McLaren Unveils Its Fastest-Ever Road-Legal Hypercar

McLaren unveils its latest W1 hypercar with a hybrid powertrain claiming 1,257 hp and 988 lb.-ft. (1,340 Nm) of torque surging through the rear wheels to become the brand’s fastest-ever road-legal car.

This outlandish power dwarfs even that from Formula One racing cars, albeit using a much larger 4.0L twin-turbocharged 90-degree gasoline V-8 married to a McLaren’s race-developed self-charging E-module hybrid system. The electrified part of the powertrain itself adds 342 hp to the power output.

Claimed performance includes a 2.7 second 0-to-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint time and a 0-to-124 mph (200 km/h) time of 5.8 seconds with 186 mph (299 km/h) reached in just 12.7 seconds, all aided by dry weight of 3,084 lb. (1,399 kg). Top speed is electronically limited to 217 mph (349 km/h).

The W1 also is capable of zero-emissions driving on electric power alone, and while no range claims have been released, it is thought to be less than 2 miles (3.2 km).

At the heart of the powertrain, which is inclined by 3 degrees to accommodate the rear diffuser, is McLaren’s all-new, next generation flat-crank MPH-8 90-degree V-8.

It has a lightweight aluminum block, cylinder heads and pistons. It features direct injection with port injection and spray plasma-coated bores, which at 92 mm, allow higher engine speeds, with a stroke of 75 mm for a total capacity of 3,988 cc.

In extending the engine-speed range, valve actuation uses sliding finger followers with a Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) coating. To reduce the loads in the system, the engine also uses hollow intake valves enabling the use of a lighter, single-valve spring per valve arrangement in addition to sodium-cooled hollow exhaust valves.

To cope with to the higher rpm and loads of the engine, its crankshaft torsional damper is an internal viscous damper where the viscous fluid is actively oil cooled through a labyrinth cooling channel. All this allows a safe rev limit of 9,200 rpm.

Lubrication is through an electronically controlled variable displacement vane oil pump. The dry sump is scavenged by a four-stage pump that uses a gerotor rather than gear pumps for improved mechanical refinement. The scavenge pump feeds an oil tank which has been specifically developed for the extreme g-loads the W1 can generate.

The E-module part of the powertrain consists of a radial-flux electric motor capable of spinning up to 24,000 rpm, which McLaren says is directly comparable to Formula 1 e-motors.

This is combined with an integrated Silicon Carbide Motor Control Unit that converts the high-voltage DC current of the battery to AC current. Combining the two units improves efficiency and reduces size and weight with the whole unit weighing just 44 lb. (20 kg). Further advantages include reducing coolant volume, low-voltage and high-voltage connections and seals.

Production is limited to 399 units and the automaker says all have been allocated with price rumored to be $2.1 million.

Michael Leiters, chief executive officer of 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.”