the official 'Ring Taxi driven by a professional racer. Hang on, because you are about to see a New Mercedes-AMG GT R vs New Porsche GT3 RS at the 'Ring. Representing Stuttgart, the camera car is a 911 GT3 RS. It has a 4.0L flat-six making 520 horsepower/346 lb-ft of torque. The opponent from Affalterbach is also powered by a 4.0L engine, except it is a V8 with twin turbos. It sends 577 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro Revealed The difference is that the torque is available in almost any situation. Meanwhile the Porsche needs to stay at high rpm to put power down. Nevertheless, the Porsche has more grip and a 500 lb weight advantage. Is this a fair fight? Tell us in the comments below and stay with us for more Nürburgring action. Browse Porsche 911 GT3 RS For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – May 20, 2019

Porsche Celebrates Air-Cooled Classics at Luftgekühlt 6

Watch your step if you are visiting Universal Studios Hollywood. That's because there might be a few drops of oil on the Backlot. This historic movie set was the scene of the world's most prized machines. So take a glimpse at how Porsche celebrates air-cooled classics at Luftgekühlt 6. Everything from early 356 to 993 were celebrated. Several 912 and 914 models were chosen to attend, and classic 911 rally cars looked ready for the desert. Stars of the show included a black 959, 935, Speedsters, and an award-winning 962. And about the oil drops, all great cars either leak oil or burn it. If they dont, you aren't driving hard enough. Stay with us for all your Porsche news, and click the link below to find a classic 911 near you. Browse Porsche 911 For Sale Related: Porsche 993 Specs, Photos, Prices & Review Porsche 964 Specs, Photos, Price & Review

By Edward Jones – May 16, 2019

Seven New Custom Porsche 935 Liveries to Drool Over

The new Porsche 935 race car was unveiled not too long ago, causing a worldwide jaw-dropping epidemic. When Porsche first pulled back the sheets on the new 935, it was graced with a Martini racing livery. Now, we're getting the opportunity to see what the new 935 will look like when covered in five different iconic racing liveries. Be still my beating heart. Gulf Interscope John Player Special (JPS) Momo Sachs Salzburg Vaillant

By Andrew Nabors – May 08, 2019

Porsche 718 T Brings Bauhaus to America

Before the rise of the Third Reich, Germany was the birthplace of the Bauhaus. It was an art movement that combined skilled crafts and modern designs to shake up conventional themes. It produced many amazing works of architecture before the Nazis outlawed them for going against the status quo. In their latest upload, we see how the Porsche 718 T is bringing Bauhaus to America. An interview with Professor Fahim Mohammadi was filmed along with a new 2019 Porsche 718 Cayman T. It is easy to see how the 718 T models focus on driving more than entertainment. Both the Cayman T and Boxster T have optional infotainment and air conditioning. Standard equipment includes a 300 horsepower turbocharged flat-four, bolted to a six-speed manual. A 7-speed PDK is optional, but they are inefficient on engines this small. Porsche is offering a pure driving experience with 0-60 times under 5 seconds. Click the link below to find a Cayman near you and stay with us for all your Porsche news. Porsche 718 Cayman For Sale Related: New Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Porsche 718 T Series Boxster & Cayman Revealed

By Andrew Nabors – May 07, 2019

2020 Porsche 911 Speedster in Action

Do you like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS? Apparently most of the world does because our dealers can't keep them on the lot. We have mentioned that Porsche is slowly moving the 911 models onto the new 992 chassis. They are starting at the bottom and working their way up, so the final 991 series will essentially be a GT3 RS convertible. The press release included a starting price of $274,500, and our dealers are ready for your order. It incorporates the six-speed manual from the GT3 Touring along with rear steering and all the performance systems. The engine has individual throttle bodies for instant response, sending 510 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. In keeping with the 70th anniversary of the first Speedster, only 1,948 examples will be built. If you want the same car as a coupe, the GT3 Touring is a six-speed and the GT3 RS is a street legal race car. Click the link below to find yours, and stay with us for all your Porsche 911 news. Browse Porsche 911 GT3 For Sale Related: Byers Porsche Races to Victory Lane with the duPont REGISTRY Porsche 911 GT2 RS vs Lamborghini Huracan Performante on the 'Ring

By Andrew Nabors – May 06, 2019

Porsche 911 GT2 RS vs Lamborghini Huracan Performante on ...

If you saw a sign reading "Touristenfarthen" you might be anticipating acid reflux. But some German words simply don't translate well. What it means is a chance to battle your friends and several slow cars on the Nurburgring. In a video uploaded by "Sebastian Vittel" we see a Porsche 911 GT2 RS vs a Lamborghini Huracan Performante on the 'Ring. Fighting for Italy, the Lamborghini Huracan Performante sends 630 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque to all wheels. The camera car is a Porsche 911 GT2 RS with an empty water injection tank. This probably limited horsepower to 580 as a protection method by the computer. Since they are corporate cousins, both have the same rear-steering system along with similar dual-clutch transmissions. Tell us which car you prefer in the comments below and stay with us for all your track action. Find Your Porsche 911 GT2 RS Here!

By Edward Jones – May 02, 2019

New Pics of the Stunning Porsche 917 Concept Released

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 917 race car, Porsche has been blasting out historical facts and photos of the car. They've also introduced a new 917 concept car that is truly mesmerizing. Unfortunately, when Porsche revealed the car, we only had one photo to go off of. Porsche also noted that the concept car would remain a concept and that there would be no plans of it heading towards production. We may not have word of the 917 concept being produced, but we do now have a few more photos of it. In the photos, we get to see just about all angles of the car, including the rear, which looks fantastic. I genuinely hope that Porsche considers putting this car into production because it is truly astounding. It blends the iconic styling of the classic 917 with modern design cues of modern Porsches in a beautiful manner. see all porsches up for sale Also Check Out: Mercedes-Benz EQC 1886 Unveiled in New York Jeep & Mopar Unveil Six Concepts for Easter Safari 2019 Aston Martin Vanquish Vision Concept Revealed

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