McLaren W1: The hypercar that eclipses the legendary P1?

McLaren has just announced the W1, a replacement for the 11-year-old P1 and a new crown jewel in its hypercar lineup. But how does the new halo hypercar compare to its predecessor?

Is it noticeably more powerful? Does it have any unique quirks? And how will its legacy compare to a vehicle that was once the king of the Nürburgring?

The W1 is, unsurprisingly, superior to its predecessor in most areas. When it comes to raw power, it boasts more grunt than anything McLaren has ever produced. It also generates enough downforce to tackle the sharpest corners and features an electric motor powerful enough to move a large SUV with ease. However, don’t count the P1 out completely — the difference between them isn’t as dramatic as you might think.

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W1 is the most powerful McLaren ever built

When it comes to raw horsepower, there really isn’t much of a contest between the W1 and P1. With 1,258 horsepower and 988 lb-ft of torque — it’s the most powerful vehicle McLaren has ever built. Factor in that the upcoming hypercar has a 3084-pound dry weight, and you get a power-to-weight ratio of just 2.45 pounds per horsepower. That’s also a personal best from McLaren.

The P1, on the other hand, is slightly lighter with a dry weight of 3,075 lbs, but it’s noticeably less powerful. While it still delivers an impressive 903 horsepower and 664 lb.-ft of torque, that falls short of what the W1’s 4-liter V8 produces on its own.

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How do the performance stats stack up?

When it comes to stats, the W1 boasts a 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds, reaches 124 mph in 5.8 seconds, and blasts through to 186 mph in just 12.7 seconds. Keep going, and it maxes out at 217 mph when the electronic limiter kicks in.

Its predecessor, the P1, is slightly slower — but only just. It hits 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. The gap widens as speed increases, with the P1 taking 6.8 seconds to reach 124 mph. However, both vehicles share the same top speed of 217 mph, limited electronically. Notably, MotorTrend tested the P1 and found its 0-60 time was actually 0.2 seconds quicker than McLaren’s official figure, putting it within 1/10th of a second of the W1.

That said, factors like altitude, tire choice, weather conditions, and driver weight can all affect 0-60 times, making a direct comparison difficult unless both cars are tested under near-identical conditions.

Both hypercars are hybrids

For those of you keeping up with McLaren, you’ll know the brand has a bit of a love affair with hybrid powertrains. But McLaren isn’t Toyota, stuffing electric motors into its cars to save the planet or boost fuel efficiency. No, for McLaren, it’s all about that instant torque and the extra power an electric motor brings to the table.

The McLaren P1 was the first hypercar they outfitted with a hybrid setup, and clearly, they were onto something. Since then, a healthy portion of McLaren’s lineup has embraced the hybrid life, from the Artura to the Senna. Of course, not everything went hybrid — the 750S, for example, is still proudly powered by internal combustion alone.

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McLaren P1 has a better electric range

The W1 showcases McLaren’s commitment to high-performance hybrids. Its electric motor delivers an impressive 342 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque. However, don’t expect much range in electric-only mode — it’ll manage just 1.5 to 2 miles before the V8 takes over.

In contrast, the P1 has enough juice to make it over six miles on electric power alone. Its motor does have a little less grunt though — contributing 177 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque to the 903 horsepower and 664 lb.-ft of total torque.

Both hybrids are paired with a V8, though the engine in the W1 has an extra 200cc of displacement.

P1 is a touch rarer than its successor

In terms of pricing, the P1 was initially sold for $1.15 million with some of the unique variants going for a little more than that.

When it comes to resale value, many have held close to their original sale price, though some examples have fetched as much as $2.5 million. With inflation hitting hard in recent years, it’s not surprising that the W1 now costs nearly double its predecessor.

The British hypercar manufacturer is apparently selling them for around $2.1 million —though the final price will depend on the level of customization involved. With that being said, it wouldn’t be a McLaren halo car if just anyone with a few million dollars worth of fun money could buy one.

McLaren built 375 P1s in total, which makes it one of the rarest vehicles on the planet. The W1 is set to be equally rare, though there will be a handful more around. McLaren plans to build 399 in total. And all of those were allocated to customers before the vehicle was even announced.

Related: View photos of the $2.1M 2026 McLaren W1

Bodywork makes a difference

In terms of looks, both vehicles are aggressive hypercars. They fit the profile, but beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder and what actually looks better is as subjective as things get. That bodywork does have a practical application though.

The McLaren P1’s bodywork gives the vehicle a drag coefficient of 0.34Cd and can generate 1322.77 pounds of downforce at its peak. So it cuts through the air very easily, and is great at forcing its tires into the track to generate more grip.

Despite all this, the W1 blows its predecessor away when you dive into the specs. It generates up to 2,204 pounds of downforce, thanks to a dynamic rear wing that reduces drag and acts as an air brake when needed. While an exact drag coefficient hasn’t been released yet, rumors suggest it’s 20% more aerodynamic than the Senna — which says a lot. It also beats the track-focused Senna’s lap time by three seconds.

Where the W1 really shines, though, is in its sculpting. The design not only enhances performance but also gives the car an unmistakable presence both on and off the track.

Final thoughts

It’s no shock that McLaren’s latest hypercar is leaps and bounds ahead of the model that broke boundaries over a decade ago. But the W1 might face a tougher road to making the same kind of impact.

The McLaren P1 set plenty of records in its day, from dominating lap times at the Nürburgring to crushing it at COTA. But back then, the competition wasn’t as fierce.

The performance EV revolution that’s unfolded since the P1’s debut, along with major advancements in the hypercar world, means setting new records might be a much bigger challenge for the W1.

Then there’s the McLaren F1 — arguably the most iconic supercar ever built and still the crown jewel in McLaren’s history. Its legend was cemented by holding the “world’s fastest production car” title for over a decade, and it’s still the fastest naturally aspirated production vehicle. There’s a reason the F1 remains more recognizable than the Jaguar XJ220 and why it’ll always outshine the P1 and W1 combined.

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