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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 – February 23, 2018

Ken Blocks Chases Booze-Smuggling Top Gear Crew

Back in the day during prohibition, smugglers needed that extra bit of power in order to run away from the police. For that, their cars were powered by big V8 engines that would provide them with the necessary amount of horsepower and torque. Heck, the roots of NASCAR trace all the way back to those same bootleggers racing each other to see who was the quickest.Top Gear Picks 7 Finalists for "Performance Car of the Year"Now, in 2018, prohibition has been gone for quite a while and alcohol doesn't need to be smuggled in. Still, V8 engined-cars still exist and they come in many different kinds of cars. To showcase this, Top Gear's first episode in upcoming Season 25 takes the trio with taking V8 cars on a blitz to escape the police. A V8 engine may be under the hood of these cars, but a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, Jaguar F-Type and McLaren 570S are much different than the souped-up V8 of the bootlegging days. Also, they aren't outrunning any normal police officer. For that role, they chose the sideways madman known as Ken Block.Check out the preview below and get ready for Top Gear Season 25 to start on February 25 (Sunday).

By Edward Jones – February 23, 2018

Hummer and Tesla Race Up Mountain

Driving in snow is not fun. It may look pretty in pictures, but the stuff is cold and makes for treacherous driving conditions. Ever since the creation of vehicles, engineers have been working on ways to make driving in snow safer and safer. For most, the idea of studded tires or chained tires is the first thing that comes to mind. Bjørn Nyland and his YouTube channel decided to see test a Hummer with studded tires against a Tesla Model X with studless tires to see which would perform better on a steep snow-covered hill. At around the 9-minute mark of the video below, the two SUVs attempt to climb up a mountain and the result was pretty surprising. Check it out for yourself by clicking play below. NASA: Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster is Officially a Celestial Object

By Edward Jones – February 22, 2018

Porsche 911 Turbo S Climbs Up Ski Slope for Science

The all-wheel-drive system of the Porsche 911 Turbo S was recently put to an ultimate test of endurance and strength in the United Kingdom. Porsche notes that the 400-mile journey of the 911 Turbo S ended with an ascent up a slope at the Glenshee Ski Center. Typically, this slope is used for skiers or snowboarders, but for a period of time a German sports car called the snowy path its playground.Porsche Officially Unveils The 2019 GT3 RSAfter a gripping drive, the 911 Turbo S reached the tip-top of the slope at 2,460 feet above sea level. It's at this point that Porsche says the journey of the Miami Blue sports car spanned the "greatest changes in elevation possible by a vehicle in the UK." You can see a video of the entire run in the video below.Hey, sometimes it's fun to go against the grain! Or ski path for that matter.https://vimeo.com/256396217

By Andrew Nabors – February 21, 2018

Porsche's Top 5 Motorsport Models

If you were to ask Porsche fans what their favorite race car is, it would be a few hours of conversation. That is why they chose one of their greatest drivers who also happens to be a gifted writer. Derek Bell and his son Justin are good friends of ours, and they know a thing or two about racing. So Porsche invited the eloquent elder Bell to display and explain their top 5 motorsport models.Starting with the 1995 GT1, it was built to get Porsche back on the podium. The 3.2-liter flat-six was coupled to massive turbos and a carbon fiber body. In order to homologate it as a production car, several features of the regular 911 were used. It has taillights, door handles, and many other small details from the base model 911. Next up is the Porsche 904, a beautiful racer that was the first Porsche to wear a GTS badge. Fiberglass construction and a 180 horsepower engine made for an efficient track machine.Porsche 917 K From Steven McQueen Film Heading To MontereyMany will tell you the 917 belongs at the top of the list. Mr. Bell was able to push the 4.9 liter flat-12 to 211 mph on the Mulsanne straight. Norbert Singer and his engineers built a masterpiece that we were able to experience at last year's Amelia Island Concours. Type 962 takes the #2 spot on the list. With Hans Stuck and Derek Bell behind the wheel, they used ground-effect aerodynamics to win the World Sportscar Championship and the IMSA series. The top spot on the list goes back to the beginning. Porsche's first entry into racing was the 550 Spyder. The car was so potent on the track that actor James Dean used is as his daily driver. Tell us your version of this list in the comments below and stay with us for all your Porsche updates.Browse Porsche For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – February 20, 2018

2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T: Fun Is Not Optional

This is the one nobody was expecting. Porsche's engineers have been hard at work finalizing the new 911, and the RennSport department have been building incredibly fast cars. So leave it to the Carrera to offer an alternative. The new 911 Carrera T will be the final 991.2 examples to be produced, and it is a curious machine. Borrowing the lightweight interior bits from the upper-level RS, they have shaved 110 lbs from the base Carrera. Is This The Next Porsche 911? Nobody likes to get nickel & dimed with optional content, so Porsche is offering a car without rear seats and a radio, but both are available for no cost. Carfection uploaded another great YouTube video today, and the new Carrera T looks to be everything we've wished for. The short shifter from the GT3 is connected to a revised 7-speed manual and the sport suspension is 20mm lower than a normal version. The throaty exhaust allows the 3 Liter twin turbo to deliver 365 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. The review was done on winter tires and in typical English weather. So we can't wait to get our hands on one in Florida with proper rubber. Click on the link below to find your local dealer and tell us what you think of the car in the comments below. Peruse Porsche 911 For Sale

By Edward Jones – February 19, 2018

Japan's Aspark Owl Electric Hypercar Just Went 0-62 in Un...

Japan just got out of hand with Aspark Owl's new 0-62 mph time. Back in September of last year, we covered the announcement of the Owl, an electric supercar that was touted to have a sub-two-second 0-60 mph time. Now, it looks like Aspark is making good on that claim with a new video from the gigazine YouTube channel.In this video, found below, we see an all-carbon version of the Owl taking off behind a building and reaching a claimed speed of 62 mph in just 1.921 seconds. For comparison's sake, the new Tesla Roadster has a claimed 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds which is technically quicker.3As for the Owl as a car, it impresses on many fronts. With a weight of only 1,900 lbs and a height of just 39-inches, it's small and insanely lightweight. But a light car is nothing without power and its electric motors all combine for a total output of 429 hp. Sure, that doesn't sound like a lot but it's the torque rated at 563 lb-ft of torque that rockets the car.Porsche to Invest Billions into Electric CarsAnd if the insane 0-62 mph launch wasn't enough, they also filmed the supercar ripping a massive burnout. I'll be honest, the burnout sounds like an RC car stuck in the mud, but that launch does not lie.

By Andrew Nabors – February 16, 2018

Reflected Images Custom Detailing- Porsche Tech Session

If you have never attended a Porsche Club of America meeting, you are truly missing out. The best part of this year's Baltimore Auto Show was being invited to PCA's local chapter to their monthly meeting. By coincidence, it happened to take place at Reflected Images Custom Detailing. As part of our Elite Detailers, owner Brian Daly has been our recommended artist for the entire Mid-Atlantic.What he does is not a rinse & wax, it is literally turning coal into diamonds. Paint correction is not for the feint of heart. Most new cars leave the factory wearing only 2 mils (0.05 mm) of clear coat. And of that thin layer, most of it is orange peel thanks to the imprecise movements of the robotic painters.Motor Trend uses the images of our booth to promote shows around the country because of Brian's attention to detail. After each car is moved in, he gets to work with CQartz ceramic coatings and a Rupes BigFoot polisher that costs more than your car. Once the swirls are gone and the polish is applied, the finish is cured with a high wattage infrared lamp. While I have always been busy coordinating the arrival of each car, I've never been able to see how much it takes to apply a ceramic coating. So, in order to show Porsche owners what it takes, he invited all of us to a catered lunch. If you have any questions, contact Reflected Images Custom Detailing and stay with us for more great events from the Porsche Club of America.

By Andrew Nabors – February 16, 2018

How To Be A Lamborghini Racing Driver

In the words of AC/DC: "It's A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock & Roll". Racing can be just as difficult, it took two decades for Dale Earnhardt to win the Daytona 500. So how does someone become a sponsored Lamborghini Huracan team? In a video uploaded last night by VINwiki, Ryan Hardwick explains his trials and tribulations on the way to becoming an owner/driver of a Lamborghini Huracan LP620-2 Super Trofeo.After starting out on dirt bikes, he quickly found out that Personal Watercraft were much more fun. I will agree with him to an extent, but freshwater racing is much easier on your budget and your body than racing in the ocean. Since his grandfather was a NASCAR mechanic, he then got into Legends, which is a highly competitive series for teens. If you want to get your kids away from the TV, this series uses 5/8 scale repli-cars powered by motorcycle engines. They are essentially go-karts that look like pre-war coupes and sedans. Lamborghini Unveils the Huracan Super Trofeo EvoHis first true racing machine was a Porsche Cayman Clubsport GT4. After making his way through the amateur races, he decided to join Lamborghini Atlanta for a 3-day session at Road Atlanta. Two days of instruction in a stock Huracn culminated in the ride of a lifetime. The Huracan LP620-2 Super Trofeo is no ordinary raging bull. Based on a production chassis, the cars are finished by the racing legends at Dallara Automotive. Their cars have a tendency to bring home podium finishes at tracks around the world, and their founder was the chassis engineer for the Miura and the Espada. Needless to say, normal maintenance parts are not inexpensive, and the race-weight forged composite panels can't be fixed with a hammer after each the eventual contact with other racers. Ryan says it takes a major financial investment before your team gets sponsors, so you might need to pick up a night job to keep your car ready to go. A big thanks to VINwiki for another great story, so stay with us for their latest uploads. If you have raced, tell us about it in the comments below.Browse Huracans For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – January 31, 2018

What is Brake Squeal? Porsche Explains

Driving fast is fun, but stopping faster is more logical. Porsche designs their brakes using the best materials available. Their benchmark for each model is for the brakes to handle four times the engine's power output. In order to achieve this, the rotors and pads are known to be a little noisy at low speeds. Because every other system is also over-engineered, brake noise concerns are a common question for the service department. Bugatti's Titanium CaliperSo Porsche decided to explain the nature of the noise in a YouTube video. Since 1948, Porsche engineers have forced the industry to improve by always staying ahead in vehicle refinement. All the annoying factors of a car are combined into NVH, or Noise-Vibration-Harshness. This field of study involves shakes, rattles, and every sensation the passengers might encounter.For an American anecdote, in the days before powerful computers, this process was trial and error. One of the most famous instances was the first generation Camaro convertible. Above 30 mph the cars would develop a harmonic vibration, so engineers installed oil-filled cans in the trunk. The "cocktail shaker" was often removed by owners who wanted more trunk space, and they are hard to find for those looking to restore their cars.70 Years Ago the First Porsche was BornPorsche has many valid reasons why their brakes make noise, but they omit the most obvious...If you want to keep your brakes nice & quiet, they need regular exercise. Your ABS system needs to be activated to keep the solenoids and pistons in working order, so find a desolate parking lot and give your middle pedal the middle finger. This applies to every new & used sports car, so tell us what stops your daily driver in the comments below and stay with us for all your Porsche news.Browse Porsche For Salehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=29&amp=&v=fUNHb9O52WQ

By Andrew Nabors – January 30, 2018

Bruce Canepa Explains The Porsche 959

Sometimes it is necessary to make a statement to the world. Only a few times in history has an automaker given their engineers a blank check. Without regard to costs or profitability, Porsche's Chief Engineer Helmuth Bott decided to build his final masterpiece: the 1988 Porsche 959. Being the chief since 1955, the Porsche 911 was his life's work. In the 80s, the brand was riding high on the successes of the 928 and the 944. This left many to wonder how much life the 911 series had left. Petrolicious decided to interview our friend Bruce Canepa, who is an encyclopedia of Porsche performance. Bill Gates: America’s Richest and his Porsche 959 His shop is located in Scotts Valley, which is home to some of the best drives in the US. The Redwood forests share a striking resemblance to the Forest Moon of Endor, what a perfect location to drive a car from the future. Bruce says it was Helmuth's intention to show the world what the Porsche 911 would be in two decades. The air-cooled flat-six gained water-cooled cylinder heads, two turbos, and a six-speed manual transmission. In addition to being the first true supercar, Porsche used it to homologate their Group B race cars. Only 300 examples were built, and they lost money on each one. Instead of being built at Stuttgart factory, Porsche master technicians assembled each car by hand at Bauer, a low volume coachbuilder. Since the cars were so revolutionary, they chose to forego the extensive crash testing required for sales in the US. Bruce took it upon himself to speak for all of us. He went to Washington DC to voice the opinions of car enthusiasts across the nation. It took a few years, but he and his team were responsible for the "Show & Display" law that allows us to enjoy cars that were never destined to be sold here. His efforts have saved countless Skylines, Defenders, and even Trabants from the crusher. As always, Petrolicious does it better than we ever could, so tell us your favorite classic 911 story in the comments below and stay with us for more great Petrolicious films. Porsche 959 For Sale

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