The McLaren W1 steps into the spotlight as the natural successor to the legendary McLaren F1 and McLaren P1, taking its place at the very top of the brand’s food chain. The catch is the price tag. For most of us, owning the real thing is firmly in dream territory. But there is another way in, thanks to Amalgam Collection, which has produced an exacting 1:8 scale version of the W1.
At £14,995 (approximately R330,000), this is no impulse buy. Each example demands more than 300 hours of painstaking hand assembly at Amalgam’s Bristol workshop. The team works from McLaren’s original CAD data, official paint references and detailed material specifications to ensure the finished piece mirrors the full size hypercar as closely as possible. Development alone reportedly swallowed over 3,000 hours before the first customer car was ready.
The real McLaren W1 will be capped at just 399 units worldwide and is expected to command around £2 million.
This miniature W1 is not just about getting the stance right. It features functional scissor doors, a remote-controlled active rear wing and a cabin that replicates the intricate detailing of the actual car, right down to its aerodynamic surfaces. The headline price applies to the ‘Launch’ specification, which is even more exclusive than the hypercar itself. Only 199 of these will be built, all finished in Papaya Spark. For owners of the real W1, bespoke ‘Tailor Made’ commissions are also on the table, matching their exact vehicle configuration, with prices starting from £20,995 (around R450,000).
Every build slot for the full size W1 has already been snapped up. Under the skin, the W1 runs a heavily reworked twin turbocharged 4.0 litre V8 paired with hybrid assistance. McLaren did not simply tweak an existing unit. This engine was redesigned with a 9,000rpm red line in mind and delivers 915 hp (682 kW) on its own, along with a sharper, more urgent power curve and a soundtrack to match.
Bolted to that is a 342 hp (255 kW) electric motor, pushing combined output to a staggering 1,258 hp (938 kW).
What really seals the deal is the weight. Tipping the scales at just 1,399kg, the W1 achieves a power to weight ratio of 899bhp per tonne. That makes it the most potent McLaren ever produced in terms of power density. Numbers like that explain exactly why all 399 examples were spoken for almost as soon as the order books opened.
