Back
Spiritual successor to McLaren's F1 and P1 revealed
6th October 2024
The new McLaren W1 is the ground-breaking successor to two of the greatest supercars ever – the McLaren F1 and McLaren P1TM – and elevates the McLaren ‘1’ car lineage to new heights in every aspect of performance.
The Ultimate expression of a real supercar, the new W1 has been created according to the McLaren ethos of class-leading performance, informed by the core principles that underpin every McLaren supercar: epic power applied through cutting-edge aerodynamics and lightweight chassis technologies; the highest levels of dynamic excellence and the purest driver connection; the perfect driver environment, for all driving situations; and awe-inspiring visual and aural drama.
All of McLaren’s significant and renowned expertise in lightweight engineering and aerodynamic performance, inspired by years of racing innovation and the company’s World Championship mindset, was applied to W1. The engineering team behind the new McLaren Ultimate model have between them contributed to 16 McLaren Formula 1 World Championship titles across driver and constructor categories. This expertise as part of a bigger team has resulted in the most focused supercar that McLaren has ever built, but also one with a huge breadth of capability.
“The McLaren W1 is a celebration of both the excellence of the iconic McLaren F1 and McLaren P1TM and the manifestation of McLaren’s World Championship mindset. With our new Ultimate supercar, we are again pushing the boundaries of real supercar performance with an epic hybrid powertrain featuring our all-new MHP-8 V8 engine, the most advanced aerodynamic platform of any McLaren road car and extensive use of advanced lightweight materials. This allows us to engineer a supreme track driving experience from the same car that gives unparalleled driving enjoyment on the road.
“Formula 1-derived aerodynamics, pure rear-wheel drive and McLaren hydraulic performance steering showcase McLaren’s approach to purposeful innovation as a racing company that always delivers the best possible performance. It is therefore no surprise that the new W1 is our fastest-lapping and fastest accelerating road-legal car ever. It also provides the purest driver connection by remaining true to the principles that underpin the ultimate supercar driving experience. This really is a car that only McLaren could create.”
Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive
W1 is a supercar for all occasions; more than any other McLaren, it is equally at home on road and track and as the fastest-lapping and fastest accelerating McLaren road-legal supercar yet, is exhilarating to drive whatever the circumstances.
The spine-tingling driver enjoyment ensured by the W1’s revolutionary new high-downforce, low-drag, ground-effect aerodynamics design is further enhanced by the unique transformation process from Road mode to Race mode for track driving: W1’s ride height lowers (by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear) and a heave system stiffens the suspension. Front and rear active wings are deployed, with the McLaren Active Long Tail extending rearwards by up to 300mm to assist in generating the 1,000kg of downforce available in W1.
The all-new MHP-8 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that debuts in W1 is coupled with a power-dense E-module to deliver scintillating speed. The epic power of this all-new 1275PS High-Performance Hybrid powertrain and McLaren’s relentless dedication to lightweight engineering has resulted in levels of performance previously only attainable by track-only supercars and race cars.
This huge amount of power, together with total torque of 1340Nm and instant throttle response from the E-module, gives W1 astonishing acceleration figures: 0-100km/h takes 2.7 seconds, 0–200km/h (124mph) is possible in just 5.8 seconds and 0-300km/h (186mph) can be achieved in under 12.7 seconds.
Just as the W1 name celebrates McLaren’s World Championship mindset, the date of the public reveal of the car was also chosen with this in mind: October 6th 2024 is the 50th anniversary of Emerson Fittipaldi sealing McLaren’s first Formula 1 Drivers and Constructors World Championships.
Priced from £2 million, 399 customer cars will be produced and all have now been allocated.