The McLaren W1 arrives with considerable anticipation, carrying the weight of its lineage. Unveiled 32 years after the groundbreaking McLaren F1, this new model serves as a powerful statement for the British sports car manufacturer. It’s a vehicle that both acknowledges its heritage and embodies the pinnacle of aerodynamic, material, and propulsion technology.
The hypercar market remains robust, largely fueled by a select group of collectors around the globe. This exclusive realm includes established names like McLaren, Ferrari, and Bugatti, along with specialists such as Koenigsegg and Pagani, and emerging innovators like Automobili Pininfarina. Their approach involves creating limited-edition, high-cost machines that function as both investment pieces and performance symbols.
These manufacturers aim to ensure their specifications, both on paper and in financial terms, exceed those of their predecessors. When they succeed, these high-profile customers implicitly finance the development of technologies intended to trickle down to mainstream models, simultaneously enhancing their brand’s aura.
The value of these investments can be substantial. For instance, the McLaren F1, which cost around half a million pounds in 1992, can now command prices exceeding $20 million at auction, as evidenced by a recent sale at the Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auction.
Then there was the McLaren P1, of which 375 were built between 2013 and 2015, which ushered in the hybrid sports car era. Initially priced starting at £866,000, these models now command seven-figure sums as collectors seek to assemble a complete set of McLaren’s ‘Ultimate Series’.
With a starting price of £2 million plus options, the McLaren W1 is positioned as ‘the real supercar’. McLaren is aware of its competitors and is focused on promoting its motorsport heritage. The McLaren Formula 1 team has shown resurgence in recent years, after a period of less success. While the name ‘W1’ may sound less iconic than ‘F1’ or ‘P1’, it’s intended to reflect the company’s ‘World Championship mindset’.
The W1’s core is a new 4.0-liter V8 hybrid powertrain, with a stated output of 1275PS. McLaren calls it ‘the highest power output of any McLaren ever, and greater than all core competitors.’ This total output is a combination of a 928PS V8, that reaches 9,200rpm, and an E-module adding 347PS. Despite its advanced technology, the W1 weighs in at 1,399kg, a competitive figure in the hybrid era.
The W1 is equipped with a complex aerodynamic setup and a race mode system that lowers the ride height, with active aerodynamic systems that extend the rear wing by 30cm. All this results in performance figures that surpass its predecessors, including the 2020 McLaren Speedtail, the 2018 Senna, and even the original F1. The new car reaches a top speed of 350km/h (217mph) and accelerates from zero to 300km/h (186mph) in 12.7 seconds, stopping from 200km/h in just 100 meters.
The W1’s design is equally impressive. It features upward-opening Anhedral doors, replacing McLaren’s traditional Dihedral doors. Every component has been designed with weight savings, function, and utility in mind. Like other modern McLarens, the W1 provides excellent all-round visibility. The W1 features a conventional two-seat setup, a departure from the F1’s central driving position.
The W1 features a fixed driver’s seat with adjustable pedals and steering wheel to accommodate different driver sizes. It offers 117 liters of storage space, air conditioning, a bespoke Bowers & Wilkins audio system, and even a cupholder. The McLaren Special Operations division is likely to be involved in the customization of each of the planned 399 cars.
One of the key features of the interior is “McLaren InnoKnit”, a super-lightweight material knitted to fit precisely across the surfaces, covering the seats and the carbon tub.
The design was directed by Tobias Sühlmann, Chief Design Officer, reflecting McLaren’s evolving design philosophy. This design incorporates aerodynamic elements in the lower body, with ducts, splitters, and scoops integrated into the car.
According to Sühlmann, “The W1 is immediately and unmistakably a McLaren… defining an extraordinary new supercar that will have its own chapter in McLaren history.”
