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F1, P1... and now W1. The next chapter in McLaren's Ultimate Series is the British firm's challenger to the forthcoming new Ferrari hypercar and a £2million, 1257bhp, hybrid-powered, technical tour de force

- STUART GALLAGHER

MCLAREN CLEARED THE tricky 'second album' hurdle with aplomb. The F1 had long been established as an automotive deity, a new generation's 250 GTO and seemingly untouchable, but the P1 has held its own as an equally significant hypercar. It's rare, too, although not F1-rare, with 375 built compared with the mere 106 F1s that McLaren produced during a lifespan shortened by global financial issues and the consequentially low demand for $1million hypercars. The P1 was, and remains, a technical titan with its torque-fill hybrid powertrain and active aerodynamics, while its looks are proving ageless (although as the 15-year-old in our household pointed out, it's still not as cool as the OG).

Now McLaren has released its third Ultimate Series '1' album, titled W1. It mixes tried and tested elements from its previous two smash hits with some cutting-edge new tracks it hopes will see it reach the top of the charts once again. And with that, you'll be pleased to hear, I'm out of music analogies.

The W1, however, is more than the third member of McLaren's '1' family. It forms the basis of the next generation of Ultimate Series cars and beyond, with a new Aerocell central tub replacing the long-serving MonoCell. Its V8 engine is allnew too, something McLaren personnel were at pains to stress at the car's presentation. It's no upsized V6 from the Artura, nor is it a reworked M480T. It's entirely new. In fact there's nothing in the W1 that's carried over from the P1, and even the existing model line-up has been leapfrogged where it might have been tempting to share some under-the-skin elements.