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McLaren has confirmed that the new MHP-8 V8 engine used in the exclusive W1 hypercar will also appear in the brand's future production supercars.
Unlike the 4,0-liter twin-turbo V8 previously fitted to McLaren supercars, the new engine was built from the ground up by McLaren Automotive itself, rather than its former supplier Ricardo.
Tells NNews with reference to auto express.
McLaren sees this new V8 as a key element of its future.
Like the previous engine, it has a 90-degree cylinder camber angle and a flat-plane crankshaft, but it also features advanced technologies including hollow valves, a hollow crankshaft, and plasma-coated cylinders.
McLaren W1 – V8 engine components
In addition, this engine is designed to create a more vibrant and emotional character. The uneven exhaust manifolds and redline of over 9000 rpm are designed to provide the driver with even greater connection with the car.
In the McLaren W1, this V8 develops 915 hp and 900 Nm - 100 hp and 100 Nm more than the most powerful version of the previous V8. Added to this is a compact but powerful hybrid system with an electric motor with 342 hp and a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1,38 kWh. The total power of 1234 hp will be a kind of peak for this engine, at least for now, which is quite consistent with the status of the brand's new flagship hypercar.
Which McLaren models will get this V8?
To justify the development costs, this engine will appear not only in the 399 McLaren W1s, but also in future production models, probably with less power.
Among them may be the successor to the McLaren 750S, which is an evolution of the 720S model introduced back in 2017. At the same time, it is not yet known whether this model will receive a hybrid system, and if so, whether it will be borrowed from the W1, or whether it will be a more advanced version, similar to the hybrid on the McLaren Artura, which works in tandem with a V6.
In any case, with the ever-changing regulations for internal combustion engines in the EU and the US, McLaren's internal combustion team will certainly not be out of work. With the political shift in countries like the US and Germany, where the pressure on environmental restrictions is easing, McLaren's investment in the new V8 could pay off quickly.
So, those who were worried that McLaren would completely abandon powerful V8s in favor of more compact engines can rest assured - the sound of the V8 will be with us for a long time to come.
