Yesterday

Watch the McLaren W1 testing at Silverstone

One year on from its reveal, we get to see what an undisguised W1 looks like on a proper circuit

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The proof was always going to be in the pudding with the W1. There is so much going on with its active aero - the most advanced suite McLaren has ever applied to a road car - that the P1 successor threatened to underwhelm in the flesh. Now, having already shown a disguised version cold weather testing, the manufacturer finally shows it being put through its paces on a location that will have much bearing on its success: an internationally renowned circuit. 

Of course, we’re still a way from lap times and bragging rights. That will come later. But it’s nice to finally see some asphalt under the W1’s very expensive tyres. And asphalt in the UK doesn’t come anymore hallowed than Silverstone. We’ll forgive McLaren for going overboard with the drone (we’d trade the bird’s eye view for an onboard lap any day of the week) but clearly this was an afternoon spent keeping the marketing department happy - and on those terms, the important thing is making sure the car looks good. 

Which it does. The W1 was never going to be exclusively about hand-biting beauty (its predecessor certainly wasn’t) but it is certainly meant to be more striking to look at than the famously blunt Senna. Having seen it firsthand in a studio, we’d suggest it looks better under natural light and sweeping through a fast corner - go to 35 seconds in to see what we mean. Not for nothing, but it looks remarkably good in a colour that isn’t Papaya Orange, too. 

According to its maker, the car was being driven by Gareth Howell, a former British Touring Car driver, who did a ten-year stint at McLaren before serving as Chief Test Driver at Gordon Murray Automotive. Presumably, the job of helping to perfect the W1 is one of the things that tempted him back to Woking - bringing with him the perfect CV for doing so. "At Silverstone, we've been able to further fine-tune the W1's balance,” he said. “The car's performance and control are simply next level." That much, we can believe.

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• 'World-beating' McLaren W1 officially revealed
• McLaren confirms W1 global public debut for FOS

[Mark_Blanchard]

Now that's a fantastic looking McLaren!

[Bencolem]

From the video it looks a bit like an NSX mated with a Corvette ZR1?

[Peterpetrole]

Seems to have a lot, probably too much, going on design wise, air scoops etc. (couldn't tell much from the hyper edited video).

Just generic hypercar stuff mixing 458 side profile with lambo wheels. Yawn from me.

[Angelo1985]

Not really evolving in the design department, eh?
I swear I can’t tell one McLaren from another.

[brillomaster]

Obviously I'm never buying one, or probably even seeing one, but I agree with the first poster, i think it looks pretty good. Certainly better looking than the new Ferrari flagship.

[Jon_S_Rally]

This is a strange one for me. The F1 is my favourite car of all time, while the P1 was probably the first car since the F1 to even come remotely close to piquing similar interest. I'm just struggling to get excited about the W1 though. There seems to be a real lack of cohesion in the design, and it doesn't feel like it moves the game on enough to be deserving of consideration in the same vein as its predecessors. The name doesn't help a lot either, as it just makes me think of a postcode.

I'm sure McLaren won't be too worried by comments, but I am a bit disappointed.

[86wasagoodyear]

I hate videos like this that cut and jump constantly from one shot to the next, to the next. Never get the chance to take in what the thing actually looks like.
From what little I can gather, it looks like another generic McLaren.. ..so no interest here.

[Mabbs9]

I've seen one at FOS, oh, one at Salon Privé too. I thought, as usual, better in the flesh. A little too much substance over style perhaps but not bad.

[CLK-GTR]

I think McLarens generally look awful but in person this one is a lot better than the pictures. Certainly more special than the F80.

[Amanitin]

Bencolem said:

From the video it looks a bit like an NSX mated with a Corvette ZR1?

or the rimac thing with tesla front lights

[blue al]

Any car with scoops than can consume a badger gets my vote, especially if it’s blue

[BigChiefmuffinAgain]

I think there's just too many limited edition cars these days. Everyone has picked up the same trick that used to be just Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren, so that with the various Lambos, Astons, Bugatti, resto mods, never mind Pagani, Koenig and the rest, there's just a little fatigue sinking in, especially as the technological gains seem marginal and the fact that no one ever actually drives these things....

Rumours abound about unsold cars and build slots available.

[Justin-ow582]

The W1 announcements seemed to come and go without getting much attention.... quite different to the F80 which got praise from a technicality capability PoV but quite a lot of negative comments on the forum because, well, it's fugly.

Out of the two, even if the Ferrari is better on a track and more prestigious, I actually prefer the W1

Edited by Justin-ow582 on Monday 29th September 13:04

[GTRene]

looks like a nice color though, from almost black to purple/blue depending on lightfall.

[ChocolateFrog]

Feels like there's been half a dozen press releases each subsequent one with less fanfare until this one you see half way down what's new in the forums.

Isn't catching the imagination like a P1 spitting blue flames in Abu Dhabi at the hands of Harris.

[Slowlygettingit]

Roofline looks too high to me.
Blobby as a result, and very long front overhang- presuming for the aero trickery.
Not a looker or of much interest.
My hypothetical lottery win would not be spent on anything built currently or in the last 5 years….

[dukebox9reg]

Angelo1985 said:

Not really evolving in the design department, eh?
I swear I can t tell one McLaren from another.

There is definitely more difference then Porsche ever seems to offer

[Vee12V]

Another piss poor hyper active video that has probably has cost hundreds of thousands to produce.

[The Hypno-Toad]

Jon_S_Rally said:

This is a strange one for me. The F1 is my favourite car of all time, while the P1 was probably the first car since the F1 to even come remotely close to piquing similar interest. I'm just struggling to get excited about the W1 though. There seems to be a real lack of cohesion in the design, and it doesn't feel like it moves the game on enough to be deserving of consideration in the same vein as its predecessors. The name doesn't help a lot either, as it just makes me think of a postcode.

I'm sure McLaren won't be too worried by comments, but I am a bit disappointed.

^^^^ This. 110%.

[WCZ]

it's cool but it really needs to have good laptimes to be competitive here

Ben Collins said he thinks the F80 Ferrari is the fastest road legal car on track he's driven and even faster than the Valk- so the competition is fierce here