The e-set-up is inspired by that of current Indycars, but the motorsport features don’t stop there. Tiny McLaren, which makes fewer than 3,000 road cars a year, is simultaneously involved in Formula E, Indy and Formula 1 (where it appears to have destroyed Red Bull’s supremacy).
No other manufacturer can currently dedicate such enviable racing resources to the task of developing a supercar as complex as the W1. It follows that probably no one is better placed to build such a car, including Ferrari.
I’m eagerly awaiting the day when the W1 will wow us from behind its square steering wheel, because the truth is, until now… in a sense, it hasn’t. Blueblood hypercar drops are a curious occurrence. They occur occasionally, but are incredibly reliable. A new one every 10 years.
Once every ten years our jaws drop at a revised brand manifesto that has been physically produced, with a vom-tastic asking price. I remember seeing the P1 concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
With its biomimicry and that stunning backside, no one could talk about it for weeks. It had star power.
Today there isn’t quite the same buzz. One reason for this is that cars like the W1 are now wedged in.
They’re being chased from below by the latest Porsche Turbos, 765 LTs and 296 GTBs – cars that are practically as fast on the road, if not slightly faster in less than ideal conditions, and cost just a tenth of the price.
Downward pressure then comes in the form of cars like the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the Red Bull RB17 Newey Special, which are much more spectacular on the track and offer owners a tangibly different experience.
Meanwhile, the Michelangelo angle is covered by the likes of GMA’s T50 (has an atmo V12, is 400 kg lighter, features beautiful cabin details) and, to some extent, Singer, with its art-on-wheels DLS, co-developed with Williams.
Where does that leave a traditional totem supercar like the W1? Obviously sold out. If each of the 399 gets a bit of personalization, that’s a turnover of £1 billion. But what about the W1 from the perspective of not collectors or MTC accountants, but the enthusiastic observer?