The McLaren W1 may be one of the most anticipated cars this year. The McLaren P1, the successor to the legendary F1, formed part of the Holy Trinity over a decade ago. Since then, hybrid supercars and hypercars have become more common. But McLaren is back for round two in the hybrid hypercar space and the W1 brings performance that has never been seen before from a road-going Woking product.
Unchartered Territory for McLaren
McLaren makes some of the fastest supercars (and occasionally hypercars) on sale, but the W1 has risen the bar by a long way in terms of performance. The new MHP-8 V8 combines with an all-new E-module to produce 1,258bhp and 1,340Nm of torque. Weighing in at 1,399kg, the new McLaren has the best power-to-weight ratio ever from the brand at 899bhp per tonne.
This all helps the 0-60mph time of 2.7 seconds and electronically limited top speed of 217mph. This means the W1 is pushing the boundaries; it completes 0-186mph faster than the Speedtail and is 3 seconds faster around the Nardo circuit than the Senna.
The W1 utilises an 8-speed transmission with E-reverse. It is rear-wheel-drive, with power being sent to those wheels through an E-differential. Two powertrain settings ‘GP’ and ‘Sprint’ are available in Race mode.
Work Hard, Play Harder
Let’s face it: the W1 will be blasted around a track by the few owners who don’t lock it away in their collections. Therefore, McLaren has decided to make its latest and greatest offering track-ready. The carbon fibre Aerocell monocoque uses the idea of ground effect aerodynamics, first seen in Formula One, to generate downforce. The first ever Anhedral doors on a McLaren save weight and reduce drag.
Race mode lowers the car by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear. It also deploys the active front and rear wings, which combine to make up to 1,000kg of downforce. The new McLaren Active Long Tail rear wing provides the most downforce of any visual feature and has DRS and airbrake functions too.
It’s not just downforce that aids the W1’s driving, on and off track. The all-new McLaren Race Active Chassis Control III suspension has three different settings (Comfort, Sport and Race) and works with the aero features, giving the rear axle enough grip to not need all-wheel-drive. McLaren’s famed Hydraulic Performance Steering is also used.
Braking performance is also outrageous, to say the least. 6-piston front calipers and 4-piston calipers at the rear are used with 390mm McLaren Carbon Ceramic Racing+ discs. The W1 will stop from 100km/h (62mph) in just 29 metres and from double that in just 100 metres.
Variety is the Spice of Life
McLaren has often been criticised for making cars that look the same. The W1 bucks this trend. The front end looks like it has been plucked from an Elva, with the lower half being dedicated to aerodynamic features. On the side, it’s clear how low the new hypercar sits, but the most prominent feature is the side air intake – supposedly inspired by an F1 sidepod. The roof-mounted air flow diverter also becomes quite apparent when looking from the side.
The rear will likely be the most contentious part of the design. The active rear wing is hard to miss and the twin exhaust outlets in the centre draw a lot of attention away from the diffuser that engulfs most of the backside of the W1.
An Ergonomic, Driver-focused Interior
Inside the W1, everything is designed to minimise distractions and emphasise the performance of the new hypercar. The seats are integrated into the monocoque, meaning they are fixed, but the pedals, steering wheel and primary controls move to make up for it. The W1’s wheel is smaller and flatter than other McLarens. It also only has two buttons, Boost and Aero Deployment, to reduce hassle at high speeds.
Some switchgear can be found above the driver, like in a fighter jet, near the digital mirror. The 8-inch touchscreen provides information about the car and features Apple CarPlay. There are some small storage areas, but only 117 litres of luggage can be accommodated in the W1.
Big Boots to Fill
The third car in the ‘1’ series, the W1 has a lot to live up to. Starting from £2 million, McLaren promises almost unlimited personalisation thanks to its MSO division. Want one? Unfortunately, all 399 examples have already been allocated.
