McLaren Automotive has just unveiled a brand new vehicle in its lineup of supercars, the W1. While all McLaren vehicles can be classified as supercars – unlike many manufacturers (Ferarri, Lamborghini, Aston Martin) McLaren has not developed a luxury SUV – the W1 is set to enter McLaren’s ‘Ultimate’ subcategory, alongside the historic F1 and P1. McLaren regards these ‘1’ vehicles as the cream of the crop when it comes to its vehicles, meaning the W1 certainly has some big shoes to fill.
To ensure the W1 lives up to its name, McLaren has followed its established core principles of power, aerodynamics, lightweight chassis and exemplary dynamics to create a hypercar that meets and potentially exceeds modern expectations.
“The McLaren W1 is a celebration of both the excellence of the iconic McLaren F1 and McLaren P1 and the manifestation of McLaren’s World Championship mindset,” said McLaren Automotive CEO, Michael Leiters. “With our new Ultimate supercar, we are again pushing the boundaries of real supercar performance with an epic hybrid powertrain featuring our all-new MHP-8 V8 engine, the most advanced aerodynamic platform of any McLaren road car and extensive use of advanced lightweight materials. This allows us to engineer a supreme track driving experience from the same car that gives unparalleled driving enjoyment on the road.”
Unlike other McLarens such as the Senna, which was presented as a track-focused vehicle, McLaren states the new W1 is a supercar for all occasions that is in its element on both road and track. To achieve this, in the W1 McLaren has produced both the fastest accelerating and fastest lapping vehicle in its history.
At the heart of all this speed is a brand-new 1257 hp High Performance Hybrid powertrain – the highest power ever produced by a McLaren – comprised of both an MHP-8 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 engine and a power-dense E-module. All this power comes in a vehicle with exceptionally low drag and a supremely lightweight design and a total torque of 1340 Nm. The end result is that the new McLaren W1 will accelerate from 0 – 62 mph in 2.7 seconds, 0 – 124 mph in 5.8 seconds and 0 – 186 mph in under 12.7 seconds.
Looking specifically at the McLaren W1’s E-module, it produces 342 hp, utilizing an engineering approach similar to that of IndyCar racing. Weighing only 44 lbs, the E-module has a specific output of 23PS/kg, which is comparable to Formula 1 E-Motors.
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McLaren has placed just as much focus on the vehicle’s interior as it has on the engine, and suggests the W1 provides the perfect supercar driving environment. Dramatic McLaren Anhedral Doors swing open to reveal and comfortable cabin that has been designed with the driver in mind.
By using McLarens narrowest A-pillars yet, this new vehicle provides exceptional forward visibility, while sun visors have been constructed from carbon fiber to keep weight down. The driver and passenger seats are directly integrated into the carbon fiber monocoque, improving the driving feel by having the driver connected to the chassis. The steering wheel remains remarkably simple with only two buttons, a boost and McLaren Aero Deployment controls.
Through McLaren Special Operations, owners will have the freedom to go completely bespoke with their W1, changing interior materials and exterior colors to make the vehicle completely unique.
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As McLaren’s new flagship behemoth, the new W1 carries a price tag to match at £2m (approx. $2.6m). The British marque states that only 399 customer cars will be produced, all of which have already been allocated.
