McLaren Shows W1 Testing In The Snow, But Is Aston’s Valhalla Going To Freeze It Out?

We haven’t heard much from McLaren’s W1 since it debuted last fall but even though the P1 successor doesn’t make the headlines, the Woking-based crew is still working on it. The British brand has just dropped a video and set of images showing the W1 undergoing winter testing in preparation for its entry into the market at a very awkward time.

The snowy sub-zero temperatures of Scandinavia aren’t ideal for showing off the acceleration, braking and downforce-assisted grip of the W1, which is designed to do its best work on a nice, dry track. But they are perfect for honing the characteristics of the traction and stability control systems.

Related: McLaren’s W1 Is Their Fastest And Most Powerful Roadcar Ever

Unlike some rivals, McLaren has opted to keep a rear-wheel drive configuration for the W1 rather than go the all-wheel drive route. But with a set of Pirelli P Zero Winter 2 tires and a correctly configured stability and torque vectoring systems, the test drivers make the W1absolutely fly around the snowy tracks.

The cold conditions are also useful for testing the durability of the engine, gearbox, electrical system and hybrid battery, and the engineers checked the effects on the cooling system of compacted snow blocking the vents – not something most W1 owners will have to worry about.

Despite its claims to be the fastest-accelerating and most powerful McLaren road car yet, some enthusiasts have expressed disappointment that the W1 doesn’t represent a quantum leap in terms of innovation over the P1 that was launched a decade ago. But things only got worse for the W1 in December when Aston Martin revealed the Valhalla.

True, the W1 is more exclusive, McLaren promising to build just 399 units to Aston’s 999, and the V8-hybrid W1’s 1,258hp (1275 PS / 938 kW) and 988 lb-ft (1,340 Nm) of torque outmuscles the twin-electric motor assisted V8 of the Valhalla that delivers a total of 1,064 hp (1,079 PS) and 811 lb-ft (1,100 Nm). But the McLaren’s 2.7-second zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) time is two tenths down on the Aston’s, and then there’s the price.

The W1 costs $2.1 million before taxes, making it almost twice as expensive as the $1.1 million Valhalla. Which of the two hypercars would you pick?