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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 Andrew Nabors – June 16, 2017

LibertyWalk Lamborghini Huracan and Aventador Sound Angry

If you have grown tired of the looks and sounds of your Lamborghini, its time to unchoke the angry bull. Monaco has strict noise laws to preserve the peace for its wealthy residents. But that doesn't stop us crazy gearheads from enjoying aftermarket exhaust. Gumbal was on the street when a duo of Liberty Walk Lamborghinis arrived. Known for taking supercars to the next level, Liberty Walk exaggerates the original styling in order to fit wider rubber and also to capture the attention of everyone in a 5-mile radius. The LB Performance Aventador Roadster has a rear spoiler that could span the Mississippi, and it would make a Viper ACR ashamed on the track. In stock form, the new Huracan Spyder arrives with 245/30/20 tires up front and 305/30/20 on the rear. While they may be perfectly suited to stock power levels, more meat is needed when the dial is turned up. A free flowing exhaust is the best way to make power on a naturally aspirated engine. Vellano wheels are also a nice touch if you are in the market for monoblocks. Tell us which car sounds better and which one wins the beauty contest. Stay with us for all your Lamborghini footage and have a great weekend!

By Edward Jones – May 02, 2017

This Nissan Silvia is So Loud it Sparked Outrage in Monaco

While we all love a good loud car, we've all encountered an instance where exhaust noise has become a disturbance. This could be when you're talking to a friend in the car and a loud motorcycle pulls up, or you're trying to sleep and a neighbor blasts down the road in a de-catted muscle car. For one resident in Monaco, it was a Nissan Silvia that was causing a disturbance, but this hot car is unlike any other of its kind.Related - What Makes the Nissan GT-R Perfect for Aftermarket TuningFilmed by AdamC3046, this Silvia has a 720 hp LS3 V8 engine underneath its hood, along with NASCAR parts and internals. If you've ever been to a NASCAR race, you know just how loud those race cars can get, and it's pretty similar to what you'll hear in the video below. After some late-night revs from the heavily modified Nissan sports car, a local resident showed up and was visibly upset with the antics.Was the resident right to be upset at the revving or was he just overreacting? Let us know in the comments below.

By Andrew Nabors – March 29, 2017

Ford GT Sets New Top Speed Record at Texas Mile at 293.6 MPH

Top Speed racing pushes production cars faster than anyone intended, and they are gaining popularity around the world. One of the biggest gatherings takes place in Victoria, Texas and its known as the Texas Mile. Victoria Regional Airport was originally Foster AFB and it has a 1.7-mile runway that was used for pilot training. Last week a Heritage Edition Ford GT arrived with serious horsepower. Built by M2K Motorsports, it had previously reached 280 mph but they wanted more. Mike Kojima of MotoIQ was allowed unprecedented access to the car, and its details will take your breath away. via FacebookThe 5.4-liter engine retains the stock displacement, but that's about it. Starting at the top, Wilson fabricated a massive intake manifold with built in heat exchangers. Each cylinder is topped by twin 220-pound injectors....My injectors are 28.6 pounds so I had to pause for a minute. Giant injectors are needed because the car is running straight Methanol for fuel. One of the most dangerous liquids in racing, even a small amount can cause permanent blindness and neuro damage. It also burns with an invisible flame, so spilling it is not advised. Twin 85mm turbos feed 45 psi of boost to an engine with 13:1 compression.Ferraris For Sale Near Dallas via FacebookThis might seem like a recipe for destruction, but Methanol gets very cold when injected, so you can run as much compression as your crank will handle. To make sure the intake air is cold, the heat exchanger is fed by 40 gallons of ice water from a tank where the passenger seat once was. The factory dry sump oiling system was retained, but it now has 18 quarts to keep the bearings happy. Twin 66 mm wastegates are controlled by pressurized C02 from an onboard tank. What does this all add up to? As far as horsepower and torque, an accurate reading can't be made because no chassis dyno can handle it. The only aspect not disclosed is the differential ratio. Listen closely to the anti-lag system at launch. The car makes so much power that the twin 75 mm throttles can not be opened fully in first gear.First Gen Ford GT Horsepower & Complete SpecsWe congratulate M2K on this historic run, and in pushing the limits of street-legal cars. If you would like to attempt this in your Ford GT we have several to choose from. It will probably be a few years until someone does this to the new GT, so stay with us for more top speed news.

By Edward Jones – March 21, 2017

This Jeep Can Drive Over Other Cars

Have you ever been on your way to work and were suddenly greeted by a long line of traffic? During my daily commute, I run into about an extra hours worth of traffic, but some drivers in places like Miami, Florida or Los, Angeles, California can experience hours worth of extra driving due to traffic.So, how do you combat this traffic? You drive over it.The new Hum Rider may look like a new Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it has a secret under its wheel wells. With over 300 feet of hydraulic lines, gas-powered generator and hydraulic pumps, the driver can push a button to raise the Rider to a height where it can pass over other cars. Essentially, this Jeep is a robot in disguise.Unfortunately, you won't be able to buy a Hum Rider, as it was a promotional car built by A2Zfx for Verizon's Hum service.Custom Jeep Wrangler For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – March 20, 2017

AMS Performance Sets New World Record at TX2K with Six-Se...

For most drag racers, traction can be the hardest part of the sport. It seems like All Wheel Drive would be a no-brainer for quarter-mile competition, but weight and complexity of sending massive power to all wheels have been a challenge until now. AMS Performance has been at the leading edge of pushing the AMS Nissan's GT-R into uncharted territory. A decade of innovation has outgrown the original engine, so they engineered a new block, heads, and internals using the latest in CNC tooling. Last year in Detroit resulted in a 7.14 @ 212 mph. Knocking at the door of a six-second pass is nothing short of amazing. And doing so reliably in a full frame street legal car requires many late nights and usually a fire extinguisher. Such was the case last weekend at the beginning of TX2K17. A small fire on the first shakedown pass evolved into an all-nighter, as they rebuilt the engine for another attempt. Usually, the first pass on a new engine is simply to get the drive line warmed up and verify a proper break-in. But since they are very confident in their own hardware, a full boost pass resulted in the quickest quarter-mile ever by an AWD car. At first, the timing lights signaled a speed of 196 mph which is slower than before, but then it flashed an elapsed time of 6.93 seconds.... This is not a tube frame dragster with a fiberglass body. It may have sticky tires and a roll cage but it is a real Nissan GT-R. Only a handful of street legal cars are capable of going this fast, so our hats are off to the crew of AMS Performance for raising the bar. Stay with us for more updates from the race, and a preview of FL2K17 later this summer. Sports Cars For Sale

By Edward Jones – November 02, 2016

Ferrari-Powered Toyota Donuts Around 458 Italia

The Toyota GT-86 is no powerhouse by any means, with a boxer-four engine that has 205 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque on tap. Instead, it's a car that can provide you with one of the most connected and sporty drives available for around $30,000. The Ferrari 458 Italia, on the other hand, is powered by a 4.5-liter V8 that pumps out 570 hp and 398 lb-ft and is a dream to drive. (Related - What it's Like Dyno Testing a Tuned Ferrari 488 GTB) So, if you had the 458's F136 F V8 and a GT-86, you'd naturally throw the engine into the Toyota...Right? Well, if that's not what you'd do, it's what Donut Media and Gumout did. Thus, the Gumout GT4586 was born. In a video recently released on YouTube, we get to see the GT4586 in action alongside a 458 Italia. Taking the car out for donuts around the Italian sportscar was Ryan Tuerck, an American professional drifting driver. Click play on the video below to see it in action. Used 458 Ferrari For Sale

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – September 13, 2016

How to Make an Exhaust Video that Isn't Trash

The guys at AfterGNARket are tired of watching your average exhaust videos on YouTube. They understand that no matter how good a car's exhaust sounds, factory exhaust just isn't going to cut it. In an attempt to figure out which aftermarket exhaust to add to his McLaren 570S, Mike Tornabene, the video's narrator, laments about the abundance of options left him overwhelmed so he turned to YouTube for help. But all he found was more confusion. The videos he watched didn't accurately portray exhaust sounds, and as a result, he still had no idea which option to choose for his supercar.This experience led him to create a video, which explains and demonstrates the intricacies of making a proper video about car exhaust sounds.Here's what we learned: DO NOT be that guy with the cell phone recording some car revving in the driveway. It's low quality and doesn't serve as an accurate representation of the sound of the vehicle DO use some kind of high-quality sound device to capture exhaust sounds DO attempt to use different perspectives to obtain the full spectrum of exhaust sounds-- driving, revving, different speeds, from the air, from the inside of the car, etc. DO add some funky music and a sweet mountainous backdrop, followed by a run-in with the law for dramatic effect Admittedly, this is one of the better exhaust videos out there. Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments! McLaren 570S for Sale

By Edward Jones – August 17, 2016

Two 2,000 HP Lamborghinis (Gallardo and Huracan) Duke It Out

At a drag event, two brothers took their respective Lamborghinis to the starting line to see which of their would come out on top. Each of the brothers own a different model Lamborghini: Huracan and Gallardo. While their cars have different names, both of the cars have been tuned up to 2,000 hp.(Also Check Out : Electric Hypercar Crushes LaFerrari and Tesla Model S in Race)During the race, the cars easily cruised to speeds of over 200 mph, but one dominated the race, hitting over 220 mph. While one of the cars definitely took the win, one guy came out as a winner no matter what: their dad. In fact, the brothers' dad was at the event and even noted that there was no way he could lose.Check out the race below to see whether the Gallardo or Huracan takes the win.Lamborghini For Sale Lamborghini Gallardo For SaleBuy Lamborghini Huracan

By Edward Jones – August 04, 2016

Electric Van Crushes Dodge Viper and BMW i8 in Drag Race

I just finished watching this video, and I'm still pretty flabbergasted because I just witnessed a Mercedes-Benz Vito van absolutely obliterate a Dodge Viper and BMW i8 in a drag race. Granted, this is no ordinary Vito.(Related: Koenigsegg CCX vs Porsche GT2 Race: Sweden vs Germany)The van, called Edna, was created by Atieva and is actually an electric vehicle. They first showed off the vehicle a couple of weeks ago as it took on a Tesla Model S and a Ferrari California. This week, we see it take on an American supercar and a German hybrid. And if you've read the title, you know that this van destroyed the two. Here is the breakdown of its run: 0-60: 2.94 seconds 1/8 Mile: 7.2 seconds @ 99 mph 1/4 Mile: 11.3 seconds @ 117 mph Those are supercar numbers coming from a van. A van! Check out the van's sprints in the videos below.

By Edward Jones – February 29, 2016

Meanest and Best Sounding Lamborghini Murcielago...Ever?

The Lamborghini Murcielago has been out of production for a little more than half of a decade. Even though it's not old enough to be a classic, the Murcielago is still one of the finest Lamborghinis ever made. It was produced with a V12 engine that put it at the top of the Italian automaker's lineup, but even with a massive engine, there will always be people out there that will take such a car to the next level.At the latest Shift Sector event, a very insane red Murcielago showed up and stunned the crowd. It was fitted with an aftermarket body kit, absurdly loud exhaust and what I can assume is a long list of other internal modifications.The modified Italian is featured in the videos below as it takes down a half-mile stretch of empty road. Turn your speakers up and click play to hear it in action.Is this the best sounding Murcielago yet?Lamborghini Murcielagos For Sale

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