McLaren Senna – TSM

2018 McLaren Senna
TSM - 430394 (resin)  

Published 01/25/20

The purpose of McLaren with the new Senna was only one: fast lap times. Conceived as a track day special, the car was largely based on the McLaren 720S. Which was a helluva lot of good car to begin with… The Senna is the third member of the McLaren Ultimate Series. Like the previous F1 and P1, these McLaren Ultimate Series’ cars are the best the manufacturer can deliver in terms of performance. And yes, that means they’re (just kind of) expensive: the list price for a Senna is £750,000… 😲

For the new Senna, McLaren used a modified version of the 720S’ carbon fiber monocoque and engine. But even though the 720S was a great car, performance and low weight had to be improved. So with that, the Senna became a very different car, specifically designed for the track. The new engine is McLaren’s M840TR, a twin-turbo 3994 cm³ V8. With DOHC and 32 valves, it delivers 789 hp to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Since the car only weighs 1198 kg, it goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and reaches 300 km/h 14.7 seconds later. With 648 hp per ton, the top speed is 340 km/h.

Low weight was one of the top priorities of the design. For instance, each seat only weighs 3 kg! And just as low weight, superb aerodynamics was also a must. All the aerodynamic appendages are capable of delivering 800 kg of downforce. The Senna utilizes McLaren’s hydraulic “RaceActive Chassis Control II” suspension along with double-wishbone control arms. That means that consequently the car will always be glued to the road, allowing a fantastic handling at high speeds. And if you need to stop, you can rely on Brembo’s newest generation of carbon-ceramic brakes.

The Senna is one of those cars that exist just to prove that cars can be awesome. Not practical for anything other than to go fast on a race track – but not a race car. And at the same time, a car that will produce awe on your way to the track (it’s street legal). Thus, a true hypercar, and rendered beautifully in scale by TSM. My model is in “Victory Grey”, one of the few factory colors for the car. Overall detail is nothing but superb, so it’s a model that stands out. Not a model that will uniformly please, but a real looker.