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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 Nicole Slaughter-Graham – February 26, 2016

Top 5 Autofluence Articles of the Week: Feb. 26 2016

Race videos win again this week, but the ICONA Vulcano Titanium supercar made a surprising leap to the top as well. We were glad to see the titanium car was such a hit! Oh and if you haven't heard that Pagani Huayra, make sure to check it out. Make sure to check out the rest of the Top 5 below!#5https://blog.dupontregistry.com/videos/koenigsegg-agera-r-runs-200-mph-on-autobahn/#4https://blog.dupontregistry.com/videos/bugatti-veyron-vs-nissan-gtr-nismo/#3https://blog.dupontregistry.com/news/revealed-the-icona-vulcano/#2https://blog.dupontregistry.com/videos/hear-the-pagani-huayra-bc-for-the-first-time/#1https://blog.dupontregistry.com/videos/toyota-supra-walks-lamborghini-aventador-in-race/

By Caitlin Duffy – October 09, 2015

Top 5 Cars & Articles of the Week: Oct. 9, 2015

The fall season is off to an incredible start, with October's first full week seeing some of the best races that have been released this year. From taking a Bentley against a train, to testing 10 cars against each other at one time, the organizers got creative, the cars got fast and volume settings got turned up.(See Also: Top 5 Cars & Articles of the Week: Oct. 2)Below are the top five articles that were the most read on Autofluence from this past week, and below those are the most visited listings from the duPont REGISTRY website. Take a moment to check them all out and catch up on this past week's most popular stories, and snag your dream car before someone else adds it to their collection.Top 5 Articles on Autofluence How to Load a Pagani Zonda Revolucion The Pagani Zonda Revolucion was introduced back in 2013 as the last Zonda model the Italian automaker would create. We now know that... Read MoreAston Martin Vulcan Meets Vulcan V Bomber Jet The Vulcan moniker is officially transitioning from the sky to the ground, but before passing the torch, the two feats of engineering had... Read MorePorsche 918 Spyder vs. Lamborghini Aventador Pirelli Edition: Launch Control Drag Race Another day, another incredible pairing of supercars running against each other on a drag strip. This time, we have the 918 Spyder, Porsche’s hybrid monster capable of... Read MoreBentley Continental GT vs. Desert Train Race It’s been 85 years since Captain Woolf Barnato, one of the original Bentley Boys, made a bet and drove from Cannes to London faster than... Read More10 Cars Tested in One Quarter Mile Drag Race A Mercedes AMG GT S. The Bentley Continental GT3-R. Chevrolet’s Corvette Z06, the Cadillac ATS-V, a Volkswagen Golf R and... Read MoreTop 5 Cars on duPontREGISTRY.com 2012 Jeep Wrangler Bandit 7.0 Hemi Supercharged Call for price Buy Now 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder $2,949,000 Buy Now 2015 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse $3,498,000 Buy Now 2015 US Specialty Vehicles Rhino GX Sport $180,680 Buy Now 2006 Bugatti Veyron $995,000 Buy Now See Past Top Articles

By Caitlin Duffy – September 04, 2015

Top 5 Cars & Articles of the Week: Sept. 4, 2015

Which marques caught the attention of our audiences this week, and when it comes to finding another car for their collection, which marques have the most shoppers? For the first week of September, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz took those titles home.Check out our most read articles and top five cars of the week below, enjoy a long holiday weekend and come back next week for more updates from the world of luxury, exotic and classic cars.Top 5 Articles on Autofluence Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR SS - Hear its Engine Start Up and Rev The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Super Sport was one of the iconic cars of the 1990s that you more than likely... Read MoreAmazing Iron Man Aventador is an Avenger in Disguise Iron Man, a.k.a. Tony Stark, is known to the world as an Avenger, a suave businessman and a connoisseur of fine cars. With that last characteristic in mind... Read More$2.5 Million Bugatti Chiron to Reach 288 mph Bugatti has been tight-lipped about the development of their successor to the Veyron since confirming it was in the works June 27, but the... Read MoreBugatti Vision Gran Turismo: The Most Intense Bugatti, Ever Gran Turismo 6 has become one of the most well-known racing games thanks to the physical and digital Vision Gran Turismo models that are being... Read MoreIt's Official: The New Ford GT Race Car Sounds Amazing If you were worried that the new Ford GT race car wasn’t going to sound up to par because of a smaller engine, have no fear. On Aug. 28... Read MoreTop 5 Cars on duPontREGISTRY.com 2014 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Buckingham, Texas View Price 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Dallas, Texas View Price 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari Naples, Florida View Price 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Boise, Idaho View Price 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Woodland Hills, California View Price View Past Top Articles & Listings

By Caitlin Duffy – July 03, 2015

Top 5 Articles & Cars of the Week: July 3, 2015

As we gear up for a weekend filled with patriotic dispit's lays and love for the United States, it's not a bad idea to brush up on the top stories and most popular cars of this past week. Nothing goes with a cold beer and hot dog quite like car talk, so check out our five most read articles from June 26 to today, and get your conversations rolling before the fireworks start.Top 5 Articles on Autofluence Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG vs. BMW M6 vs. Corvette ZR1 The Unlim 500+ drag races held just 2 hours north of Moscow, Russia, have brought some of the world’s most powerful cars together for... Read More Fastest Mercedes-AMG GT S Ever: 10-Second 1/4 Mile The Mercedes-AMG GT S crafted for the 2016 manufacture year is already a powerful, beautiful and impressive... Read More Koenigsegg CCXR Revs and Burns Out on Crowded Road The CCXR was penned as “the world’s first green supercar” by Koenigsegg when they first created it. The Swedish manufacturer modified the supercar’s twin-turbo 4.7-liter engine to run on... Read More Head to Head: Range Rover HSE vs. Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG Nearly every minute of every day, our lives are filled with choices. When it comes to selecting a high-powered SUV, only a few come to mind as a good... Read More Aston Martin Vulcan Burnout at Goodwood The Goodwood Festival of Speed kicked off yesterday, June 24, to a score of displays and unveilings from the world’s top... Read More Top 5 Listings on duPontREGISTRY.com 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia Ontario, California View Price 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Tampa, Florida View Price 2015 BMW i8 Cypress, Texas View Price 1971 Nissan GT-R Skyline 2000 GT-R Chicago, Illinois View Price 1967 Ford Mustang GT 500 Eleanor Doral, Florida View Price See Past Top Articles

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