F1-inspired McLaren W1 with a hybrid V8 to arrive in Australia

Key highlights:

• Australia will start receiving McLaren W1 units by late 2026
• Just 399 W1 hypercars will be built globally
• Its 938kW hybrid powertrain drives only the rear wheels

Australia will receive examples of McLaren’s new W1 hypercar, although McLaren has not revealed how many will come here.

“We’re unable to provide specific figures, however, we can confirm that, as with other highly exclusive McLaren models, local clients have commissioned bespoke W1 examples through McLaren Special Operations (MSO),” a McLaren Australia spokesperson said.

W1 is priced at around £2 million (~A$3.9 million) in the UK, including taxes; however, local taxes and highly customisable options through McLaren Special Operations (MSO) may take the final Australian price tag higher than A$4 million.

McLaren Australia says deliveries are due to begin in the second half of 2026, and these ultra-luxury units will be delivered straight to the private collections of their owners.

Only 399 W1s will be built

The W1 is only the third McLaren to carry the ‘1’ designation and follows the 2013 McLaren P1 and the pioneering 1992 McLaren F1, continuing the British brand’s flagship ‘1’ lineage first established in the 1990s.

McLaren will build just 399 W1s worldwide, and the company confirmed every build slot was allocated shortly after the hypercar was revealed in October 2024.

The W1 sits at the very top of McLaren’s range as the brand’s halo model and the flagship of its Ultimate Series, which represents McLaren’s most extreme, low-volume and technologically advanced vehicles.

938kW from V8 hybrid power

The W1 combines a new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8 with a motorsport-derived electric motor. The petrol engine alone produces 683kW and 900Nm, more power than the combined output of the McLaren P1.

Unlike rivals such as the Ferrari F80, the W1 sends all its power exclusively to the rear wheels.

McLaren uses a relatively small 1.384kWh battery, prioritising power density and weight reduction rather than electric driving range, and it can travel for up to 2km using electric power alone.

An eight-speed dual-clutch transmission sends power to the rear wheels through a hydraulic electronic differential. The top speed is electronically limited to 350km/h.

Despite its enormous output, the W1 weighs just 1399kg in its lightest dry configuration, which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 670kW per tonne, which McLaren claims is the highest of any road-legal McLaren.

Also read: Mercedes-Benz opens its first Australian Studio in the Heart of Sydney

Aerodynamics do much of the work

The W1’s performance does not rely solely on its powertrain. Its carbon-fibre Aerocell monocoque incorporates ground-effect aerodynamics, while Race mode lowers the ride height by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear.

The active aerodynamic system includes a front wing and a McLaren Active Long Tail rear wing, which can extend backwards by 300mm.

In its most aggressive configuration, the W1 can generate up to 1000kg of downforce, 350kg at the front and 650kg at the rear.

McLaren says the W1 is both its fastest-accelerating and fastest-lapping road-legal car yet, and the company recorded a lap around its Nardo reference circuit that was three seconds faster than the McLaren Senna.

Formula 1 influence continues underneath

The W1 uses a Formula 1-inspired suspension system, hydraulic steering and carbon-ceramic brakes, and its integrated seats are built directly into the carbon-fibre monocoque.

The 390mm carbon-ceramic brake discs use six-piston callipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear.

Despite its track-focused technology, McLaren designed the W1 to remain usable on public roads. It gets Comfort, Sport and Race driving modes, while the cabin includes an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay.