Meet the New Mclaren Senna, a Tribute to a Legend

McLaren Automotive is well-known for making very fast road cars. These cars are easy to drive, quiet and almost supple. But… McLaren’s latest automobile, is not an automobile, it is a beast. Meet the McLaren Senna, and it’s here to crush every single track day. McLaren’s newest Ultimate Series supercar has been christened the “Senna”. This monster pays homage to the legendary Ayrton Senna. Senna won the Formula One World Championship 3 times, most notably in McLaren chassis.

The Senna is based on the current 720S structure. It has been fitted with 4.0-liter flat-plane-crank version of their ubiquitous twin-turbocharged V8. That V8 produces an impressive 789 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. All of that is shifted through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Production will be limited to just 500 units, and will cost buyers 750,000 pounds.

The “Senna” is admittedly a strangely shaped automobile, but often cars that are built with function in mind tend to be slightly ungainly. This car is an expression of function-over-form, with various bits and bobs that would seem out of place on your average supercar. Make no mistake, the McLaren Senna is not an average supercar. It is regarded as the ludicrously fast P1’s successor.

McLaren have installed an updated version of the P1’s hydraulically-interconnected dampers on the Senna. Because of this science-fiction hydraulic system, the car has no need for anti-roll bars. They also say they’ve improved the P1’s variable stiffness and ride height technology. Above and beyond the 720S system, the Senna features a “Race Mode” with lower ride height and stiffer suspension settings. A new set of Senna-specific Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires have also been fitted to the car. These tyres are theoretically designed with the race track in mind.

This McLaren is completely next-level when it comes to, well, everything. Weighing in at just 2,641 pounds, this is feather-weight in comparison to pretty much everything else in its class. Considering the nearly 800-horsepower on tap, a proper driver should be able to put down a weapons-grade lap time at any track.

Can the McLaren Senna take on the Mighty Nordschleife?

If McLaren’s aim was to put an end to the Nurburgring lap time World War II, this car was born to make that happen. Porsche’s GT2 RS was previously the newest and fastest thing around the Nordschleife. The McLaren Senna will hope to answer that question with an additional 89 horsepower and 600 pounds knocked off.

It is technically road legal, but McLaren say that it’s their first road car that makes no compromises. McLaren emphasised that fact by including the following quote from Ayrton Senna himself: “You commit yourself to such a level where there is no compromise. You give everything you have; everything, absolutely everything.”