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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 – September 12, 2016

How to Store the Roofs of the Porsche Carrera GT and 918 ...

Unlike the conventional convertible, targa-top and some hard-top vehicles can't become top with just the push of a button. No, instead you usually have to exit the vehicle, remove the top and store the panel somewhere. For the Porsche Carrera GT and 918 Spyder, that somewhere is found in their small front boot.(Related: New Hybrid Porsche Panamera Model Revealed)To show everyone how you actually store the tops on these cars, Speedracer38 uploaded a video to YouTube, which can be viewed below. In the video we see the entire removal and storage process for the Carrera GT. Essentially, it's as easy as popping off the panels and fitting them in their respective spots up front. As for the 918 Spyder, we only see where where and how the panels are stored, minus the initial removal process. Check out the video below, because you never know when you might need this bit of info in the back of your pocket! n]

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – September 09, 2016

One Off Pagani Huayra Futura Makes Debut

Pagani is known for creating 1 of 1 examples, and it looks like they've done it again. The owner of the exclusive Pagani Huayra Futura brought the car out for its debut recently. Premiering at the Marchettino 2016 Lakes GT supercar rally, this completely bespoke unit features a black and blue color combination with exposed carbon fiber throughout.(Related - Redesigned One-off Purple Pagani Zonda 760 RS Spotted)Bespoke exterior features include a custom spoiler and the center lock, matching blue painted wheels. The interior carries the blue/black theme with exposed carbon fiber accents. Most notably, the Futura is also equipped with an extended carbon fiber aero kit that includes a noticeably enlarged front splitter. Check out the Futura for yourself in the video below.View All Paganis For Sale

By Edward Jones – September 08, 2016

Over Five Epic Minutes of Supercars Starting Up

One of the easiest ways to get a car guy going? Start up sounds. The rumble and vibration reverberating from the eardrums is just something a person in love with cars can't get enough of. Maybe it's because each car has a distinct sound. Maybe it's because the start up alludes to the incredible power and opportunity available at the push of a pedal. The truth is, it's probably a fusion of all of the above.(Also Check Out - Sports Cars and Supercars with Apple CarPlay for Your iPhone 7)YouTube's Automotive Mike knows all about the insane thrill start ups can bring, and he did the auto enthusiast a favor when he put together the video below, which features over five minutes of supercar and sports car start up sounds. Amazing. Included in the video are the start ups from iconic exotic car makers like Koenigsegg, Ferrari, Lamborghini and more.Here's the full list:- Aston Martin DBS- Aston Martin V8 Vantage S- Audi RS6 C7 DTM- Bentley Continental GT Supersport- BMW 335i- BMW M5- Bugatti Veyron- DMC Lamborghini Aventador- Dodge Challenger SRT8 Hellcat- Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale- Ferrari 360 Modena- Ferrari 430 Scuderia- Ferrari 458 Italia- Ferrari 458 Speciale- Ferrari 458 Speciale A- Ferrari Enzo ZXX by Edo Competition- Ferrari F12 Berlinetta- Ferreri F12 Berlinetta Novitec Rosso- Ferrari F40 Barchetta Beurlys- Ferrari LaFerrari- Ford Focus RS- Ford Mustang Shelby GT500- Jaguar F Type R Coupe- Jaguar XK120- Koenigsegg Agera R- Koenigsegg One:1- Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4- Lamborghini Gallardo LP520-4 Spyder- Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4- Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale- Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4- Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster- Lexus LFA- Mazda RX7- McLaren P1- Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe- Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series- Nissan GT-R- Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach Package- Porsche 9ff TR1000 996 Turbo- Porsche 991 GT3R- Porsche Carrera GT- Radical RXC V8- Ultima GTR- Zenos E10 SCheck out the video below for your daily dose of engine start-up heaven.

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – September 06, 2016

Who Wins? The Porsche 918 Spyder or an Airplane?

Generally, determining the winner of a race between a car and a plane is a no-brainer, but when pitting a Porsche 918 Spyder against a Zivko Edge 540 V3 aircraft, the outcome isn't so clear. The guys at GRIP - Das Motormagazin wanted to see which vehicle would win, so they pulled the 918 Spyder out to the Zweibrucken airport for a ride down the straightaway against the aircraft.(Electric Hypercar Crushes LaFerrari and Tesla Model S in Race)Driven by Matthias Malmedie, the German television show's test driver, the 918 Spyder sails down the runway reaching over 186 mph thanks to its hybrid engine, which pumps out an unprecedented 887 horsepower and 940 lb-ft of torque.So, who do you think won? Check out the video below to find out!

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – September 06, 2016

Insane! Porsche Driver Gets Flat Tire at 207 MPH on Autobahn

Driving down the highway and getting the flat tire at 80 mph can rattle the average driver, and then there's the sheer danger getting a flat at high speeds can cause. So, when a YouTube video posted by GTBOARD of a Porsche 997 GT2 popping a tire at 207 mph popped up, our hearts floated into our throats for a few seconds until we learned the fate of the driver and passenger.(Also Watch: Porsche 964 Barely Escapes Nurburgring Corner Crash)The Porsche GT2 makes its way down the Autobahn, creeping toward 200 mph in what looks like a rather "leisurely" drive. Both driver and passenger seem unworried and look completely comfortable, as it can be assumed they've probably made such a drive many times before. But at 1:19 into the video, a terrible sound and visible vibration rocks the video, and then we see the driver make a hasty veer to the right hand shoulder. Luckily, it looks like the driver was able to get to the shoulder with little trouble, and no one was hurt. Check out the full video below.Porsche For Sale Houston Buy Tires

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – September 01, 2016

What it's Like to Drive the Porsche Carrera GT

The V10 Porsche Carrera GT, aka one of Porsche's fastest road cars to date, must be a dream to drive. I wouldn't know, because I've not had the opportunity to take one for a spin, but in the video below, evo ICON's Dickie Meaden gives us a first-hand look at what it's like to drive the Carrera GT and what makes the car so special.(Related: Porsche 964 Barely Escapes Nurburgring Corner Crash)One pretty cool tidbit he relays is that the Carrera GT's famed 5.7-liter V10 engine is actually a cast-off racing engine Porsche decided to put to work in a street car. Along with that, Meaden remarks on engine sounds, RPMs and a load of other caveats while we watch the car zipping down the track.Check out the full video below.View Carrera GTs for Sale

By Andrew Nabors – September 01, 2016

How To Drive A Ferrari 288 GTO

If you are reading this, you probably have a checklist for driving your favorite car. Every car has specific needs that must be addressed in order to extract its full potential. Petrolicious has a knack for filming the best attributes of exotic cars, so let's take a ride with them in a classic Ferrari.As the first in a long line of supercars, the 288 GTO was designed for Group B racing. Borrowing styling from the 308, the proportions are exaggerated to accommodate a new drivetrain. Instead of the 308's transverse mounted engine, the 288's block was mounted north-south just ahead of the rear wheels. The chassis is longer and wider for better handling and to house the intercooled twin turbos.(Related: Why the Ferrari F40 should be part of your collection)The ability to reach 60 mph in under 5 seconds is fast no matter what decade you are in, and doing so on a winding mountain road should be a life goal. It is rare to see one in action because only 272 cars were built before the program was canceled. If you were born in the 80's be warned that certain elements in this film might make you feel old.View All Ferraris For Sale

By Edward Jones – September 01, 2016

Chrome McLaren P1 Goes Through McDonalds Drive-Thru

Of all of the McLaren colors out in the wild, I can't say that I've ever seen a McLaren P1 donning a chrome exterior. Granted, the P1 featured in JDMAYFAIR's new video is almost certainly wrapped, it's still interesting to see the hypercar in chrome.(Also Read: Widebody Liberty Walk McLaren 650S Kit Revealed (w/ Price))In the video, we see the P1's driver take the car through a McDonald's Drive-Thru. Yes, it's not the most exciting adventure you'll see on the internet today, but seeing the P1 in chrome is most definitely a new experience.What do you guys think of chrome wraps or finishes? Yay or nay? If you'd like a P1 for yourself to wrap, be sure to click the button below to see the examples we currently have for sale.View All P1s For Sale

By Edward Jones – August 31, 2016

Bugatti Chiron Revving Sounds Savage

The Bugatti Chiron has taken the world by storm for many reasons. The first reason has to be that its the successor to the ever-popular Veyron and is a new Bugatti model in itself. The second reason is most certainly its massive powertrain that includes a massive 8-liter W16 engine. Altogether, the new Chiron is capable of 1,500 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque.(Related: Lamborghini Centenario Roadster Sounds Like a Monster)One thing many people noted about the Veyron was that even though it had a big ol' engine, it didn't sound ferocious enough. Well, Bugatti most definitely changed that with the Chiron, because this new hypercar sounds like an absolute monster.Below is a video from Speedracer38 who filmed the Chiron revving in person. If you need to wake up, just click play below and turn up your speakers/headphones. But don't blow out your eardrums, please. Skip to 1:45 if you want to skip the walkaround and just hear the noise.View All Bugattis For Sale

By Nicole Slaughter-Graham – August 30, 2016

Red Bull Driver, Bryce Menzies, Puts Truck 379 Feet in th...

A ghost town in the desert of New Mexico makes for the perfect location to see how much air a truck can get. At least that's what Red Bull thinks. The company's driving team, which is known for crazy stunts and world records, sought to beat the Guinness World Record distance of 301 feet for launching a race truck. Driver Bryce Menzies throttled it and set out over a ramp and a building or two, and officially beat the record.(Related: The Iron Knight: World's Fastest Truck)With an adjudicator for the Guinness Book of World Records on site, a new record set by Menzies was recorded at 379 feet. Check out the video below to watch the truck go soaring through the air.

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