All You Need to Know About the Radical 1,275hp McLaren W1 Hypercar

Written by: Tim Pitt

There are McLaren supercars and then there are McLaren ‘1’ cars. Elevated beyond even Ultimate Series models like the Senna, Elva and Speedtail, this exclusive club comprises the F1, P1… and now the W1. CEO Michael Leiters hails it as “the ultimate supercar driving experience: a car only McLaren could create”.

Let’s start with the need-to-know numbers. The plug-in hybrid W1 is powered by a new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 and radial flux electric motor for a grand total of 1,275hp – the highest output of any McLaren ever. And all of it goes through the rear wheels.

Built around a carbon fibre monocoque, it weighs in at 1,399kg without fluids. In a straight line, that means 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds, 0-186mph in 12.7 seconds and a limited 217mph maximum. More importantly, ground-effect aero and a revolutionary new ‘Active Long Tail’ create up to 1,000kg of downforce – making the W1 three seconds quicker around a lap of Nardo’s handling circuit than a McLaren Senna.

The W1 costs £2 million after tax and before totting up any additional MSO options. And yes, all 399 examples have sold out in advance – snapped up before customers had even seen the car. Read on to discover how the W1 uses F1 tech to achieve P1 in the supercar pecking order. See what we did there? Right, moving on…

Form follows function

The styling of the W1 clearly borrows from the McLaren Automotive back-catalogue: spot hints of 720S in the angular nose and P1 in the mesh-covered tail and centre-exit exhaust. Yet it’s also distinctive, dramatic and rich in technical detail. The 3D-printed and titanium components in the suspension, for example, are visible behind the front wheels, while the door mirrors are perched atop wing-shaped blades.

Perhaps the most obvious break with the past are the doors, which no longer use a front-hinged dihedral design. Instead, the W1 has roof-hinged gullwings – McLaren calls them ‘anhedral doors’ – that provide plenty of street theatre when aloft. Their convex curves are said to evoke the current MCL38 Formula One car, too.

Form religiously follows function in the design of the W1, but it isn’t brutally aggressive like a Senna or one of Ferrari’s FXX cars. There’s an elegance of line also evident in the F1 and P1. However, the true extent of the McLaren’s aero only becomes apparent if you look underneath – or engage Race mode.

Going to ground

McLaren first used ground-effect aerodynamics on its Can-Am racers in the late 1960s, and the same basic principles of high downforce and low drag are applied to the W1.

An active front spoiler offers ‘a level of performance comparable to the rear wing on most supercars’, channelling air to the sealed underbody, which begins curving upwards into a huge diffuser before the rear axle line. The mid-mounted V8 is even inclined by three degrees to create more space for accelerating airflow.

Switch into Race mode (described by chief aerodynamicist Robin Algoo as the W1’s “secret weapon”) and the car drops down by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear, while the Active Long Tail spoiler extends rearwards by 300mm – effectively lengthening the diffuser to generate up to 1,000kg of downforce at 174mph.

Actuated by four electric motors, the patent-pending Active Long Tail can also operate in DRS and airbrake configurations. It’s worth noting, though, that it isn’t road-legal at full stretch, when it extends well beyond the rear bumper, so Race mode can only be deployed when the car’s GPS system detects you are driving on a circuit. You can also park the wing in this max-downforce position when the W1 is stationary (let’s call that one ‘Cars & Coffee mode’).

Higher state of hybrid

If you rolled your eyes at the thought of another McLaren with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, please check your cynicism at the door. This V8 is a clean-sheet design – “and not a scaled-up version of the V6 in the Artura,” says W1 line director, Alex Gibson – with a flat-plane crank, aluminium block and plasma-coated cylinder bores.

Driving the rear wheels via an e-differential and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with electric reverse gear, the 90-degree MHP-8 V8 develops 928hp on its own. It revs to a frenetic 9,200rpm and exhales through tubular exhaust manifolds tuned for an “exciting crescendo”. Factor in the motorsport-derived electric motor and output rises to 1,275hp, bolstered by a mighty 988lb ft of torque.

Electric range? A tiny 1.4kWh battery means a paltry 1.6 miles, underlining the W1’s ruthless focus on performance. That said, it will allow you to glide away silently without disturbing the neighbours – certainly not an option in a Senna or 750S.

Get yourself connected

The W1 rides on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels (forged alloy or centre-lock magnesium) shod with bespoke Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyres. Suspension is by pushrods with inboard dampers that offer F1-inspired active heave mitigation, plus driver-selected Comfort, Sport and Race settings.

Extreme performance demands the braking ability to match, so the W1 employs McLaren Carbon Ceramic Racing+ (MCCR+) discs with six-piston forged monobloc calipers at the front and four piston items at the rear. F1-style brake cooling ducts also boost downforce by managing airflow around the wheels.

Papaya purists will be relieved to learn the car retains McLaren’s trademark hydraulic power steering, despite virtually every competitor switching to electric assistance. It should help to deliver what boss Michael Leiters calls “the purest driver connection”, whether the W1 is cruising through town or flat-out on a racetrack.

At one with the W1

Lift the lightweight door (with its inset side window like a Countach) and the most striking thing about the W1’s cabin are the seats. An integral part of the carbon fibre Aerocell tub, they aren’t adjustable – the wheel, pedals and primary controls move towards the driver instead. Different padding options cater for various body shapes.

Sitting low with your thighs supported and feet raised, the driving position feels akin to a single-seat racer. You face a squared-off steering wheel machined from a solid piece of aluminium, with (optional) shift lights in the upper part of the rim. The alloy rocker switches for chassis and powertrain adjustment are within fingertip reach on the sides of the instrument binnacle, while the start button is housed in a roof console.

A rear-view camera takes the place of a central mirror and offers a great view of the Active Long Tail in action. There’s also a useful luggage shelf behind the seats, which provides enough space for a small suitcase, although you’ll need to leave the golf clubs at home.

Celebrating F1 success

The W1 debuts on the 50th anniversary of Emerson Fittipaldi winning McLaren’s first drivers’ and Constructors’ titles in Formula One, so the ‘W’ – in case you were wondering – stands for ‘World Championship’. And as McLaren races towards its first F1 constructors’ championship since 1998, who can blame it for making the F1 connection?

As for connection to the F1 and P1 road cars, the W1 is conceptually far more similar to the latter, but raises power and performance to an entirely new level, throwing down the gauntlet to the LaFerrari successor – due in 2025.

Time will tell whether the W1 becomes an icon like the ‘1’ cars that came before, but we’re intrigued and excited to find out. If you are one of the lucky 399 buyers with a W1 on order, do let us know.