McLaren Senna
The numbers are in, and they’re big. So don’t complain, alright. Anyway, it’s not as ugly as all that...
“Unforgiving design in pursuit of absolute performance.” That, in McLaren’s words, is the styling direction of the Senna. It’s not a conventionally beautiful-looking car, and the comments section of the internet has been only too happy to point that out. It looks far better in the metal, though. Honest.
“The design is a refection of what the car’s intentions are,” says design director Rob Melville. It’s claimed to be McLaren’s most extreme track car still able to wear number plates. “With only 500 cars, we can be superextreme in our approach. But the proportions were a tricky thing to handle,” he adds.
“On a mid-engined car you normally have a 2:1 ratio on front and rear overhang length. On this car, the ratio is maybe 3:1. The reason is more leverage over the front to create downforce. The rear wing can produce 500kg of downforce; you need to produce enough at the front to keep that balanced.” Downforce is the Senna’s big thing. In total, it produces 800kg, which it reaches at 155mph. While that’s more than any McLaren road car before it, we’re told it’ll still be approachable to drive. “There is no sudden step into the dynamic unknown,” we’re promised, “rather a predictable build-up of extra grip to accompany the increase in speed.” Active front aero blades work constantly with the angle of the wing to make the car as driveable as possible.
Some more stats have been confrmed, too. Acceleration fgures are remarkable; 0–60mph takes 2.7secs, 0–124mph is completed in 6.8secs, while the quarter-mile takes 9.9secs. The top speed is 211mph. Need to stop from 124mph? That’ll take 100 metres.
Traditional performance numbers are only half the Senna’s story, though; the nerdiest nuggets of information come from how it nips under the 1,200kg mark. The rear LED strips are far simpler in design to a P1’s, halving their weight to 1kg, while the half-drop side windows nod to the McLaren F1, but also cut the size of electronics needed to whirr them down.
If it all sounds a bit too technical, then there’s a fun side to its geekery. The 789bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – McLaren’s most powerful internal combustion engine yet – is fed air by a roof snorkel, which also boosts the aural drama in the cabin. The front splitter is designed to be easily and (relatively) cheaply replaced, should you chin some kerbing, inspiring plenty of commitment from its driver on track.
Still not sold on the looks? All 500 were snapped up (at £750,000 each) before any of its buyers saw the design, and McLaren assures us no orders were cancelled once they did…