New 1,275hp McLaren W1 revealed: the long-awaited P1 successor

• New McLaren W1 revealed
• Long-awaited successor to the P1
• 4.0-litre hybrid V8 with 1,275hp
• Rear-wheel drive only for weight reduction
• One of the next ‘holy trinity’ of supercars
• All 399 cars already sold for £2 million each

It was in 2012 that the McLaren P1 first graced our streets, and 12 years later we’ve finally got a replacement for the iconic hypercar. The W1 uses a hybridised V8 engine with a whopping 1,275hp, over 350hp more than the P1.

This will also form the first part of the next supercar ‘holy trinity’. Porsche is working on its next hypercar, and Ferrari has already unveiled the new F80.

New McLaren W1 engine and performance

Let’s start by answering the most pertinent question – what’s powering the new McLaren W1? Well despite murmurings that it could be all-electric, it does still have an internal combustion engine mounted behind the driver, but like the P1 that went before it has an electric motor to boost power.

It has a 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 which puts out 928hp on its own, which is 93hp more than the previous most-powerful engine from the brand. It also has fancy new internals which allow it to rev to 9,200rpm, 700rpm higher than the P1.

Then there’s the new hybrid system, which is lighter and more powerful than the one used in the P1 thanks to some technology from Indycar racing. It produces an additional 347hp, bringing the total power output to 1,275hp and 1,340Nm of torque – over 350hp more than the P1.

The upshot of this is 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds. That’s one tenth quicker than the P1 could manage, however it’s two tenths slower than the Ferrari SF90. There is a good reason for this which we’ll get onto shortly, but once the W1 gets going the performance is truly insane.

It’ll accelerate from 0-124mph in 12,7 seconds, which is quicker than a Bugatti Chiron. The top speed is then pegged at 217mph, but it’s not just quick in a straight line. This car has lapped the Nardo handling circuit a whole three seconds quicker than a McLaren Senna.

New McLaren W1 chassis and aerodynamics

Still wondering why the McLaren W1 is slower to 60mph than the SF90? Well it’s largely because all 1,275hp is sent to the rear wheels only – just like the P1. This is unlike any other 1,000hp+ hypercar, as they all have all-wheel drive.

McLaren hasn’t done this just to make the W1 as lairy as possible, it’s done it to save weight – and because Formula 1 cars are rear-wheel drive. Despite its complex hybrid engine, the car tips the scales at just 1,399kg. That’s 171kg lighter than an SF90 and 373kg less than a Lamborghini Revuelto.

There are plenty more weight saving measures as well, such as the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox which doesn’t have a reverse gear. It just turns the electric motor backwards – like the SF90 does.

It also has a microscopic 1.4kWh hybrid battery, which is only enough power to drive in EV mode for about a mile and a half. It still provides enough power to drive the 347hp motor though, and that’s all that matters here.

To make the W1 as fast as possible on the track, it has a Formula 1-inspired ground-effect system which accelerates airflow under the car to suck it down onto the road at speed. This is aided by the rear diffuser, which is so big that the engine and gearbox had to be pitched up by a few degrees to make room for it.

There’s a race mode which drops the car by up to 37mm, and the rear wing – which usually sits flush to the engine cover – rises by 30cm to produce 650kg of downforce. For maximum straight-line speed there’s an F1-style DRS (Drag Reduction System) button which adjusts all the wings and vents to minimise aerodynamic drag and improve straight-line acceleration.

New McLaren W1 design

Pure speed and performance isn’t the only thing that makes a great hypercar – it has to look utterly insane as well to appeal to earn a place on every 12-year-olds bedroom wall. In this respect, the McLaren W1 is a tale of two halves.

Obviously it’s not a boring car to look at, but it does seem to have the appearance of a lot of existing McLaren models mashed together. The front end looks like a blend of the limited-edition Senna and the ultra-rare McLaren Sabre, and there are a few nods to the P1 as well.

The way the brake lights wrap around the rear bodywork is reminiscent of the 2012 car, as are the massive central exhausts. The alloy wheels look great though, measuring 19-inches at the front and 20-inches at the rear.

New McLaren W1 interior

There’s a feature of the McLaren W1’s interior which we’ve seen before in a Ford, and no it’s not the Puma’s secret underfloor boot storage. The Ford GT supercar had fixed seats which form part of the chassis, as does the W1.

The seats are actually moulded into the car’s central tub, and to get comfortable behind the wheel you move the pedals and steering wheel. This ensures the car’s centre of gravity is as low as possible, and it also makes sure you’re as close to the ground as you can get.

That’s not the only weird thing about the cabin either, because most of the switches are mounted to the roof – giving it a bit of a private jet vibe. The steering wheel also only has two buttons on it, one for race mode and one for your DRS.

How much is the new McLaren W1?

As you might expect, all this phenomenal engineering doesn’t come cheap. The W1 starts from £2 million after tax, and all 399 cars have already been allocated. If your name isn’t on the list, you might be waiting another 12 years for a McLaren ‘1’ car.

The lucky buyers will also probably end up spending a lot more than this thanks to the ‘limitless’ customisation options available from McLaren Special Operations.

New McLaren W1 vs Ferrari F80

Ferrari’s new flagship was revealed barely a week after the W1, and the headline stats read similarly. Both cars use twin-turbocharged, hybrid engines, both produce over 1,200hp, both accelerate from 0-62mph in well below three seconds, and both are expensive, exciting and exotic enough to immediately become bedroom wall-fodder for a whole generation of young petrolheads.

Here’s a quick rundown of the vital stats, and which model comes out on top:

Power

The Ferrari F80 has a 3.0-litre V6 engine, smaller and with fewer cylinders than the McLaren’s 4.0-litre V8. The Ferrari hits back with three electric motors, while the W1 has only one. We’ll call that a tie.

In terms of overall power output, it’s the McLaren that wins, with 1,275hp. The Ferrari F80 produces ‘just’ 1,200hp.

Performance

The Ferrari F80 comes out on top here. It has four-wheel drive while the W1 is only rear-drive, so it’s capable of 0-62mph in just 2.2 seconds. The W1 quotes a time of 2.7 seconds.

After the initial burst of acceleration, though, the two cars quote identical 0-124mph times, and have the same quoted top speed of 217mph. We’ll obviously have to wait until the Carwow drag strip crowns the victor on this one…

Weight

Both of these cars are incredibly lightweight considering the performance on offer, a refreshing change considering that even a fairly basic family hatchback these days can weigh close to two tons. Both companies quote a ‘dry weight’, though, which is free of fuel, coolant, even washer fluid – not to mention the added weight of a driver.

The McLaren comes in at 1,399kg here, while the Ferrari with its extra e-motors and four-wheel drive is a bit porkier at 1,525kg.

Price and rarity

Neither of these cars are going to be offered on £300 per month PCP finance any time soon. They’re both hyper-exclusive and have the price tags to match.

The W1 will be limited to 399 units, while Ferrari intends to build 799 F80s. It’s the McLaren that’s the more reasonable purchase, though – costing around £2 million vs the F80’s £3.1 million price tag.

What is the holy trinity of supercars?

Anyone who grew up watching Top Gear on the television will know all about the holy trinity of supercars comprising the McLaren P1, the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder. These were three cutting-edge flagship hypercars of their day, and we’re not too far away from having an all-new trio to go head-to-head.

The McLaren W1 is the first to break cover, followed in short order by the Ferrari F80, but Porsche is currently working on a new, all-electric successor to the 918 Spyder in the form of the Mission X concept. This is powered by three electric motors, and Porsche is aiming for this to be the fastest road-legal car around the Nurburgring.

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