The successor to the iconic McLaren F1 appeared two decades after the launch of the original model, but fans of the British brand had to wait “only” 10 years to replace the McLaren P1: in 2024, the premiere of the new flagship hypercar. , which was named McLaren W1. The new car was officially presented to the public on October 6, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Emerson Fittipaldi’s victory in the 1974 World Championship. This title was the second in the Brazilian’s career and the first for McLaren in the Championship. Builders, and the best gift for the half century was a super road hybrid.
Being one of the most successful teams in the history of Formula 1, the company implemented its enormous experience and technical achievements into a new model, which became a showcase for McLaren’s technological achievements. The W1 is based on the McLaren Carbon Fiber Lightweight Architecture platform, which is an Aerocell carbon fiber monocoque designed from an aerodynamic point of view. The company considers the new product to be the most aerodynamically efficient road vehicle in its history, which was achieved by optimizing the shape of not only the body panels, but also the elements hidden beneath them. And if from an aesthetic point of view the car, in which you can see the features of other McLaren models, is inferior to the Ferrari and Lamborghini hypercars, from the point of view of functionality and appearance it has no competitors.
For example, the seats integrated into the monocoque made it possible to shorten the wheelbase by 70 mm, the power unit was installed with a 3-degree inclination to free up space for the diffuser and the first McLaren Anhedral door in the history of the brand. It was also dictated by the aerodynamic requirements of the design of the doors, which are attached solely to the roof; This allowed the air flow from the front wheel arches to the radiators to be optimized, allowing the size of the radiators needed for cooling to be reduced. transmission, optimizing the layout and saving weight.
McLarenW1
Photo: McLaren
At the same time, the designers created a door in the style of the side pontoons of the McLaren MCL38 F1, which complements a number of other interesting engineering and design solutions; For example, the car has no separate sills (their function is performed by door parts) and there is no rear bumper, instead of which there is an aerodynamic diffuser, made of innovative intermediate modulus carbon fiber (IMCF).
McLarenW1
Photo: McLaren
350 hours spent in the wind tunnel resulted in a combination of high downforce and low drag. This is achieved through the active front splitter and McLaren Active Long Tail rear spoiler, which are complemented by an aerodynamic air intake on the roof. The front splitter is powered by two electric motors and rotates in an arc, and the McLaren Active Long Tail spoiler (the name refers to the iconic McLaren F1 GTR) is already equipped with four electric motors that move it up, down and forward. forward and backward. in an arc of 180 degrees: not only the angle of attack changes, but also the position relative to the body, extending 300 mm rearwards.
Working of McLaren’s long-tail active wing
Photo: McLaren
In extreme Race mode (the new McLaren Race Active Chassis Control III suspension also features Comfort and Sport plus Race+ for flat race tracks), the ride height is lowered by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear . The body kit generates up to 350 kg of downforce at the front and 650 kg at the rear, providing a total downforce of up to 1,000 kg in high-speed cornering.
The front suspension also contributes to aerodynamic efficiency: a pushrod design with 3D-printed titanium components is mounted directly to the monocoque suspension arms and aerodynamically shaped, allowing clean airflow to the rear of the automobile. There is an aluminum subframe with a classic double wishbone suspension, as a huge diffuser is responsible for aerodynamics. Up front there’s a titanium torsion bar and active stabilizer bar, and at the rear a Z-shaped stabilizer bar with active struts combats roll.
McLaren W1 – top view
Photo: McLaren
The suspension and active aerodynamics are claimed to work in conjunction with the power unit, allowing the torque on the rear drive axle to be flexibly varied: McLaren built a classic rear-wheel drive hypercar, abandoning all-wheel drive for, among others things. things, to reduce weight. The coupe received advanced steering McLaren Hydraulic Performance Steering (engineers abandoned the classic hydraulic booster) and advanced carbon ceramic brakes (also hydraulic) McLaren Carbon Ceramic Racing+, equipped with an additional ceramic layer and an electronic parking brake integrated into the rear calipers : This also reduces the weight and increases the rigidity of the components.
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And the effectiveness of the braking (from a speed of 100 km/h the car stops in 29 m, and from 200 km/h in 100 m) is extremely important, because we are talking about the most powerful road car in the world. brand history. which surpasses even the most modern Formula 1 cars in terms of maximum performance! The hypercar received a high-performance hybrid powertrain, which is built around a new 4.0-liter MPH-8 turbo gasoline engine: a unit with two turbines and a cylinder inclination angle of 90 degrees produces 233 hp. per liter and is the most power-dense engine of any McLaren, but it is also more compact and lighter than the previous generation of engines. The engine, which has received a series of technological innovations in its design, develops 9,200 rpm and provides 929 HP. Con. and 900 Nm.
McLarenW1
Photo: McLaren
The hybrid component has also become lighter (three times!) and more compact: the new E-Module is created using racing technologies from Formula 1 and IndyCar. The axial electric motor, whose power is comparable to that of a Formula E car, develops up to 24,000 rpm and produces 346 HP. and 440 Nm, powered by a compact 1.4 kWh battery (provides up to 2 km of electric range): the electric motor, among other things, is responsible for reverse gear, as the new DCT robotic gearbox 8 speed has no reverse gear. . The maximum power of the entire system is 1,275 HP. Con. and 1,340 Nm, more than Formula 1 cars with their 1,100 horsepower engine.
A hypercar weighing 1,399 kg accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.7 seconds, reaches the second hundred in 5.8 seconds and 12.8 seconds after departure you can see 300 km/h on the speedometer, but The top speed is so and in the McLaren P1 it is electronically limited to 350 km/h. It is the most powerful and dynamic car in the history of the British brand, approved for driving on public roads. In addition, the W1 has a better power-to-weight ratio: 911 HP. Con. per ton among all road-going McLarens and best in class overall.
McLaren W1 – rear view
Photo: McLaren W1
The powertrain can operate in Grand Prix mode, which ensures smooth performance during long sessions, and Sprint mode, which maximizes parameters for a fast lap, while Boost mode can be used to get maximum power from the E unit. -Module and DRS wing. which reduces aerodynamic drag. Especially for the McLaren W1, Italian tire manufacturers Pirelli have developed three tire models, 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear: the more extreme P Zero Trofeo RS, focused on the race track, and the normal P Zero road. R and P Zero Winter 2 winter tires.
The driver and his passenger, after crossing rather large thresholds, find themselves in the arms of the carbon seat supports, which, as mentioned above, are rigidly integrated into the monocoque and have no adjustments. The position of the person behind the wheel was optimized at the design stage of the hypercar, but the driver has an adjustable pedal unit, a steering wheel and an instrument panel mounted on it.
McLaren W1 interior
Photo: McLaren
The W1’s steering wheel is claimed to be more compact and flatter than other McLaren models, it may have an optional RPM gauge integrated into the rim and there are only two keys on the steering wheel, Boost and Aero, that can be accessed with your thumbs without tearing them off or changing the position of your hands. The dashboard contains physical switches for adjusting the modes of the chassis and power plant, and the very shape of the module with the instrument display plays the role of distributing the air flow during the functioning of the climate system.
There is a McLaren Infotainment System multimedia system with an 8-inch vertical touch screen, support for the Apple CarPlay protocol (but not Android Auto) and two connectors for connecting devices: the modern USB Type C and the outdated USB Type A. On the roof The digital rearview mirror features the engine start button, transmission control keys, racing mode selector and power window buttons. For storing small items, there are boxes with built-in cup holders between the seats, and the role of the trunk is played by a shelf behind the seats: a platform with a volume of up to 117 liters allows you to place two bags or two racing helmets. Interestingly, even the sun visors have been victims of the fight against excess weight: their role is played by 3 mm thick carbon panels.
Three generations of McLaren supercars
Photo: McLaren
For finishing, you can choose the innovative InnoKnit material, which requires no cutting or sewing, allows you to choose any color and texture and also allows integration into visual and audio elements; For example, Bowers & Wilkins acoustic speakers can receive inserts made of this fabric and upholstery with it can be integrated into cozy interior lighting. Naturally, McLaren’s Special Operations factory division is capable of making any customer desire to customize the hypercar come true.
And there is no doubt that McLaren W1 buyers will take advantage of the proposed car’s customization program. Production of the model will not begin until 2026, but the 399 copies of the coupe planned for production have already been sold out: the base price is estimated at £2 million (the amount includes a four-year maintenance program with frequent visits to mechanics a once a year), but the average cost of the car will be clearly higher, since the brand’s customers mainly request one of the many customization options. It will obviously be complemented by Richard Mille’s exclusive RM 65-01 McLaren Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph W1: the Swiss watchmakers collaborating with the car manufacturer have developed an exclusive chronograph model made of titanium and composite materials, of which only They will make 500 copies. made at a price of €250 thousand each.
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