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Oluwafemi Awodele
2 weeks ago
Overview
Perharps the 2nd biggest car annocuned this year………
McLaren unveils new flag bearing road car and P1 successor.
This force of nature packs their most powerful engine in a road car yet.
Massively complex aero, hybrid tech, massive power and... rear wheel drive? Welcome to the next generation of McLaren road cars
In the era of hyper-fast, comically powerful electric cars, we risk becoming immune to big numbers. The shape-shifting McLaren W1 is here to straighten a few things out.
At its heart sits an all-new V8 hybrid powertrain with a combined system output of 1,258bhp. The 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 makes 915bhp by itself, aided and abetted by what McLaren refers to as an ‘E-module’ that throws another 342bhp in the direction of the rear wheels (and the W1 is strictly rear-wheel drive, this is important). With a quoted dry weight of 1,399kg, that results in a power-to-weight ratio of 899bhp per tonne. (Also important, as well as mind-blowing.)
Here are a few more headline stats before we delve deeper. Top speed is electronically limited to 217mph. The W1 can accelerate to 62mph in 2.7 seconds, 124mph in 5.8, and 186mph in “less than 12.7 seconds”. For some context, that makes it quicker than the memorably/cartoonishly streamlined McLaren Speedtail, if intergalactic pace is your favoured metric.
Or perhaps you prefer downforce, in which case try this: the W1 is three seconds per lap faster round McLaren’s reference test track (at Italian proving ground Nardo) than the aerodynamically demented McLaren Senna. We repeat: the W1 is rear-drive only.
