McLaren W1 driven. Industry minister speaks.
About this episode
Experience the raw thrill of the new McLaren W1 as the hosts detail a first drive of this 1200-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive hypercar at Mugello. They dive into McLaren's weight-saving obsession, from the direct-mounted steering rack to the fixed carbon seats. The discussion also covers a listener's frustrating roadside encounter with incompatible Volkswagen wheel hubs, a quick look at the Leapmotor C10, and an exclusive interview with UK Industry Minister Chris McDonald at Lotus headquarters. It's a fascinating look at the contrast between pure analog engineering and modern automotive complexity.
In this week's episode of the Autocar podcast My Week In Cars, we drive the McLaren W1 hypercar, the latest Ultimate series car from the Woking carmaker, and only the third McLaren to have a '1' moniker. Meanwhile Mitsubishi returns to the UK, the ZEV mandate looks like being amended, and industry minister Chris McDonald MP talks to us from Lotus's Hethel HQ, from where there is news too.
Prior and Cropley also have your letters and chat about the archive. And for details of a special offer which gives you SIX issues of Autocar for just £6, click here.
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Chevrolet C10
"...ond week running. Steve and I are in a Leap Motor C10. C10?"
The Chevrolet C10 is a classic, vintage pickup truck made by Chevrolet from the 1960s through the 1980s. It is a simple, rugged utility vehicle that has become highly popular today as a collectible classic car.
The Chevrolet C10 is a classic half-ton, rear-wheel-drive pickup truck produced by General Motors from 1960 to 1987 across several iconic generations. It is highly celebrated in car culture today as a prime candidate for restoration, custom 'restomod' builds, and vintage truck enthusiasts.
Leapmotor C10
"Steve and I are in a Leap Motor C10... There's the old battery one, which has got about, I suppose, a 200-mile range... And there's this one, which has got a 90-mile range, but an engine in the nose that charges that battery."
A modern electric family SUV made by a Chinese company called Leapmotor. It can come as a pure electric car or with a small gas engine that acts as a generator to keep the battery charged on long trips.
An electric mid-size SUV from Chinese manufacturer Leapmotor, developed in partnership with Stellantis for global markets. It is available as either a pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) with a small gasoline engine acting as a generator.
REEV
"C10 Reave. There's two versions... there's this one, which has got a 90-mile range, but an engine in the nose that charges that battery."
An electric car that has a small gasoline engine on board. The engine doesn't turn the wheels; it just acts as a generator to charge the battery so you don't run out of power.
A Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) is an electric vehicle that uses a small internal combustion engine solely as a generator to recharge the battery when it runs low, rather than directly driving the wheels.
range anxiety
"Well, it certainly gets rid of the dreaded range anxiety. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And yet, it's almost always on electric."
The stress or worry that an electric car will run out of battery power before you can find a place to plug it in.
The fear or worry that an electric vehicle's battery will run out of power before the driver reaches their destination or a charging station, leaving them stranded.
Lotus
"Since Steve and I recorded the major part of this podcast in the lead motor, I've been to Lotus's headquarters..."
A famous British car company known for making lightweight, agile sports cars that handle incredibly well around corners.
A British sports and racing car manufacturer famous for lightweight engineering and exceptional vehicle dynamics. Founded by Colin Chapman, the brand is now majority-owned by Chinese conglomerate Geely.
Volkswagen T-Roc
"...stopped at the side of the road in their new Volkswagen T-Rock with a flat-looking off-side front tyre... They had a space saver in the boot..."
A small, stylish SUV made by Volkswagen that is popular in Europe. It's basically a slightly taller version of the classic VW Golf.
A subcompact crossover SUV produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 2017. It sits below the Tiguan in VW's lineup and is based on the MQB platform, sharing many components with the Golf.
space-saver spare tire
"They had a space saver in the boot, and when I expressed their good fortune, they said they'd retained it from their previous Volkswagen..."
A small, skinny spare tire kept in the trunk of a car to use in an emergency. It is only meant to get you slowly to a repair shop, not for normal driving.
A compact, lightweight spare tire designed for temporary use to get a vehicle to a service station after a flat. It is smaller than a standard tire, saving trunk space and weight, but has strict speed and distance limits.
Audi 100
"saver going up. So not only does Audi have 100 steering wheels, but Volkswagen clearly have mult..."
The Audi 100 is an older, mid-sized luxury sedan made by the German company Audi from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. It was the predecessor to today's Audi A6 and was known for its comfortable ride and advanced aerodynamics.
The Audi 100 was a mid-sized executive car produced across four generations from 1968 to 1994, before being rebranded as the Audi A6. It was highly significant for establishing Audi as a premium brand and for its aerodynamic 'C3' generation, which set industry standards for low drag in the 1980s.
PCD
"I know the sort of pitch, what do they call it? Pitch is something diameter, PCD, pitch core centre diameter is variable, isn't it?"
The spacing and pattern of the bolts that hold a car's wheel onto the hub. If this measurement doesn't match perfectly, you won't be able to bolt the wheel onto the car.
Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD) is the diameter of an imaginary circle drawn through the center of all the wheel bolts or studs on a vehicle's hub. It is a critical measurement when choosing aftermarket wheels, as even a few millimeters of difference will prevent a wheel from fitting.
Mercedes-Benz Actros
A massive semi-truck made by Mercedes-Benz, commonly seen pulling large trailers on highways in Europe and other parts of the world.
A heavy-duty commercial truck (semi-tractor) manufactured by Mercedes-Benz. Introduced in 1996, it is widely used for long-distance haulage and heavy transport, known for pioneering advanced safety and aerodynamic features in commercial vehicles.
McLaren W1
"...I drove the McLaren W1 yesterday... Some engineers have said, ah, you can't... Rifle companies have said, ah, you can't put that amount of power because it's 1200 and something horsepower through the back wheels only."
A multi-million dollar, ultra-high-performance hybrid supercar from McLaren. It is incredibly fast, lightweight, and uses Formula 1 technology to deliver extreme track performance.
McLaren's flagship hybrid hypercar, serving as the spiritual successor to the legendary F1 and P1. It pairs a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor to produce a combined 1,258 horsepower, sent exclusively to the rear wheels.
BMW M3
"... Aston Valhalla has four-wheel drive, the Ferrari F80 has four-wheel drive, all the quick Lamborghinis ..."
The BMW M3 is a highly upgraded, high-performance version of the standard BMW 3 Series compact luxury sedan. It is built by BMW's special performance division to be extremely fast and agile, making it popular for both daily driving and racetrack use.
The BMW M3 is a legendary high-performance sports sedan, with the G80 generation notable for introducing an optional xDrive all-wheel-drive system. This AWD system allows the M3 to deliver supercar-level acceleration and all-weather traction while maintaining its signature rear-wheel-drive handling characteristics. It is frequently discussed as the benchmark for everyday performance cars.
Ferrari F80
"So the Aston Valhalla has four-wheel drive, the Ferrari F80 has four-wheel drive, all the quick Lamborghinis have four-wheel drive..."
Ferrari's ultimate, top-of-the-line hybrid supercar. It uses a high-tech V6 engine and electric motors to go incredibly fast while sending power to all four wheels.
Ferrari's cutting-edge hybrid hypercar, succeeding the LaFerrari. It features a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine derived from Le Mans racing, combined with three electric motors to produce 1,184 horsepower and all-wheel drive.
Aston Martin Valhalla
"So the Aston Valhalla has four-wheel drive, the Ferrari F80 has four-wheel drive, all the quick Lamborghinis have four-wheel drive..."
A futuristic, very expensive supercar from Aston Martin that uses a mix of a powerful gasoline engine and electric motors to drive all four wheels.
A mid-engined hybrid supercar developed by Aston Martin. It features a twin-turbo V8 engine paired with three electric motors to deliver all-wheel drive and over 1,000 horsepower, utilizing advanced aerodynamics derived from Formula 1.
heave bar
"There's a sort of a heave bar, they call it at the front, which is open most of the time. But what it can do is... lock itself out and that brings into play an additional torsion bar..."
A specialized part of a high-performance car's suspension that helps keep the car flat and stable when it is pushed down by wind force at very high speeds.
A suspension component, often used in racing or high-performance cars, that controls the vertical 'heave' (pure up-and-down movement of the chassis) independently from body roll. It helps maintain a stable ride height and aerodynamic platform at high speeds.
McLaren P1
"It's the third in the lineage of the F1, P1 and now double... and they had an F1 and a P1 there and you can actually when you look at the three lined up..."
A groundbreaking hybrid supercar from the mid-2010s that used both a powerful V8 engine and an electric motor to deliver mind-boggling speed.
A limited-production plug-in hybrid hypercar that was part of the 'Holy Trinity' of hypercars alongside the Porsche 918 and LaFerrari. It combines a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor to produce 903 horsepower.
McLaren F1
"It's the third in the lineage of the F1, P1 and now double... and they had an F1 and a P1 there and you can actually when you look at the three lined up..."
An iconic, ultra-rare supercar from the 1990s where the driver sits in the middle of the car with two passenger seats slightly behind on either side. It is famous for being incredibly fast and pure to drive.
A legendary three-seat supercar designed by Gordon Murray, featuring a naturally aspirated BMW V12 engine and a central driving position. It held the record for the world's fastest production car for over a decade and is widely considered one of the greatest cars ever made.
hydraulic limited-slip differential
"And it's got it's got real drive and a hydraulic limited slip differential. So it's quite an honest straightforward car."
A mechanical system in the back of a car that helps prevent the tires from spinning uselessly on slippery surfaces, ensuring both wheels get power to push the car forward.
A type of differential that uses hydraulic pressure to lock the left and right drive wheels together when wheel slip is detected. This improves traction and cornering performance by sending power to the wheel with the most grip.
torque vectoring
"But they will use torque vectoring on among the on the front motor. And I see that here is dear to get, you know, to make to make the to set the agility in..."
A smart system that sends different amounts of power to the left and right wheels, helping the car turn corners more sharply and safely.
A technology that dynamically varies the torque sent to each drive wheel to improve traction, stability, and cornering agility. It can be achieved electronically through braking or mechanically via specialized differentials.
John Surtees
"I was looking at a picture of, well, the famous picture of of John Sertes and Jimmy Clark racing early Formula Junior single seaters..."
A legendary British racer who is the only person to ever win the world championship in both motorcycle racing and Formula 1 car racing.
A British racing driver who remains the only person in history to win World Championships on both two wheels (Grand Prix motorcycle racing) and four wheels (Formula 1, winning with Ferrari in 1964).
Jim Clark
"I was looking at a picture of, well, the famous picture of of John Sertes and Jimmy Clark racing early Formula Junior single seaters..."
A famous Scottish race car driver from the 1960s who is considered one of the greatest and most talented drivers in history.
A legendary Scottish Formula 1 driver who won two World Championships (1963, 1965) driving for Lotus. Widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted drivers of all time, he also won the Indianapolis 500 in 1965.
Goodwood
"...racing early Formula Junior single seaters at Goodwood. I think it was."
A famous estate in England that hosts massive annual festivals celebrating classic race cars, motorcycles, and automotive history.
A historic estate in West Sussex, England, famous in the automotive world for hosting the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival, celebrating historic motorsport and car culture.
Michael Schumacher
"...in the days of Michael Schumacher used to go to this... there was a track in Paris called Bersi..."
One of the most famous and successful Formula 1 drivers of all time, who won seven world championships and dominated racing in the 1990s and early 2000s.
A legendary German Formula 1 driver who won seven World Championships (two with Benetton, five with Ferrari). He held numerous records for wins, pole positions, and podium finishes, and is widely considered one of the greatest F1 drivers ever.
Ferrari Lucha
"The. You had a bit of a riff on a Ferrari lucha, which is. Oh, yeah, reputed to be one of those c..."
This is a luxury sports car made by Ferrari designed for comfortable, long-distance road trips rather than just racing. It features a more spacious interior and smoother ride while still offering a powerful engine and high speeds.
The 'Ferrari Luce' (likely a phonetic transcription of 'Lusso', referring to models like the GTC4Lusso or the classic 250 GT Lusso) represents Ferrari's grand touring lineage. These cars combine Ferrari's signature high-performance engines with a more luxurious, comfortable cabin designed for long-distance driving rather than pure track focus.
Porsche 911
"... was a Porsche. And that was the family motor and 911. We got it into our heads that we'd like to have ..."
The Porsche 911 is a famous two-door sports car made by the German company Porsche, known for having its engine in the very back of the car. It has been made for over 60 years and is celebrated for being both a fast sports car and practical enough to drive every day.
The Porsche 911 is the definitive rear-engine sports car, renowned for its iconic silhouette, everyday usability, and decades of continuous engineering refinement. The 992.2 generation introduces hybrid technology to the lineup, marking a significant milestone in the model's history. It is often discussed as the ultimate benchmark for sports cars.
Isuzu
"Yeah, Mitsubishi is now Mitsubishi UK is a part of international motors who import X-Ping, Subaru and Izuzu."
A Japanese car brand best known for building tough, reliable pickup trucks and commercial work vehicles.
A Japanese commercial vehicle and diesel engine manufacturing company, famous globally for its rugged pickup trucks, SUVs, and heavy-duty commercial trucks.
Xpeng
"Yeah, Mitsubishi is now Mitsubishi UK is a part of international motors who import X-Ping, Subaru and Izuzu."
A modern Chinese car company that specializes in making high-tech electric vehicles with advanced software and self-driving features.
A prominent Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer founded in 2014, known for developing smart EVs with advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving technologies.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
"...the car they brought back is a little bit bigger and a little bit more ornate than the outgoing Outlander... but they've brought back a new Outlander. It's a really interesting car because it's a plug in hybrid..."
A popular family SUV that can be plugged in to run on electricity for short trips, but also has a gasoline engine to keep you going on longer drives.
A plug-in hybrid version of Mitsubishi's mid-size crossover SUV, which pioneered the affordable PHEV segment upon its launch. The latest generation uses a 2.4-liter engine primarily as a generator for front and rear electric motors.
WLTP
"...And he said, you've left out the WLTP MPG figure. And I hate these for P.H.E.V.s."
A standardized laboratory test used globally to measure how much fuel a car uses and how far an electric car can go on a single charge.
The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure, a global standard for determining the levels of pollutants, CO2 emissions, and fuel consumption of traditional, hybrid, and electric passenger cars.
ZEV mandate
"...the ZEV mandate, as we speak, they're talking and confirmed here, have they?... But the short of it is, ZEV mandate may be relaxed."
A law that forces car companies to sell a specific percentage of electric or zero-emission cars, aiming to phase out gasoline and diesel vehicles over time.
A government regulation requiring automakers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles (like electric cars) each year, with penalties or fines for companies that fail to meet the targets.
Chris McDonald
"Last week, I met Chris McDonald, MP at Lotus's headquarters in Hethel... The hub was opened by Chris McDonald is the industry minister..."
A British politician and engineer who serves as the government minister in charge of supporting the UK's manufacturing and car industries.
A British politician and chemical engineer who was appointed as the UK's Industry Minister in 2024. Prior to entering politics, he had a long career in industrial research, including serving as CEO of the Materials Processing Institute.
UK Automotive Industry & Government Policy
"Last week, I met Chris McDonald, MP at Lotus's headquarters in Hethel... We now have five minutes or so with him."
An interview with a UK government minister about how the government plans to help car companies build and sell more vehicles in Britain.
An interview with UK Industry Minister Chris McDonald at Lotus headquarters, discussing the government's industrial strategy, energy costs for manufacturers, and targets for UK automotive production volume.
Hethel
"Last week, I met Chris McDonald, MP at Lotus's headquarters in Hethel in Norfolk, where the company was announcing its Hethel Performance Hub..."
The historic home and factory of Lotus Cars in England, featuring a famous test track built on an old military airfield.
A village in Norfolk, England, best known as the headquarters and manufacturing facility of Lotus Cars since 1966. The site is located on a former World War II airfield, which Lotus converted into a famous test track.
Colin Chapman
"The whole Lotus facility here was founded on the vision of one man, Colin Chapman. He wanted to set up a car company after the Second World War."
The brilliant founder of Lotus Cars who became famous for building incredibly light, fast race cars by focusing on saving weight rather than just adding horsepower.
The legendary English design engineer and founder of Lotus Cars. He revolutionized motorsport and sports car design with his philosophy of 'simplify, then add lightness,' pioneering monocoque chassis and active aerodynamics in Formula 1.
SMMT
"And we had a bit of good news today as well. So the new figures are out from the SMMT and automotive manufacturing is up two percent..."
An organization in the UK that represents car manufacturers, tracks how many cars are built and sold, and works with the government on car-related laws.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, one of the UK's most influential trade associations. It represents the UK automotive industry, tracking vehicle production, registration data, and lobbying the government on industry policy.
Indian Motorcycle
"I've written a column, Indian motorcycle. Big fan of India."
A historic American motorcycle brand famous for building classic, stylish cruiser bikes that compete directly with Harley-Davidson.
America's first motorcycle company, founded in 1901. Known for its classic cruiser motorcycles, the brand has historically been the primary domestic rival to Harley-Davidson.
Polaris
"Anyway, they they were sold by Polaris to a private venture capitalist company in February."
A large American company famous for making off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, and ATVs, which previously owned the Indian Motorcycle brand.
An American manufacturer of motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, and neighborhood electric vehicles. Polaris owned Indian Motorcycle from 2011 until selling it to a private venture capital firm in early 2026.
Harley-Davidson
"But then they also employed an agency to get involved with paid marketing... And some of those people have said not amazing stuff about Harley Davidson."
The most famous American motorcycle company in the world, known for its loud, heavy cruiser bikes and classic biker culture.
An iconic American motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1903, famous worldwide for its heavy-weight cruiser motorcycles and loyal brand community.
Caterham Aero 7
"You saw the Katerham Aero seven at the BMM the other day... Anyway, the Aero seven was a concept."
A futuristic-looking concept sports car built by Caterham to see if they could make their traditional, boxy cars more aerodynamic. It never went into full production.
A concept car revealed by Caterham in 2013, designed to preview a more aerodynamic, modern styling direction for the brand's lightweight sports cars. It featured carbon-fiber bodywork and was powered by a 2.0-liter Ford Duratec engine.
Tony Fernandes
"Oh, it was the Fernandez years. Yeah, it was a Fernandez years. That's right."
A wealthy Malaysian businessman who bought the Caterham car company and tried to expand it into Formula 1 racing in the early 2010s.
A Malaysian entrepreneur who owned Caterham Cars from 2011 to 2014 and founded the Caterham F1 Team. He is also well-known as the founder of AirAsia.
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