Shelby

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 Khris Bharath – July 31, 2025

“The Next One”: Shelby’s Mysterious Mustang Set for Monte...

Carroll Shelby never dwelled on the past. He always looked ahead. “My favorite car is the next one,” he once said. Now, Shelby American is continuing to build on that legacy into the 7th generation of the Ford Mustang. The American tuner has just released teaser images of a mysterious Mustang model. With a caption that simply reads: “The Next One” the car is being prepared for a reveal at the upcoming Monterey Car Week. Monterey is where some of the world’s most elite automobiles gather, from coachbuilt Bugattis to the latest from the world of track-bred hypercars. Shelby launching something here means it’s got to be truly extraordinary. Ironically, AC Cars is the official Sponsor of the Pebble Beach Concours this year. So far, details are scarce, but there’s still plenty that we can unpack from the teaser image. A broad shoulder haunch, the tri-bar taillights that are unmistakably S650 Mustang, and a swan-neck hint at a potential car, designed to do track work. The bodywork looks wider than any standard S650, likely to accommodate broader wheels and a track-ready stance. Now, what exactly Shelby will stuff under the hood is anyone’s guess, but historically, Shelby American has long favored Whipple superchargers strapped to Ford’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8. Expect output to exceed 800 horsepower. By contrast, the stock Mustang Dark Horse makes 500 horsepower from its naturally aspirated setup. What all this could mean is that this new Shelby Mustang will need serious chassis reinforcements: upgraded suspension, massive brakes, and sticky tires. Possibly even lightweight carbon fiber components. This also marks Shelby’s second high-profile swing at the S650 platform. Back in January, Shelby American unveiled its GT350 variant of the S650 with familiar tricks: a Whipple supercharger, Borla exhaust, and suspension tweaks. But this new teaser suggests something far more radical, and appears to be more of a spiritual successor to the old GT500. Could it be even a street-legal homage to Ford’s $300,000 Mustang GTD? We don’t know yet. Larry Chen, the renowned automotive photographer, has already seen and shot the car, but he’s staying tight-lipped for now. But in the end, what’s missing from this equation, curiously, is Ford itself. Unlike past collaborations on the GT350 and GT500, this new Shelby seems to be an independent effort. The Blue Oval has remained silent on any new co-developed Shelbys, instead pushing its own six-figure Mustang GTD and the track-focused Dark Horse model and even a new fox-body inspired variant. Exactly what Shelby has in store will be revealed on August 13. Watch this space. View All Ford Mustangs For Sale View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shelby American (@shelbyamerican) Image Source: Shelby American

By Jordan Aquistapace – November 06, 2023

2023 Shelby F-250 Super Baja: Ford's Ultimate Adventure T...

Shelby American has long been synonymous with high-performance vehicle builds since Founder Carroll Shelby first started the brand back in 1962. Today, Shelby has officially introduced the 2023 Shelby F-250 Super Baja, blending the worlds of work and play into one robust package. This limited-edition performance off-road truck, with only 300 units hitting the market, transforms every journey into an exhilarating adventure. Crafted for the thrill-seekers and the hard workers, it merges Ford’s reliable 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo diesel power with a Shelby-tweaked off-road suspension for exceptional capabilities both on the tarmac and the dirt. Gary Patterson, President of Shelby American, highlights the dual nature of the Shelby F-250 Super Baja, forged through rigorous on and off-road testing. It’s designed not just for tackling tough terrains but also for managing hefty towing jobs, all while sporting the legendary Shelby emblem. Built upon Ford’s esteemed Super Duty truck, assembled in Kentucky and Ohio, it boasts a 10-speed TorqShift automatic transmission and is the first U.S. pickup with 5G Wi-Fi capability. The Shelby touch enhances its off-road prowess with a FOX Factory suspension system, elevating its height and handling, and is decked out with 20-inch alloys wrapped in BFG KM3 37-inch tires. The Shelby F-250 Super Baja is not just about performance; it’s also about presence. From its Air Induction Hood and LED lighting to its Shelby stripes and badges, it commands attention. Vince LaViolette, Shelby American VP of Operations and Chief Designer, describes it as the ultimate heavy-duty truck with immense power, groundbreaking suspension, and the unmistakable Shelby aesthetic. Inside, the Shelby F-250 Super Baja is as refined as it is rugged, with full leather seating, digital gauges, carbon fiber accents, and exclusive Shelby detailing, including a serialized plate marking its authenticity. With an MSRP starting at $154,995, this super truck promises a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty while maintaining Ford’s powertrain warranty. For enthusiasts looking to own a piece of this legacy, Shelby urges a visit to select dealers or their website, with each truck being chronicled in the official Shelby Registry. View all Shelby performance trucks currently for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking the link below. View All Shelby Performance Trucks For Sale Source: Shelby American

By Edward Jones – October 11, 2016

Cobra 101: A Brief Breakdown of the Shelby Cobra’s Lineage

The Shelby Cobra’s shape is instantly recognizable by anyone, even those who aren’t well versed in automotive history. The sweeping curves of the AC body and muscular stance imparted by its more sporting nature are dead giveaways to its purpose. But, even for those of us who know a thing or two about cars, differentiating Cobras can be a little tricky. Thankfully we have an expert like Cobra guru Lance Stander of Superformance to help guide us through the model range. Superformance 289 Slabside Cobra The first — and arguably prettiest — of the Cobras is known as the Slabside. The slabside Cobra gets its unusual appellation from its lack of fender flares. This is arguably the purest version of the Cobra formula of big American engine in a tiny British sports car. The slabside is easy to spot thanks to its lack of a hood scoop and a rear exit, undercar exhaust. Also notable is the fact that the slabside has both bumpers and bumperettes. It’s a low, elegant car and thanks to its more balanced attitude due to its smaller engine, it’s a pleasure to drive. That fun and easygoing demeanor makes the slabside a favorite for those owners who plan to do a great deal of touring or other extended drives. It’s a relatively comfortable car and thanks to its solid little engine, a dead reliable one as well. Shelby Cobra 289 FIA When Carroll Shelby decided to take the Cobra racing in Europe, specifically at Le Mans, he ran into a few snags with the legendarily persnickety FIA or Federation Internationale de l’Automobile. Their rules at the time mandated that all cars competing at Le Mans be equipped with a speedometer, something that was (and remains) typically omitted in race cars. Shelby protested but when he found the FIA unwilling to budge on the subject, he installed a speedo way over on the passenger side of the dash where it would be nearly unreadable to the driver. The FIA also mandated that the trunk be able to hold a suitcase which the Cobra was unable to do. Shelby’s solution to this was to put a suitcase into the trunk and smash the lid down so the corners would dent out the soft aluminum decklid. He then has his team bang out what would become known as the car’s dimples so the suitcase would just barely fit. There were other practical concerns too such as adding a roll hoop and wider tires. Of course, wider tires necessitated fender flares and fender flares are universally cool. The FIA Cobra also features an undercar exhaust but this time it exits to the side directly in front of the rear wheels. Wider tires came with bigger wheels and thus better brakes. Better brakes demand more cooling and so they added ducting. The FIA Cobra with its screaming 289 and race car looks remains an incredibly popular choice for Superformance buyers who are looking for the ultimate driving experience. Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster Eventually though, Carroll Shelby got the idea that what the Cobra needed was more power, so he somehow managed to shoehorn a 427 cubic inch Ford V8 into the Cobra body. The fenders swelled and the proportions grew in order to wrap around that massive engine. The first 427 that came along was the Roadster. These cars lacked the 289 FIA car’s race car touches, so gone was the hood scoop and roll bar. The 427 Roadster added creature comforts like an ashtray and a glove box. It still had an undercar exhaust and like the original slabside, it exited at the rear of the car. It also retained the slabside’s rear bumper. Superformance MkIII The Cobra that most people think of when they think of Cobras is the outrageously muscular and intense looking 427 S/C. This car with its exaggerated curves, big side pipes, and hood scoop leaves no mystery as to what its ultimate purpose is. The 427 S/C comes equipped with coilover suspension to help manage the added weight that came with the move to the larger engine and tame some of the cars wayward handling characteristics. The S/C also loses the Roadster’s ashtray and rear bumper. It comes with a roll hoop for safety and not much else. This is the ultimate expression of the Cobra formula and there is nothing on the road that comes even close to driving one of these quickly on a race track or in a canyon. Original Cobras of any type are rare and essentially priceless now. The fact is that Carroll Shelby simply didn’t build that many in the grand scheme of things. The great thing about a company like Superformance is that they’ve made the cars accessible and they’ve done it in a way that doesn’t compromise quality or the driving experience. The Superformance continuation cars are so close to the originals that Mr. Shelby himself even gave them his seal of approval. Even if you don’t want to stick exactly to the original specs, Superformance is happy to help you modify your Cobra to be the car of your dreams and registering the cars is easier now than ever before thanks to the Superformance-backed Low Volume Manufacturers Bill which makes getting a title and registration simple no matter what state you’re in. The Shelby Cobra is an essential piece of Americana. It represents one man’s quest to build the best with the least and it changed the course of automotive history forever. Seeing one on the road is always special but seeing one in your garage is better still. Give Superformance a call and make your Cobra dreams come true. Learn more

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