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About
W1 Winter Testing
The Ultimate Challenge
The 1275PS McLaren W1 is the fastest-accelerating, fastest-lapping road-legal McLaren in our history. Yet, our engineers have always been insistent that the supercar must balance its world-beating performance with capability in the most challenging conditions on the planet. Extensive McLaren W1 testing with prototypes in the Arctic was a critical milestone to ensure our new ‘1’ car delivers on that promise.
Dani Marcos
Lead Test Driver
Widest Breadth of Ability
Optimising the chassis and systems to harness the McLaren W1's power in Arctic conditions was a priority. 'We're talking about a car with 1275PS, so to give traction in low-grip conditions is a big challenge,' describes Dani Marcos, McLaren Lead Test Driver. 'We pushed to get the best performance from our torque-vectoring systems, as well as traction control, stability control [ESP] and ABS brake systems.'
Extreme endurance
Everything from the McLaren W1's engine and gearbox to the hybrid battery and electric motor was stress-tested in the sub-zero conditions. Even the effect of compacted snow and ice on the cooling system's vents was rigorously checked. As Chief Engineer Andy Beale explains, the 'short days and long test times' are ultimately the biggest challenge of winter testing, but 'proving the performance and calibrating for these conditions is an important part of our testing.'
Andy Beale
Chief Engineer
Generational Passion
For at least one member of that team, being involved in the W1 project has been a very personal, emotional journey. 'I had a poster of the McLaren F1 as a kid,' Toby Gilks tells us, 'and my mum worked on that car when she was pregnant with me, so to be working on the W1 now is such a great feeling.'
CREATING HISTORY
Beale and Marcos both describe the privilege and responsibility of developing the McLaren W1. The significance of working on the successor to the McLaren F1 and P1™ is keenly felt by all those involved – and their passion is clear to see in the finished product. As Marcos puts it: 'This car is powerful and the aero is mega – a great, great supercar to drive.'
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