The McLaren W1 makes as much power as the P1 did before you even factor in the electric motor.
After a decade since the P1 and a palpable amount of anticipation around its successor, we finally have a proper look at the new McLaren W1. It’s dramatic, it’s powerful, and you can bet your bottom dollar it’s exclusive (and therefore expensive). Following up its teaser a couple weeks ago, we finally have some details on McLaren’s newest hypercar, as the automaker revealed its monstrous creation over the weekend.
Apart from the exotic styling, wherein the McLaren W1 features slim headlights, wide rear haunches and aerodynamic bits galore, its headline feature is the powertrain. The MHP-8 engine, as its called, makes 916 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque right out the gate. So, on it’s own, it’s nearly as powerful as the V8-hybrid Ferrari SF90 Stradale, including the Ferrari’s electric motors. But we’re obviously not done, since McLaren’s “E-Module” motor adds 342 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque on top of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8’s already titanic grunt. The end result? The new McLaren W1 manages 1,258 horsepower and 988 lb-ft of torque.
For some perspective, the total output is 354 hp and 324 lb-ft higher than the previous P1, so the engine by itself manages to beat the P1 all on its own. You might expect a similar or larger battery pack to the P1, too, but the W1 actually makes use of a smaller unit this time around. In fact, it’s only a 1.384-kWh unit, and the whole 44-pound E-Module with its radial flux motor attaches onto the side of the transmission. It can technically drive in all-electric mode, but like the Chevy Corvette E-Ray, you won’t make it too far before the V8 kicks back into life. The battery pack basically keeps enough charge to act as a starter-generator, reverse the car when needed (yes, it is electric when you back it up), and achieve maximum velocity when called upon to crank out that 1,258 horsepower.
Naturally, the McLaren W1 sports active aero at the front, at the back and underneath, and all of it moves around depending on the drive mode and situation. The W1 has Race Active Chassis Control, for example, so the aerodynamic features work in tandem with that system when in Race and Race+ mode. The race drive mode lowers the ride height by nearly 1.5 inches at the front and 0.7 inches at the rear (and this car already sits pretty low, mind you). At full bore, the W1’s aero setup adds up to 2,205 pounds of downforce in high-speed cornering.
But what about actual numbers? Well, McLaren says the W1 can sprint from 0-60 in 2.7 seconds or less, while the electronically limited top speed is 217 mph.
Inside, the McLaren W1 is classically minimalistic, by the automaker’s standards. Nevertheless, customers can personalize pretty much every aspect of the car through its special operations unit (MSO), so you could end up with as loud an interior as you want, such as this bright orange example McLaren brought out with its reveal.
Carrying full-on hypercar status as the next generation of an iconic series, you’d expect the McLaren W1 to be expensive, right? Yep, you’re totally right there — we’re talking multiple millions here. McLaren only aims to build 399 production units at $2.1 million a pop, so you’ll definitely need to be a well-heeled gearhead to afford one. I’m sure all of them are spoken for, regardless, but it’s still fun to see (at least in a theoretical sense) what the cutting edge of McLaren’s next-gen hypercar is going to be.
