For McLaren, nothing gets any more special nor as sacred as their “1” lineage of super-duper-hypercars. These started all the way back with the legendary F1, a watershed moment among sports cars, and it’s then followed up by the P1, showcasing an electrifying harmony of hybrid power and internal combustion, all in one. It’s been some time since the P1 came about, so I’d been wondering when the next “1” car would come from McLaren’s skunkworks. Well, it looks like the wait is finally over, as McLaren lifts the veil on the already-iconic W1. Alas, if you have tonnes of cash lying around and want to buy one, all 399 cars have been accounted for.
For the lucky few who get to own and drive the McLaren W1, this £2 million hypercar – not to include the abundance of MSO bespoke personalisation – is everything we love about McLaren, distilled into a single machine. Just so you know how fast it is, the new McLaren W1 is now the fastest-lapping and fastest-accelerating McLaren vehicle ever made. It’ll go from 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) in a mere 5.8 seconds, and it’ll sprint from 0 to 186 mph (300 km/h) in under 12.7 seconds. Meanwhile, it’ll keep going until it (electronically) tops out at 350 km/h. So far then, the McLaren W1 doesn’t slack around, so wait till you see what’s powering this beast.
The Fastest And Most Powerful McLaren To Date
Underneath, you’ll find a brand-new 4.0-litre “MHP-8” V8 hybrid engine, cranking out a mighty 1,275 PS. The petrol engine alone puts out 928 PS, which revs all the way up to 9,200 RPM. This engine technically offers the highest-ever output from any McLaren engine, at 233 PS per litre – wasn’t it not too long ago that 100 PS per litre was impressive? Not content with breaking one record, the integrated E-module electric motor and hybrid elements add the remainder 347 PS. Altogether, this ground-breaking hybrid powertrain makes the McLaren W1 a superbly power-dense system, while also helping to reduce weight with just how compact the whole thing is.
Speaking of, thanks to McLaren’s lengthy experience with building super-lightweight cars and their knack for motorsports-bred engineering, the W1 weighs just 1,399kg. For a supercar that is powered by a complicated hybrid system, and carrying a battery pack, that’s actually pretty impressive, I’d say. If you do some maths, this means the McLaren W1 has a power-to-weight ratio of 911 PS/tonne. That’s by far the best in its class and it’s the highest ever for a McLaren. This is all built around a bespoke “Aerocell” carbon fibre monocoque, with exceptional rigidity, strength, and weight savings. It even comes with 3D-printed titanium components, too.
A New Gold-Standard Benchmark In Hybrid Hypercars
Moreover, for fans of cool doors, the W1 debuts the McLaren Anhedral Doors, designed to aid with cooling and optimising airflow. Elsewhere, there’s a bunch of F1-inspired aero to keep the W1 from taking off. There’s active aero and ground effect at play, including that Long Tail rear wing (also an active component, by the way), which can extend up to 300mm to give you more downforce. If you switch on the W1’s “Race” mode, it will lower its ride height by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear, adding a whopping 1,000kg of downforce. With that in mind, the McLaren W1’s suspension has a few more tricks up its sleeve for further optimising speed.
With its highly advanced McLaren Race Active Chassis Control III suspension system, the W1 is made to maximise performance for both track and road use. Best of all, you still get McLaren’s beloved hydraulic steering rack. It is the best of both worlds, between awesome feedback with the road underneath, yet it’s superbly controllable and sharp. Step inside, and you’re cocooned by a fighter jet-style cockpit. You may also notice that the bucket seats are integrated with the carbon monocoque. Time will tell if the McLaren W1 is all that it’s cracked up to be, but seeing how much tech and engineering went into making it, I’d reckon it’d be pretty fast, no doubt.
