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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 – December 11, 2018

See How Fast the New Ferrari 812 Superfast Can Hit 200 MPH

The New Ferrari 812 Superfast is a wicked front-engined supercar that sits as the successor to the F12berlinetta. It's powered by a massive 6.5-liter V12 engine that can push out 789 horsepower and 529 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful naturally aspirated engine the Italian automaker has ever produced. When the 812 Superfast was released, Ferrari touted that it could rocket from 0 to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds. Generally speaking, running 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds is a feat that definitely should be touted. But how long does it take for the 812 Superfast to reach a speed of say... 200 mph? To test this, Auto Bild Sportscars took an 812 Superfast to a testing facility and launched the Italian berlinetta down a straightaway. The result is pretty astonishing. Check it out for yourself by clicking play on the video below. View Ferrari 812 Superfasts For Sale Ferrari 812 Superfast Specs

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 – July 06, 2017

Brutal Launch Control In A Ferrari 812 Superfast

Leaving in style is sometimes the best reason for going anywhere. Maybe that is why Ferrari has engineered such a potent launch control system on the new 812 Superfast. Even bad cars have some form of traction system, using throttle of ignition timing to keep the wheels from spinning. But launch control is another story. Trying to send anything over 400 horsepower to the pavement with street tires can be a recipe for burning rubber. For cars without all-wheel drive, the trick is in holding the engine at the right RPM. If it's too low you will bog the launch and embarrass yourself. Revving too high and you will smoke them.Ferrari has made sure the new 812 Superfast can make an exit. Engineers in Maranello are obsessed with traction, which is why launching a used F12berlinetta scared me like nothing else. But the new car has a 6.5 liter V12 instead of 6.3, which offers 789 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque. No turbos to spool, or superchargers to whine, it is all motor all the time. A manual transmission would not live very long at these power levels, so the only gearbox offered is a 7-speed dual clutch. The factory claims it is capable of reaching 62 MPH in only 2.9 seconds, and one lucky driver took us along for the ride. In a video uploaded by Motorsport Magazine, the incredible acceleration can be witnessed. Rolling into the skinny pedal at 3,000 rpm, it looks like 2nd gear arrives before 60 mph. If money wasn't a consideration I would attempt to foot-brake it with drag radials, but maybe that is a goal for retirement. You can't deny the abilities of Ferrari's latest flagship, so turn up the audio and listen to a proper exit. Stay with us for all your Ferrari updates.View Ferrari Inventory at duPontREGISTRY.com

By Andrew Nabors – March 28, 2017

Ferrari 812 Superfast Arrives in Monaco

Everyone has been waiting to see the new Ferrari 812 Superfast in person, because the new 6.5-liter V12 is the state of the art in naturally aspirated power. As the successor to the wild F12berlinetta, the new car has large shoes to fill. So Ferrari endowed it with 800 metric horsepower which equals around 790 hp on the more commonly used SAE rating. Torque was increased to 530 lb-ft thanks to the bump in displacement, and from not having to spin a power steering pump. Ferrari was hesitant to adopt electric power steering because the first cars to feature it had almost no feedback, so we're anxious to feel how it responds in the corners. The redline has also been raised to 8,500 rpm, an incredible feat for a twelve-cylinder engine. Used Ferrari 812 For Sale A few lucky enthusiasts who happened to be in Monaco were witness to a delivery of the new car, so we put together the hottest clips from YouTube. Precisely timed, or in a grand coincidence Ferrari has also released the 812 Superfast Configurator which offers more details on the interior and exterior options. Everyone loves LED headlights, but some of us lament the loss of the air-bridge from behind the front fenders. Now incorporated into a vented hood, the intakes inboard of the headlights make use of high-pressure turbulence from the front bumper. The only thing we can say about the final video is that revving a cold supercar is a dance with the devil. It makes us cringe to hear such abuse, especially to an engine that has not been broken in. With an astronomical compression ratio of 13.6:1, this car loves to rev. The intake and exhaust ports are all new along with a variable length intake manifold. In the old days, variable intakes were either short or long, but Ferrari's new system resembles an analog control, constantly changing with torque demands. This allows 80% of maximum torque to be available at 3,500 rpm, which is a giant increase from the F12. If any 2018 model year car deserved a manual transmission it would be this one. Sure the dual clutch is capable, but imagine the weight savings and fun factor of a gated six-speed. Stay with us for more updates and footage of the 812 Superfast here on Autofluence. All Ferrari For Sale

By Edward Jones – March 15, 2017

Official Ferrari 812 Superfast Video Released, Sounds as ...

The new Ferrari 812 Superfast is the brand's fastest and most powerful production car that they've ever produced. Underneath the hood of the 812 Superfast is a massive 6.5-liter V12 engine that’s capable of 789 hp and 529 lb-ft of torque. With 80% of its power available at just 3.500 rpm, the 812 Superfast can rocket from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.9 seconds. What’s more, it has a top speed of over 211 mph.Related - This is What Makes the Ferrari FXX K So EpicBut, does this power translate to a great sounding car? Why even ask the question-- we're talking about Ferrari here! In the official video for the 812 Superfast, we hear the Italian supercar in action for the first time and it sure sounds incredible. What's even better? It looks absolutely fantastic in motion. Click play below to see it in action for the first time for yourself.All Ferrari For Sale

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