CHALLENGE THE IMPOSSIBLE
Inspired by McLaren's greatest driver and F1 icon Ayrton Senna: A limited edition track car, that could legally be used on the road and set the fastest lap times. Every last detail of the McLaren Senna was dedicated to releasing the driver's absolute best. Announced in late 2017, the limited production hand-built cars were already sold out as soon as it was unveiled. Innovative active aerodynamics were developed to generate extreme levels of downforce. The Senna was also the lightest vehicle built since the legendary F1. With our most powerful road car engine at the time. The resulting power-to-weight-ratio was staggering: 668PS per tonne. In a ferociously responsive car that even surpassed the ground breaking P1™ GTR for pure engagement. Here was another new benchmark. For the lucky few.
No other McLaren looked like the McLaren Senna. Because no other McLaren had ever been shaped by such uncompromising performance targets. Our designers and engineers pushed all boundaries. Even further than the McLaren P1™. Extreme downforce and the ability to transfer the aerodynamic balance between front and rear were guiding principles. These elements underpinned the car's prowess – delivering supreme driver confidence and ultimate lap times.
Every element of the McLaren Senna was shaped for uncompromising performance and raw focus. To create the purest connection between driver and car. Because the driver feels hardwired into the experience. Unparalleled feedback is key. A total connection with road and track that underpins judgement and confidence. And transforms the feeling of driving at very high speeds. The McLaren Senna communicates its every intent so that driver and car respond as one.
The McLaren Senna was designed and built as a race car – to perform on the track first and foremost. The active aerodynamics are still at the apex of innovation. The superb visibility achieved through the unique glazed doors provides total driver confidence. Relentless, fearless engineering effort led to the reassessment and re-evaluation of every component – no matter how small – to maximise performance. Carbon fibre was used for the monocoque, the body and anywhere which demanded lightness, rigidity and ultimate strength. The result was, at the time of its production, the lightest track-focused vehicle McLaren Automotive had ever built.
From within the cockpit of the McLaren Senna, the extreme engineering is clear to see. The three-spoke steering wheel is free of buttons and switches, creating a pure focus on the sensory feedback. The door-release mechanisms and window switches have been moved to the centre of the vehicle, to a roof-mounted console. Alcantara covers the side airbags but the removal of further interior trim saves weight. Even the gas door struts are exposed to save vital grams. Stopping short of removing the second seat altogether, the interior of the McLaren Senna is unashamedly 'anti-social' and utterly focused upon the driver.
