McLaren Senna - full details
Are you sitting comfortably? Here's all you need to know about the next Ultimate Series McLaren
But it's all about the looks still, isn't it? And while this deep dive feature will aim to detail everything that makes the Senna perhaps the performance car of the moment, we have to begin with the styling.
It's all about performance, in case you hadn't guessed. The car is described by McLaren as "the strongest expression yet" of its 'form follows function' styling philosophy, with Design Director Rob Melville adding on the day that he sees design as, "where art and science meet". So while the car looks how they wanted it to, every design feature on the Senna serves some kind of performance benefit, be that weight saving or aerodynamic gain. It really is a relentless focus on making the most track capable car you can still drive on the road. And, for what it's worth, a far more appealing and interesting design once you understand it a bit more. Honest...
While a "purposely fragmented" design language may upset a few commenters, it does mean that the outrageous rear wing weighs less than 5kg, yet supports more than 100 times its weight in downforce. Peak downforce is 800kg, 40 per cent more than a P1. It also allows for those front aero blades (along with the rear wing) to be active, moving and adjusting to maintain the perfect aero balance. Even the exhausts are designed to prevent any disturbance to the rear wing or diffuser. The rear lights are thin for the same reason and that incredible diffuser is one piece of carbon that begins at the rear axle. Absolutely everything has been tailored towards total performance, and is genuinely fascinating: McLaren says you can't follow a single line from front to rear without it passing through a functional intake or vent. That crazy front splitter is 75mm longer than on a P1 GTR, but is as thin as possible for minimum intrusion on airflow; the front section can be replaced simply too, "meaning any damage caused by large kerbs at race tracks can be rectified without having to change the entire splitter." Marvellous.
In addition to regular springs - described by McLaren as "small, lightweight and comparatively soft - the Senna features a hydraulic centre (K damper). It's said to act as a third spring in the middle of each axle, hydraulically connected by an accumulator to reduce pitch, squat and dive.
Still with us? Good, have some stats as a reward. We'll delve into the specifics in a moment, but consider these for openers: the Senna will do 0-124mph in 6.8 seconds, 0-186mph in 17.5 seconds and a top speed of 211mph. Should somebody you know have a very fast Dodge Charger, you'll be pleased to know that the Senna can do the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds. We're told it will be faster around a circuit than a P1. Arguably even more incredible is the braking performance: a Senna will come to a standstill from 124mph in just 100m, which is 16m less than a P1. It needs only 215m to do the same thing from 186mph, and just 29.5m from 62mph.
The brakes that contribute to those phenomenal stopping distances are the ceramic 'CCM-R' rotors, 390x34mm each and with four times the thermal conductivity of regular carbon ceramic discs. They take seven times longer to make than those, too. More efficient discs benefit mass as well: greater efficiency means discs can be smaller, reducing unsprung mass, and lower operating temperatures mean smaller cooling ducts. McLaren has even done away with the raised logo on the calipers to save just a little bit more.
So there you have it; the McLaren Senna in all its glorious detail. Not just a 720S with a remap and a bodykit after all. If it really can offer all that's great about contemporary McLarens in terms of feel, feedback and connection, as well as unparalleled circuit ability, the Senna promises to be something truly extraordinary. Following a Geneva debut, the first drives are scheduled for the summer - we'll do everything possible to get in one of those ultra lightweight seats.
'The car is described by McLaren as "the strongest expression yet" of its 'form follows function' styling philosophy, with Design Director Rob Melville adding on the day that he sees design as, "where art and science meet".'
- It sounds like that that particular meeting is not one suitable for a family friendly film, so badly did science beat up art.
By the way, do we have to proof read every article for PH these days or can you guys have a look through beforehand?
"as well as an overhauled intake system including a the roof scoop"
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