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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 Jordan Aquistapace – January 25, 2021

Zenith Introduces Aaron Rodgers As Newest Brand Ambassado...

Recently, we covered the release of the Zenith Chronomaster Sport, which on paper looks and sounds amazing, but how does it perform as a sport driven timepiece? To answer that question, Zenith turned to an infamous athlete to help test that theory. Zenith is proud to announce Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers as its newest brand ambassador for 2021. There are many similarities between watchmaking and football but none more important than precision. Aaron Rodgers says, “Football is a game of precision. You have to spend time learning and studying. It's not just running down the field as fast as you can or throwing the balls as far as you can.” In games that come down to the wire, time takes on new meaning: a quarterback can have just seconds to find an open player and make a game-winning throw. While Rodgers is a leader in precision on the field, Zenith has been a standard-bearer of precision in the watch industry for over 50 years thanks to its famed El Primero chronograph movement, which measures time to an incredible 1/10th of a second. As individuals from sports backgrounds become more involved in the development and design of timepiece manufacturing, they bridge the gap between the two worlds, opening the eyes to a new group of enthusiasts. For more Watch news, Check out Discover Hublot’s New Releases Showcased For LVMH Watch Week

By Jordan Aquistapace – January 22, 2021

Zenith Unveils The New Chronomaster Sport Collection

Chronograph watches continue to bridge the gap between the automotive and watch industry, with early day race car drivers using the timepiece as a tool during competitions. Zenith is celebrating the Chronograph with a new model that features a caliber capable of measuring 1/10th of a second. Zenith is proud to announce the release of the Chronomaster Sport Collection. An updated take on a classic, the Chronomaster Sport presented as a stainless-steel 41mm. The new collection features a ceramic bezel with a choice of a white or black dial. The sub-dials incorporated into the dial are all well-styled using different colors, making the watch draw attention from eyes all around. The El Primero 3600 automatic movement drives the Chronomaster Sport, which holds a 60-hour minimum power reserve and 100-meter water-resistant. The new collection by Zenith features four models that mix white and black dials with stainless steel bracelets and nylon bands. The Zenith Chronomaster Sport collection is currently available through authorized retailers starting at $9,500. For more Watch news, Check out Ressence Unveils The Limited Edition Type 1 Squared X

By Jordan Aquistapace – January 06, 2021

Zenith Re-Releases The Original Chronomaster A385 Using 1...

When looking back on how far the watch industry has come, we have to take the time to appreciate the timepieces that paved the way for future examples. Zenith stays true to this thought by re-releasing the watches that built a foundation for the company. Zenith is proud to announce the release of the first El Primero with a Gradient Dial from 1969: Chronomaster Revival A385. The 39mm timepiece reflects the vintage design and styling using a brown ombre dial paired with a sharp-edged stainless-steel case. An El Primero 400 Automatic movement drives the six functions of the Chronomaster and holds a minimum power reserve of 50-hours. The Zenith Chronomaster Revival collection features a period-correct light brown leather strap and a version that comes with a traditional steel bracelet. The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385 Collection is currently available and starts at $7,700. For More Watch News, check out Omega's 4th Generation Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Release

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By Jordan Aquistapace – December 16, 2020

The Blueprint Inspired Limited-Edition Zenith Pilot Type ...

As watch collectors and enthusiasts, we are often told stories behind the inspiration of our favorite timepieces, but until now we have never been shown the schematics. Zenith lets the process of constructing the limited-edition Pilot Type 20 Blueprint speaks for itself, as the dial is designed directly from traditional aviation blueprints for the watch itself. The Zenith Pilot Type 20 Blueprint is a 45mm stainless-steel case that features a vibrant blue dial showing the schematics and dial layout. A quintessential in-house automatic movement drives the timepiece, which holds a 50-hour minimum power reserve. A dark blue leather strap compliments the blue dial and sparkling steel case, while also providing comfortable wear throughout the day. The Zenith Pilot Type 20 Blueprint is limited to only 250 pieces for the price of $8,330. Shop the newest release from Zenith by clicking the link below. Shop Now

By Jordan Aquistapace – November 02, 2020

Zenith Releases A Full Carbon Fiber DEFY Classic Model

The Zenith DEFY watch collection highlights not only the technology and craftsmanship that goes into each timepiece but also the premium materials used to provide a comfortable wear experience. The Swiss watch manufacturer recently releases the DEFY Classic model featured in Black Carbon Fiber. The 41mm watch showcases the elite in house skeletonized movement through a transparent dial, allowing for a closer look at the inner workings. The inspiration behind the special release is weight savings, which is why carbon fiber is incorporated in the optional solid bracelet. The Zenith DEFY Classic Carbon bridges the gap between performance and aesthetics. The carbon bracelet model is currently available for $19,500 and a strap version for $11,500. Click the link below to shop for the new Zenith DEFY Carbon Classic. Shop Now

By Jordan Aquistapace – October 21, 2020

Zenith Celebrates The Sixties With A North America Exclus...

Zenith has announced a commemorative watch release inspired by the 1960s. A time where the world was continuing to reinvent itself in all aspects of life. The Swiss watchmaker crossed a monumental milestone in 1969 with the Zenith El Primero caliber, the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph movement. In celebration, a Chronomaster Revival Liberty watch will be available in the United States only and limited to 150 pieces. Sticking to the '60s inspiration, the watch design was reinvented using the original blueprints from the Zenith A384 from 1969. The 37mm sharp edge stainless steel case holds a blue chronograph dial with red and white accents. The Chronomaster Revival driven by Zenith’s infamous El Primero movement has a 50-hour power reserve. The blue leather strap continuous the U.S. theme with red contour stitching. The newest watch release from Zenith is currently available for the price of $8,700. Shop the limited edition Zenith Chronomaster Revival Liberty watch by clicking the link below. Shop Now

By Jordan Aquistapace – September 03, 2020

Zenith Releases DEFY Black and White Edition

Zenith recently unveiled a new special edition to the DEFY model in a simplistic and atheistically pleasing way. The company has created examples in the past using an array of colors. The newest addition to the Zenith DEFY line-up is presented in a contemporary black and white color option. The colors evenly circulated throughout the watch face and bracelet make it eye capturing. Zenith refers to the 44mm chronograph as the DEFY El Primero 21 Black and White Edition. It features a skeleton dial exposing the inner workings of Zenith’s El Primero movement that holds a 50-hour power reserve. 10-meter water resistance makes this incredibly clean watch a little more functional for daily use. The three subdials that seem to blend into the clear dial include a 30-minute counter, a 60-second counter, and a power-reserve indication as functions for the watch. The strap is crafted from rubber for a more comfortable daily wear. A matching white layer stitched on the outer portion. The Zenith DEFY El Primero 21 Black and White Edition is currently available for the price of $13,600 with an available DEFY Classic version for $8,200 and can be found on Zenith’s website. Shop Now

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