By Otsile Kadiege

McLaren recently took the veils off the new W1 hypercar – a successor of the highly sought-after P1 which debuted many moons ago at the 2013 Geneva International Motor Show. The newcomer ushers in a myriad of technological and mechanical advancements as well as a bold design that’s fitting for an ultimate McLaren.

Designed to cut through air

If you didn’t know, McLaren Uses Virtual Reality Technology to design its supercars and it’s quite evident when you take a look at the new W1. Outside, the newcomer looks like a GT3 race car thanks to gaping air inlets on its front-end and sides – which are shaped like the McLaren logo. Sticking with the W1’s aerodynamic bits & bobs, it also features nifty active front and rear wings and a roof-mounted air flow diverter. Deployment of active front and rear wings is not just theatre: in Race mode W1 is capable of generating up to 350kg of downforce at the front and 650kg at the rear, giving total downforce of up to 1000kg in high-speed corners.

The massive rear diffuser also forms part of the crash structure, acting as a rear bumper. W1 also incorporates a new rear frame that adds significant stiffness by tying into the upper part of the Aerocell. It is made from a box-section aluminium hollow casting, which is lighter than a more conventional ‘I’-shaped section.

Driver focused interior

Stepping inside the Aerocell carbon fibre monocoque you’ll first have to open McLaren’s first-ever Anhedral doors which swing up like Gull-wing doors. Once inside, you’re greeted by a driver focused interior with a flat-top and bottom multifunctional steering wheel, adjustable aluminium floor pedals, a digital instrument cluster, and a driver focused, portrait infotainment touchscreen.

Seating is uniquely integrated into the McLaren Aerocell carbon fibre monocoque, directly connecting the driver – and passenger – to the chassis. Both seats are fully upholstered for optimal support and comfort and provide a driving position that is more reclined than usual, with a high level of thigh support.

Performance

The W1 features the McLaren High-performance powertrain with an all-new, high-revving (up to 9,200rpm) 4.0-litre V8 engine, an E-module unit and an all-new 8-speed DCT transmission with a much higher torque capacity than previous McLaren transmission systems. The combined output of the HPH powertrain is 1275PS (938kW) and 1340Nm, with instant throttle response from the torque of the E-module. This translates to 0-200km/h in 5.8 seconds and 0-300km/h in under 12.7 seconds. The W1 is also capable of zero-emissions driving on electric power alone and it has a dry weighs of just 1,399kg.

The front brakes are activated with 6-piston calipers and the rear by 4-piston calipers, both of a forged monobloc design. The 390mm discs in the McLaren Carbon Ceramic Racing+ (MCCR+) system are unique to W1, featuring an additional ceramic layer compared to previous carbon ceramic discs. McLaren claims the W1 will stop from 200-0km/h in just 100 metres and 100-0km/h in 29 metres.

The W1 is the first McLaren road car to employ pushrods; these link to inboard dampers which, in conjunction with the use of wishbones, torsion bars and heave dampers is directly inspired by Formula 1. The front of the car utilises this concept to optimise aerodynamic efficiency, with an optimised aerodynamic profile of some components helping to keep the channel of air flowing cleanly towards the rear of the car. At the rear, where conditioning airflow is less of a priority, traditional outboard springs and dampers are employed.

Continuing the Formula 1 influence, the front suspension setup also includes torsion bars and an active heave element, while the rear has a Z-bar with active droplinks to control heave. In the relentless pursuit of light weight, 3D printing was used for the titanium front uprights and wishbones of the advanced suspension system.

The all-new McLaren Race Active Chassis Control III suspension with McLaren Race mode ensures huge breadth of capability, from road-legal compliance to fastest lap performance and pure driver connection.

Availability

McLaren will produce only 399 units of the new W1. Only 1 unit has been reserved for South Africa.