McLaren W1 is landmark £2m hybrid hypercar
Auto Express|October 09, 2024
REVEALED Successor to the F1 and P1 gets 1,258bhp hybrid V8, plus active aero capable of creating up to 1,000kg of downforce
Richard Ingram
McLaren W1 is landmark £2m hybrid hypercar

MCLAREN'S '1' model name is reserved for its flagship cars, so has previously been seen on the legendary F1 of the nineties, and the P1 from 2013. And now the company has used it on this, the new W1.

Headline stats include a 1,258bhp twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 hybrid powertrain, 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 217mph.

The breathtaking numbers don't stop there, either. It'll do 0-124mph in 5.8 seconds and 0-186mph in "less than" 12.7 seconds. That makes it faster than a McLaren Speedtail in a straight line, and three seconds quicker than a Senna around the firm's reference circuit at the Nardo test facility in Italy. It'll stop from 124mph in just 100 metres.

In isolation, the "power-dense E-module" develops 342bhp, but combined with the new 915bhp V8, the W1 produces more power than any previous McLaren road car. It also has the highest specific output (230bhp per litre), and the highest power-to-weight ratio (899bhp/ tonne) of any McLaren. The W1 tips the scales at 1,399kg (dry), and measures 4,635mm from nose to tail - 47mm longer than a P1.

Many of those figures come courtesy of the model's "F1-inspired ground-effect aerodynamics", including a ride height that can drop by up to 37mm and an Active Long Tail rear wing that extends rearwards by 300mm. The result is up to 1,000kg of downforce at 174mph.

This story is from the October 09, 2024 edition of Auto Express.

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This story is from the October 09, 2024 edition of Auto Express.

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