McLaren Senna | Review, Specifications, Price and Competitors

Overview

The McLaren Senna is the latest limited-production supercar by McLaren. The car is a tribute to the famous racing driver Ayrton Senna. The mid-engined supercar is also a new addition to the McLaren Ultimate Series, joining the McLaren F1 and P1. 

The McLaren Senna has been revealed online by the company on December 10, 2017. There are rumours that the car will be officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show 2018. The supercar will be hand-built at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. It is limited to only 500 units and at the time being all of the Senna have already been sold out. The price of the McLaren Senna is $1,003,950 but the last car was sold at auction for a whopping $2,670,000, more than double of its original price. How crazy is that? A car that has not yet been officially revealed is already sold out. Delivery is scheduled during the last couple of months of 2018. 

Who is Ayrton Senna?

Ayrton Senna, born on March 21, 1960, was a Brazilian racing driver who won three Formula One World Championships for McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991. He is widely known as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. Ayrton Senna also holds the record for the fifth most Formula One Grand Prix wins (41 in total). Sadly, he died on May 1, 1994, as a result of his car crashing against a cement barrier during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy. Read more about Ayrton Senna here.

Specifications

Designs

The design of the McLaren Senna has been receiving a lot of negative criticism since the company revealed it online but this is not what matters to McLaren apparently. The makers of the car had only one vision in mind, to make the car as quick and lightweight as possible. If you take a close look at the car, you will see that each curve, each vent and each bolt has its specific function. The car is built to be completely functional. The car has dihedral doors just like the McLaren F1 and P1. Believe me, it is a car that will make you fall in love with it the more you see and know it. 

Exterior

The exterior of the McLaren Senna looks very menacing. The car is largely based on the McLaren 720s as it is using a modified version of its carbon-fibre monocoque. Its large double-element tilting rear wing acts as airbrake also. The roof scoop is inspired by Formula One racing cars. The Senna has air-intakes everywhere. The front and side air-intakes improve the car's aerodynamics greatly. The car is very low to the ground, giving it lot of downforce. The car also has a triple exhaust outlet, making the car looks angrier. The McLaren Senna is using the new generation Brembo carbon ceramic brakes as well as new set of central-locking alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo R tires. It weighs only 1198 kg (2641 lb). You can also get the car with the optional see-through glass panels in the doors for greater visibility and to further reduce the weight of the car. 

Interior

The interior of the McLaren Senna is also designed to save weight. Inside the car, there is exposed carbon-fibre everywhere. The seats can be either upholstered in Alcantara or leather, as per customer's choice. Behind the two seats, expect to find enough space for two helmets and race suits, keep in mind that it is a weight-saving car. The interior to a great extent resembles the interior of the McLaren 720s with some modifications added to it. On an overall, the McLaren Senna has a good amount of visibility except at the back, where the large two-element wing blocks some of its rear visibility.

Engine

The McLaren Senna is powered by a 4.0L Twin-Turbocharged V8, the same as in the McLaren 720s but with some modifications to it. The engine makes 789 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels (RWD). The car has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Due to its light-weight body, the Senna will do 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in only 2.8s and it will cross 124mph (200 km/h) in 6.8s. The car will do a quarter mile in 9.9s. The McLaren Senna has a top speed of 211 mph (340 km/h). Unlike the P1, the Senna uses only gasoline.

Competitors

Ferrari Laferrari

The best competitor to the McLaren Senna is none other than the Ferrari Laferrari. The Laferrari has a 6.3L V12 with a 161 hp electric motor, altogether producing 789 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque. Like the McLaren Senna, it uses carbon-fibre monocoque, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and it is rear-wheel drive (RWD). However, the Laferrari will reach 62 mph in just 2.4s, 0.4s faster than the Senna and it will reach 124 mph in less than 7s. The Laferrari will reach a top speed of 217 mph (349 km/h). The car weighs 1255 kg, a bit more than the McLaren Senna. Inside the car, there are lots of exposed carbon-fibre just like its competitor. 500 units were ever produced and the last one was auction for $7M to help those affected in Italy earthquake. The Ferrari Laferrari usually costs around $1,420,000.

Porsche 918 Spyder

Another great competitor to the McLaren Senna is the Porsche 918 Spyder. The mid-engined naturally aspirated 4.6L V8 with additional two electric motors was produced between the year 2013 to 2015. 918 units were being produced at that time and all were sold out. Prices start at $845,000 and some even pay $2.4M to get the Porsche 918 Spyder in their garage. Let's talk numbers now. The 918 Spyder has 887 hp and 940 lb-ft of torque (V8 and two electric motors combined). The car uses a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch. It is a rear-wheel drive car and the front electric motor powers the front wheels. The 918 Spyder will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 2.8s, the same amount of time as the McLaren Senna and it will reach 124 mph in 7.9s. The car has a top speed of 217 mph (350 km/h). The Porsche 918 Spyder weighs between 1634-1704 kg (depends on what options you are getting). Inside the cockpit, expect to see a mix of car-fibre and leather or Alcantara. The inside of the Porsche 918 Spyder is a bit more luxurious than its competitors as the latter focused much more on weight-saving.

Well, there you have it the full review in-depth review of the new McLaren Senna and its competitors. Let me know in the comments section below your thoughts about the McLaren Senna and if McLaren has done justice to Ayrton Senna by naming the car after him.