The Most Powerful McLaren Yet Shows Its True Colors

As we inch closer to early 2026, when deliveries of the W1 are scheduled to commence, McLaren displayed its latest hypercar being tested at Silverstone

Car Talk, Autos Oct 3, 2025 0 16 Add to Reading List

The Most Powerful McLaren Yet Shows Its True Colors

McLaren is testing the W1 at demanding tracks worldwide, including Silverstone.
This particular prototype is bathed in dark purple, black, and exposed carbon fiber.
Power comes from a twin-turbo V8 and electric motor producing 1,258 horsepower.

It has been a year since the long-anticipated successor to the legendary P1 first broke cover. Known as the W1, McLaren’s latest hypercar is pitched squarely against Ferrari’s F80, and while no one outside the factory has had the chance to put it through its paces, it seems destined to deliver an extraordinary level of performance.

Even so, we can’t say we’ve been enamored with its design, especially given how good the P1 looks some 12 years after its launch. However, after watching this new clip of the W1, we may start warming up to it.

Track Debut at Silverstone

This clip was recently shared to McLaren’s YouTube channel and shows the W1 undergoing dynamic testing at the Silverstone circuit with test driver Gareth Howell behind the wheel.

Read: McLaren’s W1 Is Their Fastest And Most Powerful Roadcar Ever

The car used for these tests is VP1532, a development prototype completely free of the camouflage of any W1 showcased earlier this year. The exterior is clad in a combination of dark purple, black, and carbon fiber accents.

It may not possess the timeless beauty of the P1, but it appears even more purposeful, largely due to the massive wing that extends out from the rear.

According to McLaren, the W1 is being honed at some of the most demanding circuits in the world, which is to be expected as Woking wants to emerge victorious in the new chapter of the hypercar wars.

When first announced, the company stated that customer deliveries of the new W1 would commence in early 2026. It has however provided no further info since.

The Numbers

In terms of performance, the W1 seems set to offer a sizeable amount of extra punch over the P1. Utilizing the company’s latest 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 and an electric motor, it churns out 1,258 hp and 988 lb-ft (1,340 Nm) of torque. McLaren says it can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.7 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h) in just 5.8 seconds.

Figures like that are eye-catching on their own, but even more so when you consider the car directs all its power to the rear wheels only. By contrast, Ferrari’s all-wheel-drive F80 spreads its power across all four corners, which makes the W1’s approach even more impressive.