Ferocious W1 is most powerful McLaren ever

• McLaren W1 is most powerful and fastest-accelerating McLaren road car ever
• Gets 1,275 PS and power-to-weight ratio of 911 PS per tonne
• Three seconds quicker round a track than a McLaren Senna
• Priced from £2m including taxes

McLaren has unveiled its most powerful and quickest-accelerating road car of all time - the astonishing W1 hybrid hypercar.

What you’re looking at here is the successor to the P1, McLaren’s hybrid rocket ship that first launched in 2013.

The W1 also rides in the slipstream of the ground-breaking McLaren F1, the V12-engined poster child of British engineering that wowed the world back in the 1990s.

The W1, however, eclipses those past McLarens in just about every way imaginable.

A hybrid powertrain marries a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine with a 1.384 kWh battery and motorsport-derived E-module mounted to the side of the transmission.

The engine revs to a staggering 9,200 rpm and produces 928 PS on its own. The E-module contributes another 347 PS to produce a combined 1,275 PS - which is almost 40 per cent more than the 916 PS McLaren P1.

The W1 weighs just 1,399 kg - with 40 kg having been shed from the hybrid system compared with the P1 - which means it’s chucking out an incredible 911 PS per tonne.

Unlike rival hypercars like the Ferrari SF90 Stradale or the Lamborghini Revuelto, the McLaren P1 is rear-wheel drive only. Again, that’s an effort by McLaren to save weight.

And with 1,340 Nm of torque also going to the rear wheels, the W1 is capable of accelerating from 0-62 mph in 2.7 seconds - a tenth of a second faster than the McLaren P1.

That might not sound blisteringly-quick in the grand scheme of things, particularly when you consider that the mid-range Porsche Taycan Turbo is just as rapid up to 62 mph.

But the 0-62 mph figure doesn’t really tell the whole story, because it’s the W1’s mid-range acceleration that’s phenomenal. It takes 5.8 seconds for the W1 to reach 124 mph (a full second faster than the P1) and just 12.7 seconds to hit 184 mph.

A spokesperson tells us: “Only McLaren could successfully achieve acceleration of this magnitude with dynamic performance to match in a rear-wheel-drive supercar, thanks to its extensive heritage in Formula 1 which exclusively deploys power through the rear wheels to reach the pinnacle of performance and ultimate steering precision.”

Top speed maxes out at an electronically-limited 217 mph.

Meanwhile all manner of active aerodynamics - including DRS and an enormous longtail rear wing - contribute to a whopping 1,000 kg of downforce.

To get a feel for how the W1 handles on a race track, McLaren unleashed it on a test circuit at Italian proving ground Nardo. The W1 beasted the track-focused McLaren Senna by a full 3.0 seconds a lap.

Test pilots no doubt made good use of the two buttons that sit on the W1’s steering wheel - ‘Boost, which instantly deploys the full E-module power available, and ‘Aero’, which reduces drag to allow effortless overtaking.

There are other new elements to admire with the W1 compared with the P1.

Dramatic gullwing doors replace the P1’s forward-opening butterfly doors while the seats are fixed into a ‘McLaren Aerocell’ carbon fibre monocoque, which directly connects the driver and passenger to the chassis.

Rather than the seats moving forwards and backwards, the pedals, steering wheel and primary controls move until you find your perfect position - just like what you get with the uncompromising Ford GT.

For further ‘theatre’, says McLaren, most of the buttons and toggles are placed above the driver’s head, rather than on the centre console, as if you’re piloting a private jet.

With up to 117 litres of storage space, two weekend bags - or two crash helmets - can be accommodated. And because the W1 is a plug-in hybrid, the battery can be replenished to 80% in just 22 minutes.

Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive, says: “Formula 1-derived aerodynamics, pure rear-wheel drive and McLaren hydraulic performance steering showcase McLaren’s approach to purposeful innovation as a racing company that always delivers the best possible performance. It is therefore no surprise that the new W1 is our fastest-lapping and fastest accelerating road-legal car ever. It also provides the purest driver connection by remaining true to the principles that underpin the ultimate supercar driving experience. This really is a car that only McLaren could create.”

The McLaren W1 costs from £2m with all 399 examples already earmarked for customers.

Enjoyed this? Read our latest news

• Top five pick-ups to lease right now
• Private jet spec Bentley Bentayga revealed
• Leapmotor electric cars: Everything you need to know!
• DS shows off retro new ‘SM Tribute’ concept
• Skoda unveils ‘Ultimate’ Kodiaq

Where To Next?

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to our newsletter.

Looking for a great leasing deal? Check out our incredible range of special offers.

Read our latest reviews and find the right model for you.

Want to know more about leasing? Take a look at our comprehensive leasing guides.

Interested in everything motoring? Why not catch up on all the latest car leasing news.