- McLaren brought its 1258-hp W1 hypercar to the Arctic Circle for a round of cold-weather testing.
- According to McLaren, the trip up north was focused on dialing in the chassis, traction control, torque vectoring, and electronic stability control.
- The extreme cold was also supposed to stress-test the gearbox and hybrid battery, but we’re pretty sure the engineers just knew it would be a fun time.
McLaren’s development engineers brought the 1258-hp W1 hypercar to the Arctic Circle for a stint of cold-weather stress testing—or so they say. We think it’s likely that the engineers were equally focused on how fun the outing would be—just look at these pictures. McLarenNo, with a rap sheet that includes statistics like a zero-to-60-mph run of 2.7 seconds, a zero-to-124-mph time of 5.8 seconds, and lap times that the company said measure in seconds, not decimals, faster than the McLaren Senna, the W1 wasn’t engineered for sliding around on the ice. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t thrilled that McLaren’s accountants greenlit this development side quest. According to the automaker, the testing was officially conducted as a means of dialing in the W1’s chassis, and optimizing the traction control, torque vectoring, and electronic stability control systems in the Arctic’s “ultra-low-grip surfaces.” McLarenMcLarenSure, McLaren could’ve just rang up their local hockey rink, but in addition to testing the vehicle dynamics, the automaker also wanted to stress-test the high-voltage battery, the transmission, and the new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 in the extreme cold. Can’t really beat the Arctic if cold is what you’re looking for. The automaker confirmed that the Arctic testing took place earlier this year and has since concluded. To any McLaren executives out there, our phone lines are always open if you need company for the next round of Arctic testing. More on the McLaren W1Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: caranddriver.com
