Last year, McLaren showed off a concept variant of its hardcore Senna supercar called the Senna GTR. Unlike the street-legal Senna, the GTR concept was built exclusively for track use. Today, McLaren revealed the production version, and just like the concept, it looks absolutely bonkers.
First, let’s take a look at the spec sheet. McLaren has tuned the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 to make an extra 25 hp, bringing the total to 814 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. And while McLaren had already taken about 200 pounds out of the 720S when it built the Senna, it found even more weight to take out of the Senna when it built the GTR. It now weighs in at 2,619 pounds, 22 pounds lighter than the Senna. Even though the seven-speed gearbox is unchanged, with a power-to-weight ratio of 684 hp per ton, we fully believe the claim that the Senna GTR lays down quicker laps than any other McLaren this side of a Formula 1 car.
If you want ultimate track performance, though, you’ll want more than big power and low weight. That’s why McLaren upgraded the Senna’s aerodynamics package, too. As a result of the changes it made, drag has been reduced, and the Senna GTR produces 2,205 pounds of downforce at 155 mph, 442 pounds more than the street-legal Senna. It is also able to match the Senna’s downforce at speeds that are 15 percent lower. To do that, McLaren had to tweak the concept, changing the shape of the splitter, reducing the size of the rear diffuser, and improving the car’s airflow management. Add in an LMP1-inspired wing and some active aero, and you’ve got a package that McLaren says is far superior to what we first saw last year.
McLaren didn’t stop there, either. The Senna GTR is both wider and lower than the street car it’s based on. The front track has been widened by 3.0 inches, with the rear gaining 2.7 inches. Engineers also added a polycarbonate windshield and windows, an integrated roll cage and harness mounts, pneumatic air jacks, a pit radio, a fire extinguishing system, a data logger, and a racing-style fuel door. The Senna’s touchscreen infotainment system and speakers have been removed, but the air conditioning system did make the cut in order to keep a hot track day from being completely miserable.
Despite how hardcore the Senna GTR is, McLaren says it wanted 95 percent of its capability to be accessible to 95 percent of drivers. The aero package certainly helps in that regard, but to make the car even easier to drive, McLaren added a GT3-derived suspension. By dropping the Senna’s variable suspension system, engineers were also able to save weight. But since the Senna GTR didn’t have to comply to GT3’s rules, McLaren was able to add larger wheels that made room for larger brakes. McLaren also kept the Senna’s anti-lock brakes, traction control, and stability control.
The Senna GTR is only available as a left-hand drive car since that’s what the vast majority of McLaren’s customers are used to. The car has been fitted with carbon-fiber racing seats and a six-point FIA harness. If you want to add a passenger seat, that’s a no-cost option. Airbags have been removed, and both the instrument cluster and steering wheel have been swapped out for race-focused alternatives. To preserve customers’ investment, McLaren also added an anti-collision radar system.
If the Senna GTR sounds like something you’d be interested in, though, we have some bad news. McLaren will only produce 75 examples, and every single one has been sold. That said, you may be able to buy a pre-owned one in a few years. Just be prepared to pay quite a lot more than the reported base price of $1.4 million.
Source: McLaren
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