This is an overseas car news: Friends who are planning to buy a supercar recently pay attention, McLaren P1 successor McLaren W1 is finally here, so you have been waiting for a long time! In this article, let's take a look at what new changes are brought by new cars.
The McLaren P1 is a true classic, iconic from a decade ago, along with the LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder. For the senior management of the McLaren brand, this time the launch of the iconic supercar ahead of the competition will attract the target customers to a certain extent.
The McLaren W1 name has a lot of meaning, where the "W" means "World Championship", and the number "1" is not only the inheritance of P1, but the rest of the meaning is clear to everyone.
McLaren's launch of the family's iconic supercar was a gamble at all costs, given the narrow target audience. It is expected that the pre-sale price of W1 overseas will exceed 2 million US dollars, which is about 14 million yuan.
In terms of power, the McLaren W1 inherits the P1 plug-in hybrid system, which is a combination of a 4.0L V8 twin-turbo engine and a rear-drive motor, and an electronic differential on the rear axle, but the W1 is still rear-wheel drive. The V8 engine is newly developed with a horizontal crankshaft system and a maximum rev limit of 9,200 RPM. However, it still produces 916 hp, which is 13 hp more than the P1. In addition, the mid-engine has a 3-degree downward slope to the horizon to accommodate the huge rear wing and diffuser at the rear.
The drive motor is designed with radial flux and the motor is compact enough to deliver 342 hp to the powertrain, resulting in a total output of 1,258 hp, making it the highest-performing model in the McLaren lineup. The drive motor is integrated with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and is mounted in the transmission downstream of the clutch torque input.
However, the McLaren W1 battery pack has a modest capacity of 1.384 kWh and is placed in the chassis to lower the vehicle's centre of gravity. The main consideration for the small battery is its own weight, so the pure electric range is only 1.6 miles, about 2.6 kilometers.
The plug-in hybrid system provides the McLaren W1 with an additional BOOST mode that allows the drive motor to provide electric assistance for a short period of time, just like current Formula 1 cars, for straight-line overtaking or acceleration out of corners. There is also a GP mode and a Sprint mode, where the GP mode provides a longer performance output on the track; Sprint mode is all about setting lap times.
McLaren officially said that the W1 can accelerate to 200 km/h in 5.8 seconds, reach 300 km/h in 12.7 seconds, and limit the top speed to 350 km/h.
Despite the presence of the drive motor and battery pack, the McLaren W1 weighs less than 1.4 tonnes, thanks to the application of carbon fibre chassis technology officially called "Aerocell", the cockpit has actually been raised, but the front suspension attitude is lower, and it does not rely on the front subframe structure, which helps to reduce weight and optimize chassis airflow. In addition, the seat of the W1 is directly fixed in the cockpit and cannot be adjusted, and the pedals can only be adjusted to adapt to different heights. The higher cabin means that the pedal area is also raised, as is the driver's footstep, a somewhat similar to that of a Formula 1 car.
In terms of body design, especially the basic design of the rear of the car, it is still inspired by the McLaren P1, while incorporating some new elements. Like the McLaren P1, the active motorised rear wing is officially known as the 'McLaren Active Long Tail' and extends 11.8 inches (30 cm) back when activated, creating additional air downforce. When track mode is selected, the front height is lowered by 4 cm, the rear is lowered by 1.8 cm, and the maximum downforce reaches 2,205 lbs (1,000 kg) when the long rear wing is activated.
The McLaren W1 chassis suspension has been reinforced, with an aerodynamic layout inspired by Formula 1 cars, with dampers on each pushrod and integrated torque rods and air damping in the suspension sections. In order to reduce the weight of the vehicle, some parts are made of 3D printing technology, which is supported by the United States company Divergent 3D.
The braking system is equipped with carbon-ceramic brake discs, which are common in supercars, and the aforementioned air brakes, the braking distance of 100km/h-0 is only 29 meters. The 200km/h-0 braking distance is only 100 meters. six-piston front wheels; Four-piston rear wheels.
The McLaren W1 features gullwing doors and a three-quarters roof with canopy glass, although an optional opening sunroof is available to ventilate the interior.
The cockpit design is more traditional, with the centre console and the central area of the seats covered in textile velvet, and the sun visor made of carbon fibre and only 0.1 inches thick. The top of the racing-style steering wheel is equipped with a gear shift prompt, and there is a mode switch button at 39 o'clock. The other controls are within easy reach, and the center display measures only 8 inches, with a portrait layout and tilted to the driver's side.
On top of that, the McLaren W1 is only 399 units in production, and orders are already open for pre-order, with deliveries expected to start in 2026, are you getting your money ready?