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The Senna is Said to be the Ultimate McLaren

By Gerard
.
December 11, 2017

The most extreme track-focused hypercar, legalized for the road.  This is how McLaren describes its latest Ultimate Series model, the Senna. Quite fitting as it is named after one of, if not the greatest drivers in Formula 1, Ayrton Senna.

So what’s so extreme about it, you ask? The engine, for one, packs a mean punch. Taking its cue from the 720S, the Senna gets the same 4.0-liter biturbo V8 but with 789hp and 800Nm of torque. Not only is it some 79 horses and 30Nm more potent that the already powerful 720S, but the British luxury hypercar maker says that it is the most potent mill it has produced thus far.

While McLaren is still mum about performance figures, it did reveal that the car is the lightest one it has ever churned out, at 1,198kg dry weight. It even packed goodies like RaceActive Chassis Control, among others, to dial up the fun factor. And yes, even Ayrton’s nephew, Bruno Senna, approves as he was part of the car’s development process.

As with the powerplant, the hypercar’s design is a bit of an extreme as well. It follows function rather than pure form, allowing for greater downforce, reduced drag, and the utmost performance. Things like a double rear diffuser, an underscoop, and an active and quite large rear wing all speak extreme performance. A styling cue you don’t see every day, however, is the glass in the door panel. Why? Because they can.

Remember that aforementioned feather-like dry weight? Part of it comes courtesy of extensive use of carbon fiber in places like the cabin and the brakes (which, by the way, are said to take seven months to produce a single disc).. The former also adopts a minimalist theme, emphasizing the business of driving as its main focus. Having said that, one does get a reverse camera, an infotainment system, and a foldable display taken straight from the 720S to spruce things up.

Production of this extreme track-road car will begin in the 3rd quarter of 2018. It will make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018.  Oh, and McLaren says that only 500 copies of the Senna will be built, all of which are already spoken for.

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About the Author

Mr. Gerard Jude Castillo
Gerard has been a self-confessed car nut ever since he was a little boy. As a grown-up, he indulges in his passion by collecting toy cars (which he started since childhood) and reading up on the latest cars out there.  As Associate Editor, he will ensure that you get your fill of the latest cars in the market, as well as a load of automotive features.