McLaren W1 Hybrid Hypercar Launched: Brochure Breakdown of the P1 Successor
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McLaren W1. (Image source: McLaren)
In the last four years or so, we have seen an imminent growth of hypercars. EVs almost immediately took the mantle and we were almost getting immune to the comically staggering performance numbers. Until now as we can see the McLaren W1 is set out to settle some debates.
The W1 is touted as the successor to the P1, which we remember making a similar statement as one of the curtain raisers for hybrid hypercars back in 2013. The numbers on its successor keep up with the bloodline’s legacy. There is a hybrid V8 powertrain that puts out 1,258 bhp together. The 4.0-litre block is responsible for 915bhp out of it, with the rest of 342bhp coming from, what McLaren is calling, the ‘E-module’. All of it is sent to the rear wheels and the car tips the scale at only 1,399kg giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 899bhp per tonne.
Before we dive a bit deeper into some juicy details, the top speed of the McLaren W1 is limited to 217mph. From standstill to 62mph takes 2.7 seconds, to 124mph it takes 5.8 seconds and McLaren claims that 186mph comes in under 12.7 seconds. To put this into perspective, that makes it faster than the brand’s glorified speedster, the Speedtail.
If aero tickles your senses then, the W1 has more, which helped it lap the McLaren reference test track, a whole three seconds faster than the purpose-built Senna. Did we mention that it’s rear-wheel drive only?
McLaren has built the car on its new Aerocell monocoque which is made out of pre-preg carbon fibre, the most optimal form of the material, mostly used in high-end motorsports. McLaren says the tub has aero surfaces that were only possible if the floor was raised. This has elevated the footwell position. The seats are bolted to the monocoque, which has helped the engineers shorten the wheelbase by 70mm. We saw something similar on the LaFerrari and Daytona SP3.
There’s no rear windscreen as the W1 uses a digital mirror fed via a camera situated below the car’s shark-fin antenna. This has smartly given the car more boot space (117 litres) behind the front seats enough for two weekend bags or two crash helmets.
In continuation, the cockpit gets a flat–bottom steering wheel that comes with a few buttons that control the car’s ‘Boost’ and ‘Drag Reduction’ (DRS) functions. Oh did we mention it also gets active rear spoiler?
There are no cutbacks in tech with an eight-inch central screen that runs McLaren Infotainment System (MIS) II that comes with Apple CarPlay and USB connectivity. McLaren has kept the whining millennials and boomers quiet with some mechanical elements like the rocker switches that control the driving mode.
The price tag on the car reads £2 million including tax in the UK. The company is planning to limit the production to 399 units, which we believe have already been sold.
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