A new McLaren hypercar makes its official debut as the newest top dog in the British automaker’s garage. The new McLaren W1 is awesome!

The W1 is one of the most highly anticipated cars to come from the brand in a long time. This new model is supposed to be the successor to the P1 and has a lineage that dates back to the F1. That’s some pretty amazing company to be in, which makes us wonder if this new car is ready to take on the challenge and fill those big shoes.

Let’s take a look at what the new McLaren W1 brings to the market.

The most powerful McLaren engine

The W1 has the most powerful engine ever put into a car from this brand. This incredible engine is a hybrid powertrain, much like the P1 that came before it. This setup gives the car a 4.0-liter V8 with the cylinders placed at a 90-degree angle. This system has a radial flux electric motor, which is the same technology used by Koenigsegg in the Dark Matter electric motor in the Gemera.

The incredible flat-plane-crank V8 engine gives the McLaren W1 916 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. That would certainly be more than enough power for most supercars, but that’s not where this one stops. The electric motor generates an additional 342 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque, bringing the total to 1,258 horsepower and 988 lb-ft of torque. Every bit of this power heads to the rear wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and electronic locking differential.

The power figures for the W1 are much higher than those of the P1. The W1 has a 354-horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque advantage over the P1, making it the most powerful McLaren hypercar ever made.

What does the electrified system do?

The W1 is more of a traditional hybrid hypercar than most others. It doesn’t have any real electric driving range, with only 1.6 miles before the batteries are drained. That said, the W1 does have a reverse electric gear, which is used to make the car move in reverse. The battery is kept at minimal levels of charge to handle this operation rather than only driving the car forward. The entire E-Modula system weighs 44 pounds, which means it doesn’t add much to the overall weight of the car.

Superior aerodynamics

The new McLaren W1 has the most advanced aerodynamic system ever created by the brand. The design is the result of more than 350 hours of wind tunnel sessions and 5,000 metrics tested. The entire build has the Aerocell monocoque at the center with a shape that’s meant to facilitate the ground effects. The seats are integrated into the tub like a Formula 1 car. This saves 2.8 inches in wheelbase. The seating position is changed by moving the pedals, not the seat, which is similar to what is done in the F1 and P1 models.

The doors help add to the overall aerodynamics o the car. These doors are anhedral models that are hinged at the roof and was the only door design for the aerodynamic results McLaren was looking for. This also reduces the size of the side window drop glass, which creates better aerodynamics compared to other window sizes. These body choices optimize the airflow around the car.

While in the driving position, the driver can activate race mode, which also increases the aerodynamics of the car. This lowers the ride height by 1.46 inches in the front and 0.7 inches in the rear. In this mode, the W1 generates 772 pounds of downforce at the front and 1,433 pounds of downforce at the rear.

Is the W1 fast enough?

The predecessors were dominant on the track with incredible speed and handling. The McLaren W1 beat the McLaren Senna by three seconds around the Nardo circuit and its considered the fastest accelerating road-legal car in the world. While untested, McLaren claims a conservative 0-60 MPH time of 2.7 seconds. This was the same figure listed for the 750S and the 720S was able to complete the run in 2.5 seconds. This should signal that McLaren knows speed and how to get the job done.

The current maximum speed is 217 MPH for the W1. This speed is electronically limited, which signals that a track-only version with no limits could appear in the near future and leave that figure in the dust. The new W1 is an incredible new hypercar, and a fitting successor to the F1 and P1.