McLaren Senna

I am a huge Mclaren fan, had a 12C spider, probably a gently used 720s in my future.

That said, I personally would have preferred the Senna with a bit more "form" over function. With Mclaren there is a reason for everything, but same can be said for the Griswold family wagon.

MB

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

It's ugly. Even more so than the Aston Valkyrie.

 

Actually I think the Valkyrie is pretty cool looking, this thing is hideous.

 

I agree.

 

I learned a long time ago never to judge a car until you physically see it. Pictures do not convey how a car sits, the presence it has.

 

Yes I've seen enough photos--all angles, light conditions, colors, etc.

It's ugly.

No lipstick for that pig.

 

Normally I'd agree, but this thing is way way too far off to translate good in 3D based of these 2D photos.

As earlier said, the Valkyrie is pretty cool looking. Very clean and has good proportions unlike this tacky concoction.

 

Some perspective styling aside.

https://petrolicious.com/articles/does-the-mclaren-senna-mean-weve-reached-the-end-of-the-horsepower-wars

 

Thank you for the article which raises some interesting questions. Even if the car is "ugly", the path which McLaren takes in the hyper car segment is exciting, it can become a success story and he can totally flop. The battle for the niches, particular leadership and the unique selling propositions, exciting times anyway.

 

Light weigth is its own virtue, more important than Hp.
Many people are getting hung up on the styling.
To me this car breaks the tyrany of ever more weigth with ever more power, well there is more power but not at the expense of more weight..

A fast road car thats really good on track is the future imo, because thats where a fast car a can be fully excecised. To the extent people are interested in actualy using the car beyond impressing at the valet park or just cruising with an occasional tip in the throttle light weight and great aero is what you need for track..

Really good on track means not just single quick laptimes but ability to sustain those laptimes for multiple laps.

Hopefully this senna sets a new template for fast cars.

 

What about Lotus? For me since always the most honest kind of extemen lightweight construction with reasonable power. Quite different McLaren, especially McLaren has pushed the power war where we are today. And 800HP with a pure combustion engine in a mr-layout is once again a world record (apart from a few pure exotics).

 

It seems maybe the senna is like a a lotus on hyper-steroids, perhaos overkill in way lotus wouldnt do, but there are similarities of vision.

The 800hp is way overkill unecessary, and maybe a 500 na motor would be better experince and more than enough, on road 400 is probably plenty, but its the motor there, and at this price range people "need" headline numbers. Undoubtably the car has been enginered around that power output, and or the computer just dials it back to whats possible in a given situation.

The light weight and extreme downforce is the same purity as what lotus would do if they had the resources and the ability to charge what Mclaren does.

The Evora 430Gts is probably not quite as light as the Senna, hard to say, unless comparing real wet weights, but its probably 1-200lbs heavier, for sure it does not have the same downforce or power. But its also less than 1/3 the price and on track probably near 90% of the pace.

The exige v6 cup is 2400lbs wet, so probably 2150 dry, it also does not have the same power or downforce as the senna you have to be able to fit in it, its barely a road car, nit road legal in Usa and once track setup not really roadable.

In the exige a little more power and downforce would not be amiss, hence the 311 with even less civility. In my exige there is little that can run away on track, but a MP4 Gt3 pure track car certainly can, and I'll bet the senna has at least what a MP12 Gt3 car while being comfortably streetable. Thats an acomplishment, and thats the hope that with this new pureity of purpose template maybe in few years we will see a democratization of what the seena does in a regular production car, 2600lbs lots of downforce and more than plenty of power(5-600)..

To me Maclren is the company that is similar to but slots in above lotus, and with lighter weight template being explored here, more so than before, at a price of course.

Drive a lotus on road, and one quickly understands that light weight confers virtues that a heavier car just cannot fake.

Lots of Senna haters because of the styling and I see their point. I guess its all a function of where ones priorities lay. I am all for styling in an exotic but whatever the senna misses style wise is more than forgiveable because of the apparent spec and the way it breaks the mould of weight with power.

For how many years have we been lamenting heavier and heavier Gt cars masquerading as sports cars for a few laps because they have big tires big brakes and big hp. I really hope this car sets a sucessful template for whats possible and manufactuers see it as a niche worth serving. There are plenly of heavy fast luxury cars for the sheilds and deveiated stiching crowd to enjoy already.

Lets hope the senna spec (excess hp aside) creates a new genre of light powerful fast aero optimsed cars.

Plus personaly I kinda like the buck rogers look, maybe it does not have staying power, or broad appeal, but its fresh and functional.

 

In purple it does not look so bad
https://scontent.fsst1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/25158185_1677783635634990_2688477465932436460_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&oh=1301764dd1a489dcf5d639fea6be3f9b&oe=5ABDDEAE

 

The main issue I have with it is the wing. I get that it’s supposed to be a road legal race car, but the key term is “road legal”. The use of active aero would have likely helped the overall look a great deal. I think this only further differentiates Ferrari’s position in the market. There’s a ton to admire about McLaren for sure but the Senna only clarifies that Ferrari remains in a different league.

 

If w eremeber back tot he ACR thye had wing that complied with no race rules, it was yuge and purely finctional, same here.

to me the Senna puts Maclren in a different league to ferrari which is really a stylish superfast Gt car manufacturer these days.

 

Maybe this explains this car better. Total focus

http://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/16842/the-mclaren-senna-full-frontal-functionality

 

Maybe not in a different league but in a different market niche.

Let's not forget, as a company Ferrari is extremely successful. Ferrari represents a successful racing team and a highly successful car producer with currently four established distinctively differentiated product lines. All four product lines are basically pure road cars with GT character. Part of these product lines are supplemented with track oriented editions which are a little sharper tuned than the GT versions. In 2017 Ferrari has, considered across all automotive producers, by far the biggest profit per sold car!

McLaren's clear focus on Ferrari is undisputed. But it doubt if Ferrari is also focused so much on McLaren, Ferrari as a company lives in a different life cycle. In this regard McLaren is still in the challenger role and the products are (must be) correspondingly extreme and flashy. However, at the very end the sustainability and the entrepreneurial success still needs to be confirmed. The anchoring of their product lines in the market has not yet taken place.

And our emotionality in honor: I think the challenge of Ferrari is not McLaren and the challenge of McLaren is not Ferrari. The common enemy of both is the technological paradigm shift. The electrification and digitalization.

 

Good thoughts.

 

Great post.

I would argue that as ferrari wants to increase sales, purer derivatives of their car might be a great niche. Also Malcren exists because of the arrogance with which ferrari treated so many potential and actual clients. While ferrari made the speciale you couldnt really buy one unless you were one of the game players.
And with two exceptions I have yet to meet a ferrari (buyer) game player who was also a serious driver. Of the two expceptions one wouldnt drive his special ferraris on track, they were "investments" and he had otehr cars for track, the other to his credit wrung out his Laf all day on track, how many do that?

Yeah very few Senna owners will fully use their car either, but I admire the template and breaking of the mold this car represents. And if its a niche Mclaren now explores lower down the food chain then the drivers world will be all the better for it.

 

not so sure senna represents right direction for hypercars to take. people who buy million $ cars dont usually flog them 30 minutes at a time on a track. and they certainly wont drive them from home to track either. if they ever get to track at all, it will be inside a trailer. and at that point, a race car will still be better than a senna. i like hypercars like laf, 918, p1. these cars looked great, had ground breaking tech, were comfortable on street, and fast as can be. maybe they couldnt stand up to full on hpde, but so what? these owners have a cliente f1, 935, or mp4 to take on track. senna is an ugly answer to question no one asked.

place for low weight super capable track cars is in the segment where there are buyers for it. around $50 to 150k makes sense. buyers in this category will typically buy single car for hpde and want to drive it back on forth themselves. consumables like tires, brakes, maintenance costs make a difference to this buyer. porsche has this market with their gt cars. reasonably light and still streetable. lotus too but not offered in usa. unfortunately, others like vette, mustang, m4, gtr, viper became too heavy and have trouble past a few fast laps in cool weather.

real hope in the segment is the coming midengined c8 vette. they need to make a track focused version that wont overheat, use up tires and brakes every weekend, and still make it comfortably home through traffic. make mine 3000 lbs, 500hp, stick or dct option, steel brakes, under $150k. when talking over million dollars, make it gorgeous.

 

I agree! Similarly, this pig would look so much better if it used purple lipstick instead, don’t you think?

 

All you say is correct about hypercars and their cleintale. But 150k cars tend to try follow a template of what works at 1 mill. The Senna is I agree irrelevant other than if Mclaren or others try the same formula in the 200k price range, in which case its a game changer..

The vette I woudlnt hokd my breath too much for 3000lbs. Struturaly its pretty similar to the current car, which means 3400lbs and the more powerful versions will weight more. Vette with the current z06 already forgot the formula of lighter weight and went heavy and then just added more hp.

 

Looks like a Hot Wheels car. Something for a 3 year old.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Actually that Hot Wheels looks better to me...

 

I had picked up the 2RS a week earlier. This eclipses it
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login