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Country of origin:Great Britain
Introduced in:2018
Numbers built:500 (Limited Edition)
Introduced at:2018 Geneva Motor Show
Price new:£750,000
Internal name:P15
Source:Company press release
Last updated:February 08, 2018
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Click here to download printer friendly versionEagerly awaited technical information and new images of the McLaren Senna are released ahead of the car's public debut on Tuesday March 6, at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show.

True to the legendary abilities of the racing driver whose name it bears, the McLaren Senna has been designed, engineered and developed to be the ultimate road-legal McLaren track car. With 800PS (789bhp) and 800Nm (590b ft) from its 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 - McLaren' s most powerful-ever internal combustion engine in a road car - and the ability to generate a staggering 800kg of downforce, the 1,198kg McLaren Senna delivers the purest possible connection between driver and car.

Performance is breathtaking. The McLaren Senna can cover 0-100km/h (62mph) in 2.8 seconds; 0-200km/h (124 mph) is achieved in just 6.8 seconds and a standing quarter-mile (402m) in only 9.9 seconds. Impressive though the straight-line acceleration and maximum speed of 340km/h (211 mph) are, the true depth of the performance credentials of the new Ultimate Series McLaren will be revealed when it calls on downforce of up to 800kg on a circuit, against the stop-watch.

"The McLaren Senna is a car like no other: the personification of McLaren's motorsport DNA, legalised for road use but designed and developed from the outset to excel on a circuit. Every element of this new Ultimate Series McLaren has an uncompromised performance focus, honed to ensure the purest possible connection between driver and machine and deliver the ultimate track driving experience in the way that only a McLaren can." Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive

The McLaren Senna combines low vehicle weight, extreme power, aerodynamic excellence and a revolutionary, active suspension system to deliver the most responsive and engaging road car experience to date from the British luxury sportscar and supercar maker.

The McLaren Senna is priced at £750,000 including taxes (UK). Just 500 will be built, each hand-assembled in a 300-hour process at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. All are assigned to buyers, the one remaining build allocation having been auctioned in December 2017 at a private event for McLaren customers. The winning bid was £2 million, with the proceeds going to the Ayrton Senna Institute, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing education for nearly two million unprivileged children and youngsters in Brazil.

The visual impact of the car is the equal of its savage performance. Organic shapes have given way to an aggressive design language that is ruthless in bending and guiding airflow to meet aerodynamic requirements and the strongest expression yet of McLaren's 'form follows function' philosophy. Proportionally, it is unmistakeably a McLaren, but you cannot follow a single body line from front to rear without it passing through a functional intake or vent.

"The design language of the McLaren Senna is extremely aggressive and different from any previous McLaren - because no other road-legal McLaren has had to fulfil such an uncompromising brief," explained Rob Melville, Design Director, McLaren Automotive. " When you see the car for the first time, you know instantly how single-minded and focused it is; to meet the performance targets we have had to go to an entirely different level from even the McLaren P1."

Precise control of airflow begins the moment it hits the nose of the car, the air meeting four surfaces - front splitter; active aero blades: secondary fixed aero blades and slot-gaps located between the headlights and daytime running lights - and being turned by each element in sequence. The design of the rear of the car was born entirely from aerodynamic and cooling requirements, prominent 'gurney flaps' ahead of a succession of stepped louvres directing air away from the rear deck and down the sides of the body. The resulting area of low pressure draws hot air out from the high-temperature radiators and engine bay, the louvres ensuring that airflow does not impact rear wing efficiency. Unique slash-cut exhausts make a similar airflow contribution, their positioning and angle negating any disturbance to the wing or rear diffuser.

The exhaust pipes exit through the lowest rear deck (measured at the trailing edge) of any McLaren road car, a full 18cm lower than the McLaren Super Series. In contrast to the ultra-low rear deck, the hydraulically-operated, double-element carbon fibre rear wing - a major contributor to the downforce generated - is noticeably high and constantly adjusts to optimise downforce and maintain ideal aerodynamic balance. The wing weighs just 4.87kg, yet can support more than 100 times its own weight in downforce.

The double diffuser at the rear is equally prominent; crafted from a single piece of carbon fibre, it starts under the rear axle and as it increases in height accelerates air out from under the vehicle. This creates a low-pressure zone and 'sucks' the McLaren Senna to the ground.

McLaren pioneered carbon fibre technology in Formula 1 and the Monocage III carbon structure at the centre of the McLaren Senna can trace its lineage back to 1981 and the McLaren MP4/1, the first carbon Formula 1 racing car. Monocage III is the strongest carbon fibre monocoque ever created by McLaren for a road car and features an innovative double-walled rear assembly that provides an in-built protective roll cage. Monocage III is optimised to create the lightest structure possible and is one of the reasons why, at 1,198kg, the McLaren Senna is the lightest road car McLaren has built since the F1.

The benefits of carbon fibre are felt throughout the McLaren Senna. The body panels, which have the immense structural rigidity needed to support the aerodynamic forces they are subjected to at high speeds on a race track, are incredibly strong and lightweight. In total, the carbon fibre body panels of the McLaren Senna weigh less than 60kg.

Carbon fibre and Alcantara are used extensively throughout the interior, reflecting the stripped-back, functional nature of the McLaren Senna. The dashboard, doors and visible elements of the Monocage III are all in exposed carbon fibre. Alcantara (or leather if preferred) covers the side airbags and the lack of further interior trim saves weight and reveals the construction of the dihedral doors. Even the door gas struts, which can be colour-matched to the brake calipers and front active aero blades, are exposed to save vital grammes.

The inherent strength of Monocage III allows for remarkably slim roof pillars that ensure excellent views through the deep, wide windscreen and across the front fenders. This makes it easier to perfectly place the McLaren Senna through corners, as well as improving visibility in general. Opting for glazed upper and lower door sections in place of the standard carbon fibre panels allows even more light to flood into the cockpit.

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  Article Image gallery (88) Chassis (3) Specifications User Comments (1)