McLaren Senna weaves its magic in Geneva with Visual Carbon Fibre-bodied 'Carbon Theme' from McLaren Special Operations
28 Feb 2018
- New ultimate McLaren road-legal track car makes its public debut next week at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show
- ‘Carbon Theme’ bespoke project by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) combines gloss Visual Carbon Fibre body with Carbon Black Alcantara ® interior trim to striking effect
- Solar Yellow and Laurel Green detailing echoes the helmet livery of Ayrton Senna, legendary Brazilian Formula 1 driver and three-time World Champion at the wheel of a McLaren
- New ultra-lightweight MSO 7-Spoke Hybrid Carbon Fibre Wheels will be available to order soon as a retailer-fit option
- McLaren Automotive press conference at 10:45 CET on Tuesday March 6 in Geneva promises an additional surprise
The new McLaren Senna is set to raise heartrates at the 88th Geneva Motor Show as it bares all to appear in Visual Carbon Fibre. The McLaren Senna Carbon Theme by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is one of five themes* developed by MSO for a car that has been the centre of attention since the first images were released in December.
The Visual Carbon Fibre exterior is the most obvious individual feature of the McLaren Senna Carbon Theme by MSO. Comprising 67 parts, the full body set takes almost 1,000 hours to produce. Solar Yellow detailing on the sill exteriors, rear wing and front active aero blades – a process that accounted for almost 250 hours of MSO time – combines with Laurel Green brake calipers in recognition of the helmet colours of the legendary Brazilian Formula 1 racing driver.
The colours are carried through to the interior of the car, with the door gas strut in Laurel Green and the contrast stitching on the Carbon Black Alcantara® trim on seats, door inners and facia. The steering wheel also has a leather centre band in a similar yellow hue.
Both seats feature a Senna ‘S’ on the headrest and the same detail is repeated in satin finish Visual Carbon Fibre on the end plates of the rear wing, a result achieved using a highly specialised process that sees each matt-finished logo embedded into the gloss carbon fibre panel. One of the front fenders proudly displays the Senna brand.
“The McLaren Senna customers in the process of specifying their own, personalised cars are almost without exception commissioning an elevated level of MSO content, so we are definitely appealing to our target audience,” explained Ansar Ali, Managing Director, McLaren Special Operations. “With the car having generated so much interest since its unveiling in December, we knew we needed to produce something very special in order to showcase the unique talents of McLaren Special Operations; the McLaren Senna Carbon Theme by MSO at the Geneva Motor Show is exactly the kind of project we thrive on delivering and once customers have had the opportunity to view it in person, I would not be at all surprised to see a rise in expressions of interest for MSO Visual Carbon Fibre cars similar to this one.”
McLaren Special Operations is also taking the opportunity to introduce a new McLaren Senna wheel option in Geneva. The standard wheel is available in three finishes, but the new MSO 7-Spoke, Hybrid Carbon Fibre Wheel is the only alternative design available from McLaren for the car. The centre-lock wheel is a forged aluminium/carbon fibre rim component that at 7.5kg (front wheel) without a tyre fitted, is up to 10 per cent lighter than the standard-fit wheel.
Benefitting dynamic performance by reducing unsprung weight, the carbon fibre hybrid wheels offer a 10-15 per cent reduction in rotating inertia, improving acceleration, braking and steering responses.
The MSO 7-Spoke Hybrid Carbon Fibre Wheel, which also offers McLaren Senna customers a further opportunity to personalise their purchase, is a retailer-fit only option that will be available to order soon in either Diamond Cut or Stealth finish. The Memphis Red and Vega Blue satin finish centre lock wheel nuts fitted to respectively the left- and right-hand sides of the McLaren Senna Carbon Theme car are available now to MSO Bespoke order.
Legalised for road use, but not sanitised to suit it, the new McLaren Senna was designed and developed from the outset to excel on a circuit and as a result has an uncompromised performance focus that is reflected in its appearance. The aggressive looks are the strongest expression yet of McLaren’s ‘form follows function’ philosophy and McLaren Special Operations is already seeing significant interest from McLaren Senna buyers wanting to make their cars even more distinctive.
Just 500 examples of the McLaren Senna will be produced and all are already assigned. Each vehicle is priced at £750,000 and will be hand-assembled by specialists at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, Surrey, England, in a process taking close to 300 hours. Cars commissioned from McLaren Special Operations will take considerably longer to build and carry a financial premium; the bespoke personalisation carried out on the McLaren Senna Carbon Theme by MSO, for example, adds a little under £300,000 to the price.
McLaren Automotive will hold a press conference at the Geneva International Motor Show at 10:45 CET on Tuesday March 6, introducing the McLaren Senna and detailing corporate developments and a surprise announcement…
Ends
Notes to Editors:
*The McLaren Senna Carbon Theme by MSO is currently the only one of the five themes to be produced as a vehicle; the others will be displayed digitally at the Geneva International Motor Show.
A selection of high resolution images accompanying this release is available to download from the McLaren Automotive media site – cars.mclaren.press
The Senna brand is a registered trademark of Ayrton Senna Empreendimentos Ltda.
McLaren Senna Carbon Theme by McLaren Special Operations
Technical specification
| Body construction | Carbon fibre Monocage III central structure; aluminium front and rear frames; carbon fibre body panels |
| Drivetrain configuration | Longitudinal mid-engined; rear-wheel-drive |
| Active aerodynamic features | Active front aero blades; active rear wing |
| Maximum downforce generated | 800kg at 250 km/h (155mph) |
| Engine configuration | M840TR engine, 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, 3,994cc |
| Engine power PS (bhp/kW) | 800 (789/597) @ 7,250 rpm |
| Engine torque Nm (lbs ft) | 800 (590) @ 5,500 - 6,700 rpm |
| Transmission | 7 Speed SSG (Seamless Shift Gearbox) |
| Powertrain modes | Comfort; Sport; Track |
| Suspension | McLaren RaceActive Chassis Control II (RCC II) system. Double wishbones front and rear; independent interconnected hydraulic dampers; K dampers |
| Suspension modes | Comfort; Sport; Track; Race |
| Steering | Electro-hydraulic, power-assisted |
| Brakes | Carbon ceramic discs with machined cooling vanes (390mm x 34mm front and rear). Aluminium monobloc six-piston front brake calipers; aluminium four-piston rear |
| Wheel size (inches) | Front: 19 x 8J; Rear: 20 x 10J |
| Tyres | Bespoke Pirelli P ZERO™ Trofeo R Front: 245/35/R19; Rear: 315/30/R20 |
| Lightest dry weight, kg (lbs) | 1,198 (2,641) |
| Power to weight ratio, lightest dry weight | 668 PS per tonne |
Exterior
| Exterior Body Finish | Bespoke Finish: Gloss Visual Carbon Fibre |
| Exterior Accent Colour | Bespoke Accent: Solar Yellow Detailing |
| Exhaust Heatshield Finish | Gloss Black |
| Exterior Door Upper | Gloss Visual Carbon Fibre |
| Exterior Door Lower | Gloss Visual Carbon Fibre |
Wheels and brakes
| Wheels | MSO 7-Spoke, Hybrid Carbon Fibre Wheel in Stealth finish |
| Centre Lock Wheel Nuts | Bespoke Colour: Memphis Red & Vega Blue in Satin finish |
| Brake caliper finish | Bespoke colour: Laurel Green |
Interior
| Trim | Bespoke Interior: Carbon Black Alcantara® with yellow contrast stitch; steering wheel 12 o’clock mark in yellow leather; Laurel Green door gas strut |
| Bulkhead | Glazed |
| Sill Trim | MSO Defined Carbon Fibre Extended Sill Finishers |
| Steering Wheel | Jet Black Leather |
| Seat Type/Size | Super-Lightweight Racing Seat/Regular |
Infotainment
| Displays | 8-inch high resolution touch screen and folding driver display |
| Infotainment | McLaren Infotainment System (MIS) |
| Audio System | Bowers & Wilkins 7-speaker audio system |
| Track Telemetry | McLaren Track Telemetry & 3 Cameras |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, USB Connectivity and Aux in |
Driver assistance
| Driver Assistance | Cruise control with speed limit function; Variable Drift Control; Brake Assist with Brake Disc Wipe and Hill Hold Assist; Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS); Traction Control System (TCS); Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Dynamic Mode |
| Parking | 2 Front & 4 Rear Parking Sensors with Reversing Camera |
Performance data*
| 0-60mph | 2.7 seconds |
| 0-100 km/h (0-62mph) | 2.8 seconds |
| 0-200 km/h (0-124mph) | 6.8 seconds |
| 0-300 km/h (0-186mph) | 17.5 seconds |
| 0-400 m / ¼ mile | 9.9 seconds |
| Maximum Speed | 340 km/h (211 mph) |
| Braking 300–0 km/h (186-0 mph) | 215 metres |
| Braking 200–0 km/h (124–0 mph) | 100 metres |
| Braking 100–0 km/h (62–0 mph) | 29.5 metres |
*All figures stated are McLaren engineering figures and subject to final verification
About McLaren Automotive:
McLaren Automotive is a creator of luxury, high-performance sportscars and supercars.
The company, launched in 2010, is now the largest part of the McLaren Group.
Every vehicle is hand-assembled at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey, England.
The company has three defined product families: Sports Series, Super Series and Ultimate Series which are retailed through over 80 retailers in 30 markets around the world.
McLaren is a pioneer that continuously pushes the boundaries. In 1981, it introduced lightweight and strong carbon fibre chassis into Formula 1 with the McLaren MP4/1. Then in 1993 it designed and built the McLaren F1 road car - the company has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis since. As part of the Ultimate Series, McLaren was the first to deliver a hybrid hypercar, the McLaren P1™.
Announced in 2016, the company’s Track22 business plan will see the company invest £1billion in research and development to deliver 15 new cars or derivatives by the end of 2022, of which at least half will be hybrids.
2017 saw the company launch further models in line with Track22 including the second-generation Super Series, the 570S Spider and the McLaren Senna.
To support the development, engineering and manufacture of its range of innovative sportscars and supercars, McLaren Automotive partners with world leading companies to provide specialist expertise and technology. These include AkzoNobel, Kenwood, Pirelli and Richard Mille.
About McLaren Group:
The McLaren Group is a global leader in luxury high performance and technology and comprises three principal businesses: Automotive, Racing and Applied Technologies.
Further information:
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