The newest addition to McLaren's fabled '1' hypercar series – the circa $AU4 million W1 – is due to arrive in customer driveways by the second half of next year.
An undisclosed number of well-heeled Australians are on the list for the new McLaren W1 hypercar, the most powerful car from the British exotic-car specialist.
More than a year after McLaren unveiled its newest £2 million ($AU3.9 million) W1, the luxury British marque has confirmed local deliveries are due to begin in 2026, pending any delays.
“I would expect to see the first [W1] cars on the road sometime in the second half of next year,” McLaren Australia and New Zealand sales boss Dan Hotchin told Drive.
Hotchin wouldn't be drawn on how many of the 399 vehicles planned to be produced for global sale are bound for local showrooms, only stating that “we’ve got a good number coming to Australia”.
A McLaren spokesperson said the Australian customer demographic isn't limited to a single group.
“We're lucky that we do have young people coming into the brand... It's good to have new blood coming into McLaren from a younger generation,” they told Drive.
“But it's not just from one demographic. Here in Australia, [our clientele] stretches across technology, property, and mining; it's a broad group of people.”
Despite order books closing at the W1's reveal in October 2024, Hotchin said there were a few factors the brand considered during the allocation process and customer loyalty does play a significant part.
“First of all, we look at our loyal customers, those that have been with us for however many years it is, of course, we want to encourage that loyalty,” the McLaren executive told Drive.
“Most of our customers have been with us since day one, and some of those people have gone through all the models. Some of them are obviously lucky enough to purchase our ultimate series models [like the W1 or the Speedtail].”
According to McLaren’s W1 project manager Heather Fitch, the brand rewards its loyal customers because their feedback informs the development of future models.
“We have some loyal customers who have been with us for a really long time…they’re part of our family, part of our brand,” Fitch told Drive.
“And by talking to us, they help develop our cars too. We love talking to them and getting their feedback, so of course, we speak to them first to make sure that they have the opportunity to purchase the W1.”
The approximately $AU4 million hypercar is the latest model from its fabled ‘1’ hypercar series – which included the iconic McLaren F1 in 1992, and the McLaren P1 (launched in 2013) – and is the brand’s most powerful car.
The McLaren W1 is powered by a new hybrid V8 powertrain, which the brand claims has a combined power output of 938kW/1340Nm, significantly outmuscling its P1 (674kW) and F1 (461kW) ancestors.
The British marque claims the W1 hypercar is the brand's fastest road-legal car yet, capable of accelerating from zero to 100km/h in under 2.7 seconds, 0-200km/h in 5.8 seconds, while reaching a top speed of 350km/h.
If you're looking for more detailed specs of the McLaren W1, visit Drive's previous story.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
