We went to Jay Leno’s famous garage to check out the McLaren W1 and a few other McLarens in his collection. The W1’s Design Is Undeniably Striking, but Its Lightweight and Technically Advanced Specs Impress Even More. Of course, the prices for all 399 W1 cars that are expected to be made have already been set at $2.1 million. It’s hard to tell when McLaren F1 is lined up with P1 on the other side. Since Jay Leno’s centenary vehicle collection is there, things are made worse. It has more than 200 of the most expensive manufacturers and models in car history. McLaren was sure that the new W1 would perform better than its predecessors and rivals, and a close look at the newest supercar shows why. McLaren’s design isn’t the most noticeable, but if you look more closely, the W1’s details combine beauty and technology in a way that makes it irresistible. For example, the almost natural surface of the mechanical struts that support and control the rear wing or the way that the carbon, titanium, and aluminum subframe peeks out from the holes and slots in its aerodynamic body. Pay close attention to the details, and you’ll be even more sure. Based on McLaren’s claims of dry weight, the W1, which has rear-wheel drive, should weigh about 3,300 pounds. It has a hybrid V-8 engine with 1258 horsepower and 988 pound-feet of torque, which is about twice as much, or 2200 pounds. The W1 has learned from McLaren’s Formula 1 team about how to be efficient and light. The W1 is about to catch up quickly to the past McLaren 1-series cars, which are hard to copy. Innovative Engine Design The W1 is the first car that lets us see McLaren’s newest engine design. It has a 90-degree bang and a flat crankshaft and is a twin-turbo 4.0-liter aluminum V-8, but the MHP-8 is not a bored-out or amplified version of the M840T that drove most of McLaren’s current products, like the 720/750S, Senna, and Speedtail. McLaren made the MHP-8 to be light and fit into a small space. A big part of the 44 pounds of weight savings compared to any other M840T type comes from the motor being 1.2 inches shorter. It makes 916 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque when used by itself but 1258 horsepower and 988 pound-feet of torque when joined with an electric motor, like in the W1. McLaren made a smaller aluminum block for the MHP-8 during the planning process by making the cylinder bores line up more closely. This was possible because 3D-printed cores were used in the water tanks to improve cooling and block structure. Bores that were covered with plasma spray were also used instead of liners. The motor doesn’t have any titanium parts, but the lack of a starter and generator and the hollow intake valves and camshafts help keep the weight down. Starting and charging are done by the electric motor and control unit. The MHP-8 has a lighter valvetrain and a stronger crankshaft, which lets it reach a redline of 9200 rpm and still has more torque at 2500 rpm than the M840T. This is faster than the 750S’s redline of 8250 rpm, but the new, more powerful motor is 1.0 mm smaller in diameter and 1.5 mm longer in stroke (92.0 mm x 75.0 mm) than the old 4.0-liter. McLaren has a special way of making the MHP-8 engine burn. Port injection and direct injection of gasoline (GDI) are both used. It’s not unusual to combine the two. Most setups use GDI at higher RPMs and port fuel injection all the time. However, McLaren is changing things up by using direct injection at lower RPMs and port injection at higher RPMs. Engineers at McLaren say that this model uses a smaller direct injector and improves the air mixture to make it more efficient. Along with a smaller intake and shorter runners, two twin-scroll turbos were chosen to boost power and torque. This makes the MHP-8 quick across its rev range. These two turbos are different from the last V-8 because the fans spin in opposite directions. The MHP-8 has a strong energy source, but what really turns it into a supercar is the addition of an e-module that combines a radial flux motor and motor control unit into a small device that needs less wire and cooling charge than separate units. It’s about 44 pounds, and it sits on the back of a state-of-the-art eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that can handle more torque than older McLaren transmissions. However, it’s not strong enough to handle the power of both the motor and the transmission. To help with the electric support, the transmission’s shaft with even gear ratios is used after the clutches. The Artura plug-in hybrid also doesn’t have a reverse gear, so when the motor is driven backward, it reverses. As a structural part of the carbon floor, the W1’s monocoque frame has a small 1.4-kWh battery. This 800-volt device has extra power that can be used to start the motor or move the car backward. It also charges again when the driver lets off the gas, and McLaren says it can charge enough during the cool-down phase after an acceleration step to be ready for the next one. To keep the driver’s hearing in sync with the mid-mounted engine, McLaren moved parts like the timing drive to the back of the engine, away from the cabin; made parts and amounts stiffer to lower resonance; and made an exhaust system with long, uniform runners that join at the exit to eliminate the engine’s higher notes. Aerodynamic Design and Chassis McLaren still uses carbon fiber for the body and tubes, but they use resin transfer (RTM) instead of pre-preg, which is a method of production that is only used in Formula 1 cars and the Solus GT track model to save time and money. McLaren’s “Aerocell” product is light and made to fit the vehicle’s structural parts. McLaren says that the driver will still be comfortable even though the floor is 2.5 inches higher. The positioning of the seating trajectory is set and is built into the monocoque. This let McLaren cut about three inches off the base of the car. The raised front of the Aerocell floor made it possible to build the front suspension posts into the structure. This made room for canaled airflow in the wheel wells and eliminated the need for a subframe. The McLaren’s monocoque body has a butterfly “dihedral” door with a Mercedes-style “anhedral” placed on top of it. The new design of the door makes it easier for air to flow from the front wheel arches to the back radiators. It also looks great at car shows. The structural parts of W1 were made to direct air under the full-floor ground effects, along the refrigeration lines, and along the rear wing. This made the airflow better. The front lip is where air is let in, and there is a working wing that moves forward up to 10 degrees during the frenado to keep the plane from porpoising. The W1’s whole floor stretches to make a rear diffuser that is raised and built into the structure of the rear bumper. The front suspension makes the car more efficient by using profiled and 3D-printed parts, inboard-mounted dampers, and carbon-fiber lip and trays in the front bay to direct airflow perfectly toward the back. In the W1, McLaren adds titanium pushrods that are linked to dampers and have a heave element to keep the vehicle’s balance and aerodynamics the same on the track. The side mirrors were also checked to see if there were any small airflow problems. Four electric motors control a dynamic wing in the back that moves 11.8 inches backward and changes pitch to make the W1 into a longtail to increase downforce. The wing can also retract and tilt to act as an air brake when the plane slows down. McLaren’s carbon-ceramic 15.4-inch disc brakes are used on the W1. The brake pads are more powerful and have a high friction rate because of the extra ceramic reinvestment. Six-piston monobloc calipers protect the front, and four-piston calipers have an electric parking brake built in to protect the back. In aerodynamic design, brake ducts that were modeled after those used in Formula One racing are used. These ducts cool the brakes and move hot air from the cars’ turbulent ascent zone to the radiators. McLaren says the W1 can stop from 124 mph in 328 feet and from 60 mph in just 95 feet. People who buy a W1 will be able to choose which rubber to use based on their trip plans. In a modified Trofeo RS, Pirelli will offer 265/35 front and 335/30 rear tires. They will also offer a P Zero R tire for general road use and a P Zero winter tire for races in the Swiss Alps during the winter. Interior and Ambiance All 399 W1 growth projects are talked about, even the ones that cost $2.1 million. You can choose from leather, fake suede, or McLaren’s newest material, “InnoKnit,” if you can sit in one. The pedal box can move, but the seats are set. Representatives from McLaren stated that it can fit both bigger and smaller drivers. The steering wheel has been shrunk and attached to the top and bottom to make the instrument cluster easier to see and to make more room below it. The steering wheel only has two buttons, which is different from some of our rivals’ supercars. To get full power from the electric motor, one turns on an on-demand generator. The other shows the wing in “DRS” mode, which lowers drag. Have an effect on both, and do your best to make a Lando Norris impression. The W1 has different drive modes, one of which is a limited-range all-electric mode that can go up to 80 mph for about 1.5 miles. Comfort only uses the motor when it’s needed to get power to the wheels efficiently, while Sport gives the car a total of 1258 horsepower. Two versions of Race mode give you full power: GP for long laps and Sprint for the most power in a lap. Even though Nürburgringers can finish before making it to the final, McLaren thinks that Sprint should give enough power for longer distances. The quality of the path to meet goals is better with options for comfort and sports management. On the outside, there is an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, support for console covers, and a place to store small things. Behind the headrests, you can store extra helmets and gear. McLaren says the W1 can go from 0 to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds and from 0 to 186 mph in less than 12.7 seconds. Its top speed is 217 mph. McLaren says that this limit was set because of limitations on the tires that could be used, not because of a technical limitation on the car itself. All W1 models have been sold, but this isn’t the last time we see the MHP-8 engine in motion, so keep an eye out for more chances.
