Absolute Performance

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.

Its suspension technology was developed from the astonishing McLaren P1™ – with hyper-advanced RaceActive Chassis Control II. This innovative hydraulic suspension uses Race Mode to significantly reduce ride height, lower the centre of gravity and increase aerodynamic forces. Also, the hydraulic suspension allows relative compliance at lower speeds in Race Mode, adding mechanical grip. As speeds increase, it stiffens up, compensating for the greater aerodynamic load that could otherwise cause grounding on bumpy circuits. Here was – in true McLaren form – a host of groundbreaking performance technology.

The 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 at the heart of the McLaren Senna was also groundbreaking. With 800PS, 800Nm and 700Nm available at just 3000rpm, it was the most powerful McLaren road engine upon the car’s launch. The powertrain features race-inspired dry sump lubrication, flat-plane crankshaft, and lightweight connecting rods and pistons to reduce mass. Its iconic roof-mounted ‘snorkel’ feeds air into a bespoke carbon fibre plenum on top of the mighty engine, which, combined with low inertia twin-scroll turbochargers and electronic wastegates, delivers instant throttle response.

With such ferocious power on tap, braking had to be highly advanced. The carbon ceramic brakes used racing technology and each disc took seven months to create. F1-inspired front calipers featured a super-stiff monobloc design and six ventilated pistons to keep temperatures down. A brake booster designed for the track-only McLaren P1™ GTR delivered superb modulation and pedal feel. Braking performance was predictably phenomenal: 200km/h (124 mph) to a standstill took just 100 metres.