Volvo

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 Khris Bharath – June 04, 2025

Volvo’s 2026 Hybrids Get Smarter With Big Tech, OTA Upgra...

In a bold push towards smarter, safer, and sleeker hybrid vehicles, Volvo Car USA announced several updates to its 2026 model lineup this week. The Swedish automaker is rolling out software and design upgrades that will not only impact new buyers but also millions of existing customers as well. Next-Gen Volvo Car UX & Upgraded Infotainment Hardware Across The Lineup At the heart of this revamp is Volvo Car UX, the Scandinavian brand’s next-gen user interface, already found on models like the EX90, EX30, and XC90. Built with real-world driving data and user feedback, it is designed to be cleaner, quicker, and far more intuitive than before. But what makes this update significant is that later this year, close to 2.5 million Volvo drivers globally will receive the Volvo Car UX via an over-the-air software update. It will be available to cars manufactured as far as 2020. This is a rare move that shows how aggressively Volvo is betting on software as a differentiator. Volvo is also beefing up the infotainment hardware across its 2026 model range, with the latest Snapdragon Cockpit Platform from Qualcomm. You typically find such names doing duty in high-end smartphones. What all this means is that you now get double the processing speed and up to 10 times faster graphics rendering than before. In the real world, that translates to less lag, smarter navigation, and sharper visuals for users. In some cases, this performance surpasses what other competitors in the luxury space currently offer. While Volvo and Google have had a long-standing relationship with UX pairing seamlessly with Google Built-in, what about Apple CarPlay? Volvo’s tight integration with Google continues to prioritize deep native integration with Maps, Assistant, and Play Store Apps. But iPhone users, who currently make up more than half of the smartphone market in the United States, Volvo models will continue to support both wired and wireless CarPlay. However, the company is yet to integrate Apple’s next-gen dashboard experience. 2026 Volvo XC60 Refresh & Model Updates Amongst the refreshed 2026 lineup, it's the mid-size XC60 that draws the most attention. Sales of Volvo’s global best-seller have surpassed 1.5 million so far. For 2026, the XC60 features a bold new air intake. First seen on the larger XC90, it showcases Volvo’s iconic diagonal signature design element featured on every model since the company’s founding in 1927. Additionally, the refresh also includes new wheel options and darker rear lights. Inside, the 2026 Volvo XC60 refresh receives an upgraded cabin with a larger 11.2-inch center display, which is 21% sharper than before. New upholstery options that blend minimalism and sophistication include Quilted Nordico and Navy Herringbone. Fresh storage solutions, cupholders, and a redesigned wireless phone charger bring a subtle but welcome convenience to the already well-thought-out cabin, rounding up the facelift. Additional updates across the range include: Adaptive Cruise Control, now standard across all U.S. models. The Black Edition is now available on both the XC40 and XC60. Also available for 2026 are two new color options: Forest Lake and Aurora Silver. View All Volvo XC60s For Sale Outlook For Volvo And Polsetar The updates across the lineup are comprehensive, and Volvo needs the edge, given how the premium SUV space is currently dominated by the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus. Besides, the Swedish automaker, like several others in the luxury automotive industry, is also navigating rising uncertainty in the global automotive industry. Following the U.S. government’s decision to hike tariffs from 25% to 100% on Chinese-made electric vehicles, automakers with ties to China are reassessing their global supply chains. Volvo Cars, owned by China’s Geely, is still headquartered in Sweden and has largely avoided a direct fallout, as most of its U.S.-bound models are built in Europe. One notable exception is the EX-30 compact SUV that was originally manufactured in Chengdu, China. To minimize disruption, Volvo is expanding the EX-30 production to its plant in Belgium. Volvo’s former Performance sub-brand, Polestar, also under Geely ownership, faces direct exposure to the trade policy. In response, Polestar has already localized production of the Polestar 3 to Volvo’s South Carolina factory, with plans to also build the Polestar 4 in South Korea. View All Volvos For Sale Source: Volvo

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 17, 2025

Volvo Unveils The New Hybrid S90

Volvo unveils its new luxury sedan. Known for a unique sense of Scandinavian design and luxury, as well as for its groundbreaking safety-focused engineering, Volvo boasts a unique lineup of luxury cars, with high-tech innovation and a sleek, modern aesthetic. At the top of its sedan lineup is the S90, a luxury sedan that combines comfort, safety, style, and sleek design. Volvo has officially unveiled the new S90, which features various updates to its technology and design, making the luxury sedan better than ever. Available as both a plug-in hybrid and a mild hybrid variant, the S90 plug-in hybrid offers almost 50 miles of purely electric driving range, offering commuters the option to drive without using any tailpipe emissions. Revised lighting designs, two new metallic colors: Aurora Silver and Mulberry Red, and a new set of wheels round out the exterior design updates for the new Volvo S90. Inside, the infotainment system is more responsive than ever, and is interacted with through a new, larger 11.2-inch display, with the ability for over-the-air updates to improve the car’s software over time. This summer, Volvo will make the new and improved S90 available to customers in China, and the Swedish manufacturer says that more markets across the globe are soon to follow after. View All Volvo S90s For Sale Image Source: Volvo

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 05, 2025

Volvo Unveils New ES90 Electric Flagship Luxury Sedan

Volvo unveils a new electric flagship. Volvo’s unique sense of Scandinavian luxury has birthed a lineup of modern, sleek vehicles with cutting-edge technology and uncompromising safety features, but recent years have seen Volvo evolving even further with electric vehicles that sport the bleeding edge of automotive technology, like NVIDIA DRIVE, lidar, ultrasonic sensors, and more. After revealing its electric SUV flagship, the EX90, a new electric luxury car flagship has been revealed: the ES90. The design of the ES90 itself represents a futuristic merge between a sedan, an SUV, and a fastback, redefining the luxury flagship for Volvo and combining the style of a luxury flagship with added practicality and everyday usability. The style of the new flagship is further enhanced with 20-22-inch wheel options, seven exterior color options, unique LED lighting assemblies, and more. A panoramic roof adds beautiful natural light with UV protection, and an electrochromic option allows drivers to opt for greater privacy and dim the brightness of the cabin. Meanwhile, interior comfort is elevated with four-zone climate control, an ultra-quiet cabin, a state-of-the-art Bowers & Wilkins audio system with 25 speakers, and other luxury features. Thanks to 800-volt technology, Volvo’s Superset technology, a 0.25 drag coefficient, the new ES90 boasts an estimated driving range of 435 miles. Thanks to a system complete with five radars, seven cameras, twelve ultrasonic sensors, and a lidar, the new Volvo ES90’s active safety system brings Volvo’s signature safety-first approach to the future. With an innovative rebirth of the modernity, Scandinavian luxury, elegance and safety that Volvo’s cars are cherished for, the order books for the new Volvo ES90 luxury flagship electric sedan are open in select markets, with more to be available soon. View All Volvos For Sale Image Source: Volvo

By Gabriel Vega – September 04, 2024

Unveiled: The 2025 Volvo XC90

Volvo's second-gen XC90 receives meaningful updates to its exterior styling, cabin layout, and tech suite, refreshing the brand's best-seller.

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 21, 2024

Volvo x D.S. & Durga Launch New 'Swoodish' Scented Candle

Volvo drives into the world of luxury fragrance. Volvo has been known for years for creating luxury cars with state-of-the-art safety technology and an unequivocally Scandinavian design. Now, its lineup is transforming with electrification, and its new flagship EX90 SUV is more luxurious, high-tech, and avant-garde than before. With its evolving lineup and uniquely Swedish approach to automotive luxury, Volvo has now forged a new partnership with Brooklyn, New York-based fragrance house D.S. & Durga. Volvo and D.S. & Durga have collaborated on a scented candle called “Swoodish.” Named a portmanteau of “Swedish” and “woods,” its fragrance is inspired by Sweeden’s forest biomes. Woodsy notes and orris create a scent elegantly redolent of the Scandinavian country’s summers. D.S. & Durga’s husband-and-wife co-founders visited Gothenburg, Sweden, the home of Volvo, to create the Swoodish scent and derive inspiration from the city’s rich culture and stunning landscape, as well as Volvo’s stylish, luxurious, and futuristic lineup of electric vehicles. With the candle celebrating the beauty of Sweden’s natural environments, a portion of the proceeds from Swoodish candle sales will be donated to the Volvo for Life Fund’s partner, One Tree Planted, supporting the nonprofit’s mission to plant trees and preserve forests and biodiversity. The new Swoodish candle is available for sale now on D.S. and Durga’s website, and if you want a scent experience of Volvo’s take on Scandinavian luxury, click the button below to shop the candle. Shop The Volvo x D.S. & Durga "Swoodish" Candle Image Source: Volvo

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 05, 2024

Volvo Begins Production Of Its New Electric EX90 Flagship...

Production of Volvo’s futuristic flagship has begun. The Volvo EX90 is the iconic Swedish luxury manufacturer’s new flagship luxury SUV. Its all-electric power and cutting-edge technology showcase Volvo’s embrace of the future. The new model boasts a 300-mile range, Volvo’s most advanced safety technology yet, LiDAR, and more. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in Volvo’s history. At Volvo’s production facility in South Carolina, which is located just outside Charleston and opened in 2018, production of the new EX90 has officially begun. The plant is responsible for making the EX90 and the S60 and can build 150,000 cars yearly. Since its opening, its body shop and paint shop have significantly expanded, and for the all-electric EX90, the plant also boasts a state-of-the-art battery pack line. The first example of the new model that has rolled off the assembly line is finished in Denim Blue, which will be delivered to a United States customer. With its new all-electric flagship showcasing the best of its luxury and safety, Volvo is boldly entering a new era by producing its new EX90 luxury electric SUV. Deliveries for the new model will begin in the second half of this year. View All Volvos For Sale Image Source: Volvo

By Tyler Rampersaud – November 09, 2022

The New All-Electric Volvo EX90 Is The Brand's Most Advan...

This reveal sets Volvo firmly on the course toward an electric future. Volvo has been known for decades for its unique and markedly Scandinavian approach to automotive luxury. With a serene aesthetic and a very vocal dedication to being the pinnacle of automotive safety, the brand has enjoyed recent growth and transformation while remaining true to its roots. However, yet another change is taking place as Volvo announces its new all-electric flagship SUV, the EX90. The model is just as much a Volvo as any other, but blazes a trail for electric Volvos to come, and also enhances the brand’s commitment to sustainability and safety with new approaches. MUST READ: The New Polestar 3 Is Revealed As A Sustainable Electric Luxury Performance SUV The vehicle features NVIDIA DRIVE and new software that allows the car to create a 360-degree real-time view of its surroundings. Along with lidar and sensors that use algorithms to detect drowsiness or distraction, the new EX90 is actively able to respond to situations quickly and calmly. If the system detects that you’ve fallen asleep or have a medical emergency, the vehicle is designed to safely stop and call for help. Volvo says that the lidar system in the vehicle makes it one of the first to be ready to adopt unsupervised autonomous driving technology in the future. Famous in the gaming world, the Unreal Engine powers advanced graphics at high speeds on the screens and head-up display. Also at the intersection of technology and luxury is the Bowers and Wilkins audio system, which uses speakers in the headrest and Dolby Atmos to create an unparalleled sound experience. Sustainability is an important focus for the new Volvo EX90, not only with the electric drivetrain but also with the use of 15 percent recycled steel, 25 percent recycled aluminum, and 15 percent recycled plastics and bio-based materials. The dual-motor all-wheel drive in the new Volvo electric luxury SUV boasts 517 horsepower and 671 lb/ft of torque. With 7 seats and more advanced safety, technology, and luxury than ever, the new EX90 pushes Volvo even further forward. View All Volvos For Sale Source: Volvo

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