McLaren W1 Is a 1,258-HP Hybrid Hypercar—That’s Already Sold Out

• The McLaren W1 uses its new MHP-8 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 and a hybrid system to make 1,258 HP.
  

• The automaker says this is the quickest road-legal McLaren ever, and it bests the McLaren Senna by 3 seconds on the company’s Nardo reference track.

• McLaren says the W1 can generate 2,205 pounds of downforce but can generate 20% less drag than the Senna when using the W1’s drag reduction system.

After almost a decade since the McLaren P1 went offline, the folks at McLaren are adding another “1” car to its roster. Meet W1, the latest top-flight McLaren that has a spec sheet that lives up to the brand’s pedigree.

The latest hypercar from McLaren packs a new turbocharged V8 that works with a hybrid system to generate 1,258 hp. Almost as impressive as this machine’s power unit, the W1 can generate over a ton of downforce to help you stay stuck to the track when you’re at full song. Oh yeah, it also has a hefty price tag, and they’re already all sold out.

The heart of the W1’s operation is its 4.0-liter turbocharged V8. Dubbed MHP-8 by McLaren, this ICE makes 915 hp on its lonesome, which bests the 903 hp total system output of its P1 predecessor.

This engine sports port and direct fuel injection, a flat-plane crankshaft, and a 9,200-rpm redline. Mated to this V8 is an eight-speed automatic transmission that feeds power exclusively to the rear.

Also powering the rear is a hybrid system that features an E-module that’s mounted to the transmission and packs 342 hp worth of radial flux motor and a silicon carbide motor control unit.

Feeding this module is a 1.384-kWh battery pack housed in a fireproof enclosure mounted to the floor of the carbon-fiber tub. You can recharge this battery to about 80% state of charge in only 22 minutes.

This drive module also handles the reverse function of the W1, which helps save weight inside the eight-speed transmission. According to McLaren, this hybrid system is over 88 pounds lighter than the system from the P1.

Working with the hybrid powertrain, the team at McLaren focused on aerodynamics to wrap the carbon-fiber monocoque tub. Dubbed the Aerocell, this lightweight structure uses pre-preg carbon fiber for strength and is, according to McLaren, the pound-for-pound chassis champ from the company.

This structure also sports anhedral doors, better known to car enthusiasts as gullwing doors. The W1 has these wings because they help with air extraction from the front fenders.

While the McLaren W1’s drag-reduction-ready rear wings might be the most exciting piece of its aerodynamic kit on paper, the ground effect work on the lower half of the car might be a bigger piece of the puzzle.

Flipping the drive mode selector to race mode, the front of the W1 drops 1.5 inches and the rear lowers 0.66 inches. This drop in ride height helps the McLaren W1 better manipulate the wind underneath the car.

All in, the McLaren W1 generates 1,000 kg, or over 2,200 pounds, of downforce, but that can drop thanks to the drag reduction system on the rear wing.

If that isn’t race car enough, McLaren went with a pushrod suspension in the front. This front suspension borrows more inspiration from F1 with torsion rods handling the spring duties.

The rear suspension is slightly less sophisticated with traditional outboard springs and dampers taking care of business. Bringing the W1 to a halt is a set of six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. These monoblock calipers grab 15.35-inch carbon-ceramic rotors at every corner.

McLaren says this whole machine only spans 182 inches in length and rides on a 106-inch wheelbase. Its 86-inch-wide shell is also only 47 inches tall. This makes it larger in just about every direction than its predecessor, but that doesn’t seem to hinder the performance.

According to McLaren, this machine can rocket to 62 mph in only 2.7 seconds, 124 mph in 5.8 seconds, and runs out of steam at 217 mph. In 2024, these aren’t exactly jaw-dropping figures, but it seems like the W1 forgoes traditional bragging rights in the pursuit of lap speed.

The W1 bests the McLaren Senna around its Nardo reference track by three seconds per lap, according to McLaren.

What might be on the bottom of the list for the 399 customers already slated to own a W1 is the fully functioning interior. While there’s no center seat like the McLaren F1, the traditional layout packs an 8.0-inch screen that runs McLaren’s media system.

The W1 also will run Apple CarPlay through a USB-C cable. Fixed seats might be uncomfortable for some, but these are apparently the lightest seats McLaren has stuffed inside of a road car. Of course, these select few customers will also be able to wrap the interior in just about anything their wallets can afford.

This limited-production hybrid hypercar will set back shoppers at least $2.1 million before they start running it through McLaren Special Operations to personalize their machines.

That said, by the time these hit the used market, the limited supply and likely high demand will probably drive that number north of the MSRP.

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