Senna or P1

Author
Discussion

Davey S2

13,096 posts

254 months

Monday 8th April 2019
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Money / values aside from a driving point of view I'd rather a 600LT to either of them.

flemke

22,865 posts

237 months

Monday 8th April 2019
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SteelySteve said:
Cars will always get faster (until your nanny government stops you) I think its good to own or aspire to own the cars that were game changers of their time

Then times that by their rarity and finally consider beauty, which further enhances want factor

Mclaren F1 (Gamechanger + low volume + Beautiful)
Ferrari F40 Beautiful, Gamechanger but relatively high volume
Porsche 959, Gamechanger, Low volume but more functional looking

Only my opinion but I don't think a Senna is a gamechanger as its essentially a wider, lower version of the 720s with big aero, and whilst beauty is, of course, subjective I don't think anyone really thinks its a beauty. Finally, it's not particularly low volume.

P1 - Game-changing technology of its time, beautiful and low volume. No brainer...
Fwiw, not that big a difference in volumes between P1 and Senna. Including GTRs, Senna: 575 (AFAIK); P1: 453.

355spiderguy

1,476 posts

171 months

Saturday 17th August 2019
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The question of the topic was Senna or P1..

The owner of Parkes of Glasgow owns one of each privately.

As publicity tools for events it doesn't get much better than turning up with each of them and one would of thought in that case both were indispensable.

The Senna is now advertised for sale.

Appears as though the P1 is a keeper.

Maybe that tells you the answer; although it was indicated to me that to replace the batteries on the P1 was around £75k...so like fuel cells etc on an F40, with the age the cars are now, that will most likely be an important selling / buying negotiation.

Maybe concerns about the impact on the incoming 765LT shall have on values...will a Senna still command £800+k when you can save maybe £500k on something almost as fast, similar production numbers but easier on the eye? Or does it drag them down to say £500k?

No such concerns for the iconic P1.

A local guy whom owns a Senna is a track monster in his and he uses it for exactly what it was intended for, so he gets his moneys worth right there...if it is just to sit pretty in a heated garage hoping its an increasing in value asset that's maybe different.

anonymous-user

54 months

Saturday 17th August 2019
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355spiderguy said:
Maybe that tells you the answer; although it was indicated to me that to replace the batteries on the P1 was around £75k...so like fuel cells etc on an F40, with the age the cars are now, that will most likely be an important selling / buying negotiation

Funny you should mention that. I came across this video on Jay Leno's Garage about the McLaren F1 engine. He says that the fuel cell needs to be replaced avery 5 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ8DHtR9P7w

355spiderguy

1,476 posts

171 months

Saturday 17th August 2019
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MAC 720S said:

Funny you should mention that. I came across this video on Jay Leno's Garage about the McLaren F1 engine. He says that the fuel cell needs to be replaced avery 5 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ8DHtR9P7w
Lenos videos are always top quality.

No agenda, no reliance on views for income, just very interesting content that is usually a joy to watch for any petrolhead.

Frrair

1,369 posts

134 months

Sunday 18th August 2019
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I saw a Senna out on the road today, on the A513 near Milford going through Cannock Chase.

It did look from another planet.

If it was anyone on here I was the middle aged man waving like a child having seen his favourite pop star in the Silver Audi going the other way.

Great to see one on the road, quite made my day.

Thanks

Adam B

27,244 posts

254 months

Sunday 18th August 2019
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I think I am the only PHer who finds the P1 really odd looking and prefers the LT models

I like the Senna having seen a few in my local Macari garage but they are extremely colour sensitive, the dark blue one they had looked great, this however is hideous:

https://www.parks.uk.com/mclaren/used-cars/1042484...

LotusJas

1,324 posts

231 months

Sunday 18th August 2019
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I don't think the Senna is especially colour sensitive. Just that for some inexplicable reason, some owners seem to have been on LSD when speccing them - some seriously "creative" colour schemes on a few.

Most look absolutely stunning though.

Don1

15,946 posts

208 months

Sunday 18th August 2019
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Adam B said:
I think I am the only PHer who finds the P1 really odd looking and prefers the LT models

I like the Senna having seen a few in my local Macari garage but they are extremely colour sensitive, the dark blue one they had looked great, this however is hideous:

https://www.parks.uk.com/mclaren/used-cars/1042484...
I've seen worse...

jakesmith

9,461 posts

171 months

Sunday 18th August 2019
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That Senna is pig ugly honestly I couldn't live with it I'd rather something much much tamer than that monstrosity like a 650 or 720 or an F12 or something it's just too ugly and stupid looking

flemke

22,865 posts

237 months

Monday 19th August 2019
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Don1 said:
Adam B said:
I think I am the only PHer who finds the P1 really odd looking and prefers the LT models

I like the Senna having seen a few in my local Macari garage but they are extremely colour sensitive, the dark blue one they had looked great, this however is hideous:

https://www.parks.uk.com/mclaren/used-cars/1042484...
I've seen worse...
I have seen one in pink-purple flip paint with McLaren orange highlights and gold wheels.

Adam B

27,244 posts

254 months

Monday 19th August 2019
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flemke said:
I have seen one in pink-purple flip paint with McLaren orange highlights and gold wheels.
Oof nasty!

This is the one I thought looked good

http://joemacari.co.uk/All-Cars-for-Sale/_prod_McL...

flemke

22,865 posts

237 months

Monday 19th August 2019
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Adam B said:
flemke said:
I have seen one in pink-purple flip paint with McLaren orange highlights and gold wheels.
Oof nasty!

This is the one I thought looked good

http://joemacari.co.uk/All-Cars-for-Sale/_prod_McL...
I think it's a mistake to fail to paint the cantrail and A- and C-pillars. Keeping them black spoils the flow of the bodywork (such as it is).
Also, any car with the ankle windows seems silly.

KnickeRS

42 posts

199 months

Thursday 29th August 2019
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Juno said:
Not that I can afford either but surely Senna is now the performance king,however the P1 is a stunning looker, which would it be if you were making the choice?

Which one will turn out to be the ultimate King of Mclaren cars and must have in the long run.

The F1 is obviously so far out in front it will probably never be caught but the above two are from the same era and I think worthy of comparison.

Edited by Juno on Tuesday 5th March 22:57
Sorry, late to this party.
In answer to the OP's question, and answering as an owner of a Senna, I'd actually like a P1 for the long term but that's likely because I don't have one and couldn't fit in one either so it will always be the unicorn car for me. I do however think it is the best looking McLaren to date (including the 12C which I personally do not understand why this is liked so much) and will always look so as they just got the P1's styling so right ! Yes it is a flawed car with the hybrid aspect being an afterthought in the face of what Porsche and Ferrari were by then known to be developing and this shows in the cars handling and reduced cockpit space but what a sensational car it is none the less, looking immensely fast and capable even when stationary.

The Senna, I also think will deserve a special place in the history books in years to come as it defines a new genre of hypercar, one that really can generate true and useful "active" downforce when driven hard on track. Mine has ventured onto Spa, Portimao & Silverstone circuits so far where it has truly eclipsed everything before it by simply astonishing amounts of time. As another of the posters of this thread has commented, the Senna will be remembered favourably in sure, in time for being the last true ultimate series McLaren (the next I don't count as being one), of purely having an internal combustion engine and no hybrid power.

I also think (obviously I would), that in its physical presence, the Senna looks sensational and really nothing like its media images present. In Race mode, hunkered right down it looks as menacing as any car that came before it and it grates with me when I see these cars parked and sat up on the struts as it denotes to me an owner who just doesn't understand.

However and regards to the Senna, I cannot imagine that its capability on track will take too long to eclipse as we live in exciting times where the development of ever faster and more capable track focused road cars are concerned and as such a new bar height was set which other manufactures will want to take ever higher and so McLaren too will have to compete with their own product also.

For me though, the Senna also takes the driver to the level of questioning as to why he is doing this with the logical next purchase being that of an ex- race car in order to carry those lap times he/she may be achieving onward and upward at far more sensible cost/risk profiles than £800k affords. It's also a mad game indeed playing out on track with other cars running at such different speed differentials and on road, the car is to capable to truly be a rewarding drive without clearly risking your licence so why bother.

So, having digressed a little I would say that both cars will potentially be of equal interest in years to come by collectors who likely may not in fact drive either car in the manner they were engineered for but for different reasons any owner will always have their own preference as to which is the better car of the two and as to why that is.

I myself am just glad that the manufacturers have made and continue to make such cars as these cars however, it should be always remembered that the same pace or better can be had for 1/10th of the price and with far lower running costs from the likes of Radical Sportcars and such like.

Sorry if I have gone too deep smile

WCZ

10,524 posts

194 months

Friday 30th August 2019
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KnickeRS said:
The Senna, I also think will deserve a special place in the history books in years to come as it defines a new genre of hypercar, one that really can generate true and useful "active" downforce when driven hard on track. Mine has ventured onto Spa, Portimao & Silverstone circuits so far where it has truly eclipsed everything before it by simply astonishing amounts of time. As another of the posters of this thread has commented, the Senna will be remembered favourably in sure, in time for being the last true ultimate series McLaren (the next I don't count as being one), of purely having an internal combustion engine and no hybrid power.

I myself am just glad that the manufacturers have made and continue to make such cars as these cars however, it should be always remembered that the same pace or better can be had for 1/10th of the price and with far lower running costs from the likes of Radical Sportcars and such like.

Sorry if I have gone too deep smile
the only thing I'd say is the criticism of understeer might impact its legacy