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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 Edward Jones – March 29, 2019

McLaren 720S (Modified) Runs 1/4-Mile in the 8's for Firs...

Using 0 to 60 mph times as a comparison for cars or even a highlight seems to not be as important as it once was. This must be because cars are just becoming too quick and are starting to his limits. Think about it, we're going to get to a point where cars will accelerate as quickly as mechanically possible and milliseconds are going to separate the quickest from the second quickest. Many manufacturers are now showing off the 0 to 124 mph times of their cars and sometimes their quarter-mile times. In the aftermarket world, it's all about those quarter-mile times and the search for being the world's fastest. Recently, a heavily modified McLaren 720S riding on a set of Anrky Wheels ran a quarter-mile sprint in the 8s. According to our friend Brooks from DragTimes, this was the first McLaren to run an 8-second quarter-mile. Modifications included on the car include pure turbos, velocity exhaust, no cats and a bit more. Check out the run in the video above. view all mclarens for sale

By Andrew Nabors – February 27, 2019

McLaren 720S Spider Road Review by Carfection

We know what you are expecting. Carfection videos always involve our friend Henry Catchpole driving on a gloomy road in Wales or Scotland. But perhaps he has his sights on warmer climates? In his latest upload, the McLaren 720S Spider Road Review is set in Arizona. Although the 720S coupe and its convertible counterpart look similar, the amount of engineering that went into the 720S Spider is unbelievable. Not only does it have an elctrochromatic roof, but the buttresses are also clear acrylic. This offers an incredible, almost 360-degree view. The same can't be said for the coupe. He does imply that the Spider might have less rigidity compared to the coupe, but McLaren have not compromised on any convertible in their history. Our dealers have all the innovative 720S specs, so click the link below for more info. Shop McLaren 720S For Sale Related: McLaren 720S New 1/4 Mile Record by Excell Racing McLaren 720S Spider Unveiled With Stunning Details

By Edward Jones – October 26, 2018

Bugatti Chiron Destroys McLaren 720S in Rolling Race

If a hypercar like the Bugatti Chiron goes up against a supercar like the McLaren 720S, the result is expected. Here in the car world, the word "hyper" reigns supreme over the word "super," so naturally any hypercar would be any supercar. Well, sometimes that's not the case. Motor1 pointed out that " title="YouTube video" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen> actually lined up really well against a Chiron. It seems now that a Chiron, being driven by someone else, has taken revenge on the 720S model during a rolling race at SCC500 Rolling50 1000. The race was filmed by cvdzijden, who attended the event and managed to capture both the races and the results on the monitor. We appreciate the hustle! Check out the races right down below.

By Andrew Nabors – October 23, 2018

World's Fastest McLaren 720S Scorches the Quarter-Mile

One of the best perks of working with supercars is calling out the manufacturers. Since the introduction of the McLaren 720S, they have only said the engine size was increased from 3.8 to 4.0-liters. This might seem insignificant until you are behind the wheel. Last week at the Nashville Auto Show we had a gorgeous 675LT Spider from Velocity Motorcars next to a new 720S from McLaren Philadelphia. After driving and comparing both, the 4.0-liter V8 seems to share very little with its predecessor.Sell Your Exotic Car with duPont REGISTRYThe McLaren 720S feels and sounds like a flat-plane V8. Something straight out of Italy, or the Mustang GT350 if you need an American example. This allows for a higher redline than a traditional cross-plane design. Anytime you can raise the engine's RPM, it creates more exhaust to spin the turbos. More boost means more power, but this innovation needed to be dialed back to leave room for future models. That is how Kanoo Performance and Dyno Spectrum pushed a customer's 720S into uncharted territory. Filmed at Bahrain's Grand Prix track and 1/4 mile front stretch, it crosses the top end at 146 mph. Is an 8-second McLaren in the near future? Tell us in the comments below and click the link to find a new 720S from our dealers. View McLaren 720S For Sale

By Edward Jones – October 01, 2018

The New Ferrari 812 Superfast Races a McLaren 720S

DragTimes recently had the chance to test Ferrari's new 812 Superfast against the McLaren 720S at the Palm Beach International Raceway. The races were made possible through Excell Auto Group, allowing them to utilize the road course and the drag strip. Between both courses, the video shows off the 790 horsepower V12 engine of the Ferrari taking on the McLaren's twin-turbo V8 that puts out 710 horsepower. Ferrari 812 Superfast Passes Cars at 200 mph on Autobahn Both cars came into the race completely stock, with no aftermarket modifications. Before racing, Brooks did record a rev-battle between the two cars and the V12 of the 812 Superfast definitely knows how to belt out a scream. As for the racing portion of the video, found below, it was pretty surprising to see the results. For those that think power rules over everything, you need to click play below.View Excell Auto Group's Inventory View Ferrari 812 Superfast For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – May 18, 2018

DragTimes: McLaren 720S vs Ferrari 488GTB

Here is the one you have been waiting for. Two of the world's most potent exotic cars for sale lining up for a heads-up 1/4 mile shootout. Our friend Brooks is the owner of DragTimes.com, and his films are the ultimate resource in supercar acceleration tests.The latest from England is the McLaren 720S. It uses a twin turbo 4.0 liter V8 to make 710 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. The Italian opponent is the latest Ferrari 488GTB, and it has 660 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque. It is only 61 lbs heavier than the McLaren, so the only real difference is the Englishman has 50 more horsepower.This footage confirms what we've been suspecting. The McLaren's transmission and differential ratios allow for maximum acceleration at highway speeds. The Ferrari is geared to jump out of the hole and provide a smooth power curve. But when a 720S goes beyond 80 mph, it enters "Beast Mode". McLaren and Ferrari have different ideas on differential gears, and that makes all the difference at the drag strip. Reeling in your opponent at the top end is one of the best feelings in the world, so play it safe and keep the racing at the track. Stay with us for all your DragTimes footage.Ferrari 488 GTB For Sale McLaren 720S

By Andrew Nabors – March 21, 2018

Clash Of Titans: McLaren 720S vs Kawasaki Ninja H2

Mexico is home to some wild street racing, and this one will take your breath away. If you prefer to have fun on two wheels, you probably know about the Ninja H2. Kawasaki pulled out all the stops to make the Suzuki Hayabusa look like a scooter.The 998cc engine has dual overhead cams, like most other liter-bikes. The secret is in a variable speed supercharger that allows it to make 310 horsepower and 115 lb-ft of torque. Asking one tire to channel that power to the ground is just insane.How To Turn On McLaren 720S Secret Startup Exhaust Easter EggSo what happens when it meets the latest in McLaren's Super Series? The 720S has a 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 that supposedly makes 710 horsepower. Owners have been reporting that it is much more powerful than the factory claims. It weighs 2,829 lbs which gives it a horsepower to weight ratio of 0.25. The Ninja H2 weighs 476 lbs, with a power to weight ratio of 0.65, more than twice its competitor. The 720S has laid waste to everything so far, so who do you think will win this race? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below and stay with us for more wild comparisons.Browse McLaren 720S For Sale P.S. - Racing on the street is a great way to end up in a casket or in prison, so keep it on the track. duPont REGISTRY does not condone any street racing. Always follow your local traffic laws.

By Edward Jones – February 27, 2018

World's Quickest McLaren 720s Thanks to Tune

It has been under a year since McLaren 720S deliveries have started, but we're already starting to see tuning companies bring their work to the supercar. One such example of this is a 720S that was featured on DragTimes latest video.This specific 720S features a tune from DME, downpipes and new exhaust. The result is the quickest 720S that's been recorded on the drag strip.McLaren 720S vs 720 HP Nissan GT-RIn the video below, we see a stock 720S run a 1/4-mile time of 9.92 @ 140.94 mph. Then, the tuned example goes for a run, only to be held back a little bit. After getting it all together, it ran the strip in 9.59 @ 145 mph, making it the quickest 1/4-mile time for a McLaren 720s that we know of. Click below to see the car's rocket-like launch!McLaren 650S for Sale

By Andrew Nabors – November 28, 2017

McLaren 720S vs 720 HP Nissan GT-R

The phrase "built not bought" has been known to provoke unlikely comparisons when it comes to fast cars. Some enthusiasts prefer to purchase a car with amazing performance right off the showroom floor. Others will choose a more conservative ride and turn their attention to the aftermarket for more power.There is no wrong decision here, and that is what makes this hobby so enjoyable. When two cars are rated at the same horsepower, it might seem irrelevant to race them. But numbers on paper are meaningless when it comes to real-world situations. That's why DragTimes chooses a remote location in Mexico to film their comparisons. The new McLaren 720S is advertised to make 710 horsepower at the engine, with 568 lb-ft of torque. Power of this magnitude is completely respectable, however many owners have reported dyno numbers much higher than the factory rating.Fastest Quater Mile CarsSo that is why a 720S is a perfect competitor for a modified Nissan GT-R. The opponent is rated at 720 horsepower, measured at the wheels instead of the crankshaft. But the Nissan sends power to all wheels, while McLaren is strictly a rear tire fryer. Cars from opposite sides of the earth are also vastly different in construction. Nissan uses a traditional steel chassis, while McLaren is a carbon fiber Monocage. Japan likes twin turbo V6 power, with a healthy dose of E85 moonshine and more boost. England prefers a twin-turbo V8, ironically based on an abandoned Nissan racing engine that was purchased by McLaren. With variables like traction, weight, and horsepower, tell us who should be victorious. As always, keep racing on the track and off the streets, and stay with us for all your DragTimes updates. All Nissan GT-R for Sale All McLaren 720S for SaleSupercars for Sale

By Andrew Nabors – October 17, 2017

Lamborghini Huracan Performante vs McLaren 720S

Heat is the enemy when it comes to drag racing. Here in Florida, you are lucky to get three or four passes before your car starts losing power. If you haven't been following DragTimes, their McLaren 720S ran 10.1 back in the middle of summer. Realizing the potential for an unprecedented event. they invited a Lamborghini Huracan Performante to meet them at Palm Beach Raceway.Porsche 911 Turbo S vs Ferrari F430 ScuderiaResisting the urge to head straight for the staging lanes, the car was allowed to cool before the competition began. Breaking the 9 second barrier is incredibly hard, even for veteran racers. After airing down the tires, the new McLaren 720S ran a 9.98 @ 141 mph. Even though the Lamborghini is All Wheel Drive, it was plagued by traction issues. Spinning all four tires, the best it could do was 10.7. Other highlights of the event included a Tesla Model X P90D setting the world record for SUVs with an E.T. of 11.30. Tell us what the Performante could do with drag slicks, and which one you would buy in the comments below.McLaren 720S For Salehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=eawOtLnMgo8

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