McLaren Senna

Senna key specifications

Where the Senna fits among McLaren's hypercars

McLaren groups its most extreme models as the Ultimate Series. The F1 of the 1990s was the road-going benchmark of its decade, and the P1 of 2013 added hybrid power. The Senna, codenamed P15, was not meant to replace either: it was built to be the fastest McLaren around a circuit while still carrying number plates. The later McLaren W1 returned to hybrid power, so the Senna remains the last pure-petrol car in the series.

Its link to Ayrton Senna is direct. The Brazilian drove for McLaren from 1988 to 1993, won the drivers' championship in 1988, 1990 and 1991, and took 35 Grand Prix wins with the team. McLaren Automotive holds the rights to use his name, and those rights are tied to the Instituto Ayrton Senna, the foundation set up by his family. More on the team behind the car is in our McLaren history.

M840TR engine and gearbox

The engine is a development of the 4.0-litre M840T from the 720S. In the Senna it carries the extra "R" for its higher state of tune: 588 kW at 7,250 rpm and 800 Nm at 5,500 rpm. By our calculation that is 147 kW per litre. Unlike the P1, the Senna has no electric motor, which keeps both weight and complexity down. Compared with the P1's 673 kW system output it gives away 85 kW, yet its dry weight is lower and it was designed to lap faster. Our published comparison of the LaFerrari and McLaren P1 shows the hybrid generation that came before.

A seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox drives the rear wheels only. The exhaust exits through the top of the rear deck in three outlets made of Inconel and titanium. That keeps the hot pipes away from the diffuser and makes the car very loud from inside.

Aerodynamics: 800 kg of downforce

Almost every surface of the Senna works on airflow. McLaren quotes 800 kg of downforce at 250 km/h; above that speed the active elements trim the load so that drag does not cap the top speed. The main tools are:

• Rear wing: a double-element carbon wing that weighs only 4.87 kg, moves hydraulically and also serves as an airbrake under hard braking.
• Front: a large splitter, small canards and deep intakes that channel air around the front wheels.
• Diffuser and body: a double-element diffuser at the rear, a roof scoop over the cockpit and louvres over the wheels.

The body panels together weigh about 60 kg. They hang on the MonoCage III, the carbon-fibre tub that McLaren developed for this car. Dihedral doors open upwards, and buyers could add glass panels in the lower half of each door.

Chassis, brakes and tyres

The suspension uses double wishbones with RaceActive Chassis Control II, a hydraulic system that links the dampers and does the job of conventional anti-roll bars. Drivers choose between Comfort, Sport and Track settings, and Race mode lowers the car so that it sits closer to the ground for maximum downforce.

The carbon-ceramic brakes were developed with Brembo. Their compound conducts heat about 3.5 times better than earlier discs, which allowed smaller, lighter parts, and each disc takes seven months to manufacture. Pirelli developed P Zero Trofeo R tyres for the car: 245/35 ZR19 at the front and 315/30 ZR20 at the rear.

With 1,374 kg at the kerb and 588 kW, each kilowatt moves 2.34 kg by our calculation. On the dry weight the figure falls to 2.04 kg per kW. Our power-to-weight calculator sets that against any other car.

Cabin built around the circuit

The interior is bare by design. Exposed carbon fibre, Alcantara or leather on the seats and a small central screen are all there is, and some controls, including the engine start, sit in an overhead panel. Behind the two carbon seats there is room for two helmets and race suits, which McLaren saw as the main luggage of a Senna owner. The old version of this page called the interior "harsh and austere"; that was exactly the brief.

Prices, production and auction values

McLaren set the price at 750,000 pounds, about €850,000 at 2018 exchange rates; the German list price was €922,250 including VAT. All 500 cars were built by hand at Woking. Deliveries began in the third quarter of 2018. The 500th and final car was auctioned for 1,916,793 pounds, with the money going to the Instituto Ayrton Senna in Brazil.

Several limited editions followed:

• Senna GTR: a track-only car shown as a concept at Geneva 2018 and built in 75 examples, with at least 607 kW (825 PS) and about 1,000 kg of downforce.
• Senna LM: 35 cars by McLaren Special Operations, 607 kW and an orange livery that recalls the F1 LM.
• Senna GTR LM: five cars unveiled on 17 September 2020, with 621 kW (845 PS) and liveries from the five F1 GTRs of the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Who should buy a Senna

The Senna suits an owner who drives on circuits and wants a car that can be registered for the road, rather than a grand tourer for long trips. It is noisy, hard-riding and has little storage, but its downforce and brakes put it among the quickest road cars on a race track. Buyers who want comfort and luggage space should look at the McLaren 720S, which uses a related engine. Those who want the P1's hybrid technology will find it in the McLaren P1, and all current and past models are in the McLaren catalogue.