In 1992, the McLaren F1 laid the framework for all hypercars. Then in 2012, McLaren revolutionized the business with its first hybrid hypercar, the P1. Now, greater than 30 years after the unique F1, McLaren is reinventing the phase but once more with its strongest highway automobile up to now.
Meet the McLaren W1.
McLaren
The McLaren W1 is powered by a brand new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with battery help. It has 1,258 horsepower and 988 pound-feet of torque, which provides it a 0-60 mph time of two.7 seconds and an electronically restricted prime velocity of 217 mph—identical because the P1.
However the numbers solely inform a part of the story, as spectacular as they’re.
The brand new engine—dubbed the “MPH-8″—was constructed fully from the bottom up. It makes 916 horsepower and has the best output of any McLaren engine ever produced: 230 bhp-per-liter. Its light-weight block, inflexible valvetrain, and plasma spray-coated cylinder bores assist get it to a 9,200-rpm redline, whereas the 2 twin-scroll turbochargers come alive at simply 2,500 rpm.
The brand new V-8 is joined by an “E-Module,” which consists of a radial flux electrical motor, a motor management unit, and a 1.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack. It provides an extra 342 hp to the fuel engine’s output and permits the McLaren W1 to drive on electrical energy alone for a scant 1.6 miles. Higher than nothing.
McLaren
McLaren
Astonishingly, McLaren’s new E-Module solely weighs 44 kilos. The entire weight of all of the hybrid parts has been diminished by 88.2 kilos in comparison with the P1. The McLaren W1 has a dry weight of simply 3,084 kilos. That is solely 9 kilos heavier than the P1 (3,075 kilos dry).
Horsepower and torque are despatched solely to the rear wheels courtesy of an digital differential, and it is all paired to an eight-speed automated transmission with an digital reverse gear.
The design is centered round McLaren’s new “Aerocell” monocoque chassis, which mixes a set seating place with steering wheel and pedal changes, and new “Anhedral Doorways.” The Aeorcell’s built-in seating helped McLaren save 2.8 inches in wheelbase, whereas the Anhedral doorways enhance airflow over the entrance fenders.
McLaren
The McLaren W1 has a dry weight of simply 3,084 kilos. That is solely 9 kilos heavier than the P1.
McLaren spent greater than 350 hours within the wind tunnel with the W1 and examined greater than 5,000 particular person factors to make sure it was essentially the most aerodynamic supercar the corporate has ever constructed.
The W1 has an “Lively Lengthy Tail” rear wing impressed by the 1997 F1 GTR that improves drag and will increase downforce. McLaren says this automobile has “shape-shifting skills”—and we consider it. An airflow diverter on the roof (the primary in a street-legal McLaren) sends contemporary air to the engine bay whereas lively entrance and rear wings assist generate 772 and 1,433 kilos of downforce respectively in Race mode. The W1 has a complete downforce determine of two,205 kilos.
The journey top drops by 1.5 inches on the entrance and 0.7 inches on the rear in Race mode, whereas the lengthy tail spoiler extends as much as 11.8 inches when activated. It additionally acts as an air brake beneath heavy braking. Here is what it appears to be like like in motion:
Beneath the slippery physique is McLaren’s new Race Lively Chassis Management III, which is configurable in three totally different settings: Consolation, Sport, and Race. Cast six-piston calipers up entrance and four-piston calipers within the rear with carbon ceramic discs assist carry the W1 down to hurry rapidly. From 62 mph, the McLaren W1 stops in 95 ft. From 124 mph, it takes simply 328 ft.
To assist hold all that energy linked to the highway, the W1 comes customary with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires measuring 265/35 up entrance and 335/30 within the rear. McLaren additionally affords P Zero R tires for extra common highway use and Pirelli P Zero Winter 2 tires.
McLaren
McLaren
The cockpit has an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, in addition to USB-A and USB-C connections. And a small shelf behind the seats affords as much as 4.1 cubic ft of in-car storage.
The worth for all this unbelievable efficiency? A cool $2.1 million. McLaren will solely construct 399 examples of the W1, and as you’d count on, all of them are already accounted for.
17 Photographs
McLaren
