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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 – December 03, 2015

Ford GT's Aerodynamics and Design Explained

If you need another reason to lust after the new Ford GT, some of the finer details of the body styling have been released.In a video uploaded December 1st to the Ford Performance YouTube page, Garen Nicoghosian, exterior design manager at Ford Motor Company, and Bernie Marcus, aerodynamicist, highlight how the design department worked together with engineering to build the latest American Supercar."When you start talking about the design of the Ford GT, it's never just "let's just sketch somethin' cool,"" said Nicoghosian in the video. "It's a celebration of material. It's a celebration of performance, of iconic style, of heritage, of the future of the company. And the role you play as the designer in a design team with a set of surfaces that are not just pleasing to look at, but deliver on all of these, that's a pretty sizeable challenge."Ford GTs For Sale (Source: YouTube)

By Andrew Nabors – December 01, 2015

Fastest Charger Hellcat in the World Just Ran a Quarter-M...

Not only do superchargers make a fast car even faster, their piercing whine is an unmistakable soundtrack that never gets old. Dodge is able to make 707 hp in their SRT Hellcat Challenger and Charger by using a 2.4-liter supercharger, but there is always room for improvement. Last week we showed you what John Hennessey is able to do with his new 2.9-liter blowers in the HPE 1000 CTS-V and HPE 650 Denali, and it’s easy to see how more boost translates into more power. It seems that bigger is better when it comes to forced induction, so watch what happens when a larger supercharger is tested on a new Hellcat Charger sedan by clicking the play button on the video below. Congrats to her and her crew for on their achievements. And if you're wondering what her car's packing, here's the list from the video's description: Metco upper pulley (18psi) ATI Lower Pulley Catless mid-pipes 3.09 Rear gear swap Driveshaft Shop driveshaft Diablosport CMR tune by HHP and HEMITUNER Performance 902hp/866tq (Source: YouTube/BigKleib34)

By Edward Jones – November 25, 2015

1,000 hp Nissan 370Z's Drift Through Abandoned Mall

The thought of being able to venture through an abandoned mall intrigues me to no end. Walking through an empty building that was once teeming with shoppers and stores is just downright fascinating.But, the thought of drifting a 1,000 hp Nissan 370Z through an abandoned mall is definitely better.TheHoonigans recently took this thought and turned it into a reality with their recent video. In it, we see two 1k horsepower 370Z's tearing through the abandoned Hawthorne Mall in Los Angeles, California.Don't try this one your own, because this was performed by a professional driver on a closed course. As they say in the video's description, "Hoon responsibly."

By Edward Jones – November 23, 2015

Tesla Model S Drifting in Complete Silence is...Strange

When a car drifts, you typically hear the throttle bring feathers and a massive exhaust note. For example, if you're drifting Japan's greatest sounding car, you and everyone else around you is going to hear its engine from miles away. But, what happens if the car you're drifting doesn't have a standard gasoline engine, like the Tesla Model S?There's no doubt that Japan is the epicenter for drifting competitions and that's why it comes as no surprise that this video comes from there. MASUDA Channel was recently in Tokyo at a drift competition when a Model S showcased its drifting capabilities for the crowd. Sure, it couldn't drift as well as the famous drifting Lamborghini, but that wasn't what was important.When you watch the video below, you'll be watching an incredibly powerful car drift with absolutely no engine noise. Is it strange? Sure. But, is it bad? Of course not. These electric cars pack so much power that spinning tires are their favorite past time. That is, if traction control gives way.Tesla Model S For Sale

By Edward Jones – November 20, 2015

Chris Harris' LaFerrari, 918 and P1 Ultimate Hypercar Tes...

Just this week, we've seen the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder in a 0-186 drag race and in another drag race including the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and Pagani Huayra.Now, today, I bring to you an almost hour-long video from Chris Harris on Cars that pits the 918, LaFerrari and P1 against each other at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Joining him are Tiff Needell of Fifth Gear and British racing driver Marino Franchitti.Honestly, I could talk about this video for hours and how it is such a fine piece of film. But, I'll just leave you with this: click the play button below and watch it now.You won't regret it. (Source: YouTube)

By Edward Jones – November 20, 2015

LaFerrari, P1, 918, Veyron and Huayra Drag Races and Fina...

Over the past weeks, Salomondrin has been releasing a videos series that pits the Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, Pagani Huayra and Porsche 918 Spyder against each other.The first video covered the preparation needed for the race. In the second video, they raced the cars at The Thermal Club's private track. Now, we finally have the final video in the three-part series. You can view this video below (NSFW language).In the video, we now get to see which of the five cars can win in a drag race. The cars went against each other in an elimination-style bracket, with the Veyron Super Sport being the final matchup. The results? Not terribly surprising.What was definitely surprising were the finals results of the lap times recorded in the second video.It's sad to see this series come to a close, but in the video's description he does note that Ferrari's "Big 5" will be the next. Stay with us to check out the video when it's released. (Source: YouTube)

By Edward Jones – November 19, 2015

Definitive LaFerrari vs P1 vs 918 Spyder 0-186 mph Drag Race

Accelerating from 0-186 mph is no joke, but the holy trinity of hypercars, the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder, handle this high-speed acceleration with ease.TheSupercarDriver has been testing the three cars in a three-part series, in order to see which would be crowned the champion. The first video tested the cars' ability to race around UK’s Silverstone National Circuit. In the second video, their 1/4 times were tested at the Santa Pod Raceway in Bedfordshire, England.Now, we have the third video, where we get to see which of the three hypercars can accelerate from 0-186 mph quickest. The video, uploaded on November 18, shows the cars at the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire, UK.Check out the video above to see how they perform for yourself. All I'll say is that one of them was in a league of its own. P1's For Sale (via YouTube)

By Edward Jones – November 16, 2015

Twin Turbo Lamborghini Huracan Smashes Half-Mile Record

Update: New video added below of cockpit footage.A twin-turbocharged Lamborghini Huracan modified by Underground Racing has broken the 1/2-mile World Record with incredible speed.When it crossed the 1/2-mile marker, this Huracan was going 238.6 mph. This speed is about 4 mph faster than the previous record held by a UGR Gallardo. You can see the video above, uploaded by HuracanTalk.com today. (Warning: NSFW Language)The record-breaking car, finished in Verde Mantis, pumps out around 2,000 hp according to a forum post on HuracanTalk.com. In the post, they note that the "car runs on a sequential gearbox, NOT a double clutch gearbox as a stock Huracan does."They then go on to state that once a double clutch transmission that can handle such power is developed, they will see even better results. Faster than 238? I need to see this happen.Huracans For Sale (via YouTube)

By Edward Jones – July 28, 2014

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Pur Blanc Hits 246.4 MPH (Video)

" width="680"> This weekend, on July 26, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Pur Blanc owner Ben Chen hit an incredible top speed of 246.4 mph down Highway 75. In a video uploaded to YouTube by The Stradman on July 27, the Panda, as Chen calls his Pur Blanc, can be seen flying down the highway in Ketchum, Idaho. This top speed run was held during the Sun Valley Road Rally where Highway 75 was transformed into a "No Speed Limit" zone to benefit the Blaine County Community Drug Coalition. Check out the top speed run video above. The goldRush Rally was also on hand at the event and they have provided us with a large gallery of photos of the event, which can be seen below. (See also: Hypercar Shootout (Video)) The Pur Blanc is a one-off based on the Super Sport commissioned for Ben Chen. Not only do just 30 Super Sports exist, only one Pur Blanc exists and this car has now gone faster than most cars in existence. Gallery by Gold Rush Rally (Source: The Stradman / YouTube, Sun Valley Road Rally, goldRush RALLY) See More Videos

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