Formula 1 team and road-car manufacturer of supercars like the F1 and P1, McLaren is celebrating its 50th anniversary since its first F1 constructor’s championship in 1974. And to do that, it has just announced the name of its latest supercar—the W1—which will follow in the unenviable footsteps of the P1 and F1 in addition to the 720S, 600LT, MP4-12C and Speedtail.
The company said it would reveal the car on October 6, 50 years to the day since it captured the world title with Emerson Fittipaldi winning the 1974 driver’s title. The W1 is the name McLaren has confirmed will be used for the replacement of the P1 and F1.
The P1, the 240 mph F1’s replacement, debuted more than ten years ago. For the record, the P1 which debuted in 2014, was powered by a twin turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 hybrid featuring a single electric motor. It generated a massive 903-hp and 900 Nm of torque, and could sprint from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 350 km/h.
While the P1 was a significant leap over the 1992 McLaren F1—designed by legendary Formula 1 and supercar designer Gordon Murray—it could not outperform the F1 which posted a top speed of 386 km/h in 1998, and is still considered by many to be the greatest supercar of all time.
In a new short film (see above), the company calls the W1 “the next benchmark” and showcases those two revered hypercars.
McLaren has stated time and time again that a new “1” vehicle will require a generational shift in technology.
This next “1” hypercar is expected to stick with a high-output hybrid powertrain, which will undoubtedly outperform the 903-hp P1, as a pure-electric McLaren supercar is still a few years away.
Due to their current weight, McLaren CEO Michael Leiters stated last year that the company was “not sure” about producing electric supercars.
Leiters remarked, “We don’t want to make a car that is 2000 kg and 2000 horsepower—anyone can do that. We want to build a car that is weight-comparable with the 750.” Makes sense.
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As with Pagani and several other supercar makers, McLaren will stick with petrol-powered (with electrification of course!) engines for the foreseeable future or until technology advances to a place where batteries and motors don’t add so much unwanted weight and generate the desired levels of performance and handling.