masterpiece with the astounding McLaren Senna.
winner and motorsports legend, the late Ayrton Senna, this carbon fibre
hypercar certainly lives up to its name.
What is the McLaren Senna?
The McLaren Senna is a new addition to the company’s
Ultimate Series range, sporting a 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 engine with 789bhp,
which helps the super car go from 0 to 60 in just 2.8 seconds.

twin-clutch gearbox that encapsulates engineering brilliance and personifies
McLaren’s identity at its most extreme, providing the ultimate driver
experience.
this beast entirely road legal.
rapid 208mph. However, despite being quick, it’s not necessarily this that sets
it apart from the rest.
experience possible, the beauty of the Senna is that you can tear up on the
track and then drive home in it later.
way to your local store, but there are plenty of race tracks that will welcome you
with open arms if you arrive in this head-turner.
with the track-only McLaren Senna GTR, which is not road legal.
Senna Vs the P1
The Senna is faster around a track than its Ultimate Series
counterpart, the McLaren P1, due to an impressive 800kg of downforce at 155mph.
The P1 and Senna are near enough identical in a straight line, until the 186mph
mark, where the P1 does take a one second advantage.
Despite their similarity,
the Senna has more power per tonne (659bhp vs 647bhp of the P1) and is faster
around the track due to the astonishing attention to detail that increases its
grip and aero.
Who is Ayrton Senna?

World Championships for McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991 before a crash led to
him losing his life at just 34-years-old.
quoted as saying – “I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence”
– and it evidently took an abundance of all three qualities to produce the
supercar that is fittingly named in his honour.
Aesthetics and Design
supercar should look.
produced, but that was not its purpose. That being said, it’s far from an
unpleasant car to look at and will absolutely turn heads for the right reasons.

McLaren themselves labelled the design “aggressive” and the
extraordinary performance seems to have been at the forefront of their
designers’ minds, with aesthetics taking the back seat on this occasion.
McLaren designed the Senna with performance and acceleration targets in mind, focusing
on aerodynamics to maximise its quality on the track.
notably wide and low, largely due to the prominent rear wing with layered
slats. This wing, though an eye-catching feature, was not included for
decorative reasons, but to aid the balance between the drag and the
down-force.
Performance
racetrack. Along with the revolutionary RaceActive Chassis Control II, the
Senna includes an abundance of technology that co-works to make the hypercar as
fast as it is, including the drag reduction system (DRS).
hydraulically controlled and continually adapts to cater to the driving
situation, reducing aerodynamic drag in order to increase the top speed. It is
used in Formula One to facilitate and promote overtaking, once again outlining
the track-focused design.
anti-roll bars, but new hydraulic gas-filled accumulators that do a great job
in resisting roll. As with most features of this car, these accumulators also
improve aerodynamics by keeping the body as level as possible.
McLaren Senna Specs
weighing in at an agile 2,641lbs without fluids.
need some fluids and fuel, which takes the driving weight to around 2,866lbs.
its features are as light as possible. The front wings weigh a mere 1lb each,
and the rear wing – which can support up to 100 times its own weight – weighs just
11lbs.
Door mechanisms have also been updated from the heavier
mechanical releases to more modern electrical ones, subsequently decreasing their
weight by 20% and allowing optimum track performance.
The Senna’s seats
gear selector panel is fixed to the driver’s seat, moving fore and aft with it
for a fixed reach.
helmets and race suits, reiterating the minimalistic design centred on track
racing. The seats are designed to maximise airflow around the driver’s back,
which comes in handy when it gets pretty warm during track laps.
that new models, including the McLaren 600 LT, are fitted with them.
Reliability and Running Costs
McLaren to run on a day-to-day basis. Not that the typical owner of it will
worry too much about the costs, but with nearly 800bhp and 800Nm of torque,
it’s not expected to be cheap to run.
driven hard, but the Senna offers quite a reasonable 22.8MPG and 280g/km CO2.
friendly than the Senna due to its hybrid engine, but causes nowhere near as
much havoc on the track.
The Feel
wheel provides a comfortable and effortless drive wherever you are, but due to
its track-focused nature, the Senna may not travel as fluidly on roads as your
average car.

the circuit, Track and Race mode can be activated for quicker gear shifts,
allowing you to get the most out of this car.
R tires as they keep you steady as you speed through the corners, maintaining
as much speed as possible.
work simultaneously to bring the Senna to a stop from speeds of around 140mph
in under 200metres.
oversteer proves useful for day-to-day driving and breaking on corners.
Adjustable Track
Driving
incredibly responsive, but it may take some time to become accustomed to the
feel of the car. Steering is immaculate and the chassis adapts as and when required,
allowing you to corner with ease.
Its handling is refined by the RaceActive Chassis Control 2,
using adaptive dampers which are programmed to react to movements within two
milliseconds. Cornering is consequently improved as the dampers tighten in Race
mode and lower the height of the car.
and its highly complex algorithms mean that track performance is fine-tuned by
its ability to adapt quickly to changing situations.
hypercar, so safety precautions – including the gas-filled accumulators – are
in place to help ensure that you don’t roll or spin out of corners too often.
raised and helps bring the car to a smooth stop.
The McLaren Senna’s Stylish Interior
aforementioned lightweight doors open upwards, as all real supercars should.
be bought in two sizes to suit the driver’s needs – curve slightly to provide a
satisfactory level of comfort while cruising or on the track.
area allows you to view the road surface from your seat while driving,
undeniably increasing the intense sensation and driving experience.
added fixed passenger seat can be installed, as can a drinks holder. It’s
probably not wise to take your coffee out on the track with you, though.

this contemporary style, offering drivers an authentic supercar experience at
the wheel.
McLaren Track
Telemetry app
on-board cameras to record data from your race laps, allowing you to analyse
your performance or just to show off to the family.
Can You Still Buy the McLaren Senna and
How Much Does it Cost?
starting from just under $1million.
is currently not up for sale, but keep your eyes peeled and your cash ready as
second-hand cars could be available in the near future.
the extreme hypercar, as well as its ground-breaking track performance, the Senna’s
asking price is not unreasonable for those that they are targeting.
Our Verdict
for an incredibly aerodynamic finish that is exhibited by its outstanding lap
times.
sculpting the ultimate road-legal track car.
McLaren Senna is an apt homage to the legendary Ayrton Senna.