Author: Peter Anderson

Geneva 2018: McLaren Senna GTR Concept

Meet the Senna GTR, the car we didn’t think McLaren was going to build. Officially billed as a concept car, the GTR is a trackday special for those with deep pockets and a need for hyper speed.

Senna GTR

For a roadgoing track car, the Senna had no racing version. The heritage isn’t a problem of course – McLaren and Senna are two names that belong together. But Senna is about racing and the GTR follows in the tyre tracks of the mighty P1 GTR.

Based on the road going machine, the GTR’s power figure is up by “at least” 18kW (25PS) to 607kW (825PS). One imagines torque will also rise by a similar amount, but McLaren is keeping quiet on the full details. There is a race-style gearbox, though, so that probably means fast, brutal shifts.

McLaren has also fitted revised double wishbone suspension and Pirelli slicks. Based on the Monocage III, weight is unlikely to be hugely different, but expect a handy loss.

McLaren won’t make a loss, though – just 75 GTRs will roll down the line in 2019 and they will be hugely expensive – a carbon MSO version is £1,050,000, so expect similar pricing. McLaren is now taking “expressions of interest”, which excludes all but the wealthiest customers.

Aerodynamics

For a track machine, you want downforce and the Senna GTR delivers. The wild aero on the GTR means 1000kg of downforce. The front and rear quarter panels are new, you can see a bit of F1-style Coke bottle nip and tuck. Those panels are also removable to make working on the Senna GTR easier.

The front splitter is huge, a big poked-out tongue that sits just off the road ready to claim unwary ankles. Like the road car, there’s no front boot but air comes through the front splitter, through the radiators and up over the roof.

That’s when it meets the completely bananas rear wing. More than a little reminiscent of the P1’s rear, the fixed wing looks better than the road car’s. Beneath that wing is a simplified light cluster and down below is a gigantic diffuser.

It’s wild, no doubt raw and McLaren reckons the best McLaren ever. It’s also the fastest non-F1 McLaren, but we’re not exactly sure what that means. Neither is McLaren, probably – the company admits it’s not yet finished.

Want more McLaren Senna goodness? Check out our Eight Cool Things About the McLaren Senna video

Senna GTR Gallery

March 6, 2018
Geneva 2018: Volvo’s Polestar 1 is Go

Volvo’s go-faster division has unveiled its Polestar 1 at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show.

It’s not just a new sports car form Volvo, it marks the debut of a new ownership experience.

But first, the good stuff. Volvo calls the Polestar 1 an electric performance hybrid (EPH). Between the 2.0-litre turbo four and an electric motor, the 1 has 441kW (600hp) and a whopping 1000Nm. The two electric motors produce 160kW (218hp) and drive the rear wheels. The turbo four looks after the front wheels and supplies juice for either greater range or raging on. Battery power weighs in at 34kWh.

In electric-only mode you’ll get around 150km (92 miles), which Volvo reckons is ample (sorry) for electric mode requirements. Fire up the Power mode, everything works together for the maximum power output and you’ve got an all-wheel drive sports 2+2 coupe grand tourer.

Chassis

Polestar 1

The 1 is based on Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA). Found under the S90, Volvo knocked 65cm out of the length and 320mm from the wheelbase. The company also reckons that the 50% of the SPA platform is new for the 1.

As with previous Polestar offerings, the 1 features Öhlins suspension. The 1 also has driver selectable settings, which Volvo says is a first for Öhlins. Each shock absorber features an electronic valve that can react within two milliseconds to changes in the road surface.

Braking is from Akebono, with six piston calipers up front gripping whopping 400mm discs.

Body panels made from carbon fibre apparently save 230kg and help sort out the weight distribution of 48:52 front to rear. Naturally, composite panels lower the centre of gravity too.

Subscription Model

Here’s where the Polestar 1 takes things to a new place – you can subscribe to the car for two or three years. The idea is you basically rent the car and put petrol/electrons in it. Polestar will come and get the car for servicing and return it, with the whole process covered by the subscription fee.

At the end of the subscription Polestar will come and get the car, replace it or you can buy it. After they take it away, the car is refurbished and offered for subscription.

You’ll also be able to order things like a roof box for your skiing holiday, delivered, fitted and taken away when you’re done with the cost added to your subscription fee. You can also rent another Volvo, say, an XC90, when the family is visiting or you’re off on holidays. Or just get a car wash.

When, What, How?

Polestar’s new Chengdu Production facility will kick off the 1’s production in mid-2019. Just 500 Polestar 1’s will be made each year. Polestar 2 and 3 will follow the 1 down the line in late 2019. Polestar says the 2 is a mid-size battery-powered sedan while the 3 is an SUV.

Volvo will take your money as a deposit from 13th March. Launch markets include U.S.A., China, Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, Belgium, Finland, France, Poland, Austria, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Portugal and Canada. To kick off your subscription, visit a Polestar Space (yeah, that’s what the dealers are called) but for now, a fully-refundable €2500 deposit will secure your car.

March 6, 2018
New Electric Jaguar I-Pace is Fast and Cool

Here’s a thing – the new Jaguar I-Pace is fast. Like really fast. And I reckon Tesla should watch out because not only will the I-Pace see off a Model X 100D, it looks better and is bound to be built better. Rolling down the line at Austria’s Magna-Steyr – alongside E-Pace – the I is Jaguar’s game-changer.

Jaguar I-Pace

The I-Pace feels like it has been a long time coming, but it’s hugely important. It’s not just important to Jaguar, but to the whole industry. It’s the first non-Tesla electric SUV and it will set the tone for the rest of the business.

Like the Tesla, the I-Pace was conceived and designed as an EV, meaning no compromises. There’s no room for a conventional engine so no foot-in-each-camp nonsense. Jaguar says it designed the electric motors themselves to deliver 294kW (400PS) and a stonking 696Nm.

That’s enough to send the I-Pace on to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, just a shade quicker than a standard Model X 100D. If you drive a little more sedately, Jaguar reckons you’ll get 480km or almost 300 miles out of the 90kWh lithium-ion battery (based on the new WLTP European testing cycle). The US EPA test reckons 389km (240 miles), which is still pretty good.

And before you fire up about the Model X, a P100D will show it a clean gigantic backside, quicker still if you pay for Ludicrous Mode.

Charging

The rapid charging stations Jaguar is planning to install will give you 100km of range in 15 minutes and an 80 percent charge in 40 minutes. Interestingly, the company is coy on 100 percent charge, probably because the last 20 percent takes ages and isn’t good for battery longevity.

Charging at home is rather slower, with an overnight charge (10 hours) getting you to 80 percent, but you’ll need the 7kW AC wall box for that. Jaguar reckons that’s good for most customers who will be able to charge on overnight off-peak electricity (cheaper, if you were wondering what that means).

Chassis

The two motors are mounted one at each end and chat to each other to decide which wheels need torque. I find the Tesla dual motors aren’t too flash on the power shuffling and mimicking a good diff, so it will be interesting to see what Jaguar has done. Jaguar may not be new to car-building, but it is new to electric.

The chassis is completely aluminium and Jaguar says it’s the stiffest in its range. It also has a 50/50 weight distribution figure, which bodes very well indeed for handling. That and the low position of the batteries means it should corner super-flat. The I-Pace has double wishbones up front and an “integral link rear axle”. Should you feel the need, you can spec air suspension as well.

Despite all the aluminium it won’t be light. The motors weigh just 38kg each but the overall weight of the car is 2133kg. But the low centre of gravity (lower than F-Pace) and even weight distribution should make it good to drive. If it’s anywhere near as fun as the E-Pace – and it should be with all that grunt – Jag’s on to a winner.

Interior

As with most electric cars, the interior should be reasonably spacious, with a flat floor and some funky features.

Jaguar called the new media system Touch Pro Duo. Using a bewildering combination of “touchscreens, capacitive sensors and tactile physical controls”, Jaguar says it’s intuitive. I think I need to play with it before I pass judgement, but it certainly looks good in there.

The I-Pace has integration with Amazon’s Ask Alexa, too, which will be interesting. You can ask Alexa things like “Is my car locked?”, or whatever is in the InControl app.

You can also get remote access to fire up the air-con or heating while plugged in. It recognises key and the Bluetooth signature of your phone and set the car up for you. That’s quite nifty.

The nav system is EV-centric, checking out how many curves and hills are between you and your destination. It will also have a think about the previous trips you’ve taken to tell you whether or not you’ll make it comfortably.

Jag also says it’s big inside with the room of a large SUV and I’ve seen nothing that suggests otherwise.

The Jaguar I-Pace debuts at the Geneva Motor Show and will probably be one of the big stars. As it should be.

Check out our earlier story on the I-Pace racing series

Watch our Jaguar F-Type SVR Review

Read all of our Jaguar stories here

Flick through the gallery below for Jaguar I-Pace interior photos, exterior photos and some funky infographics.

Jaguar I-Pace Exterior Photos

Jaguar I-Pace Interior Photos

March 2, 2018
Lotus 3-Eleven 430 is the Fastest and Lastest

Lotus’ nutso 3-Eleven 430 is the last version of the road-going (in some countries) race car. The swansong 3-Eleven, limited to just 20 cars worldwide, will hold the crown as the fastest car around the company’s Hethel track. For at least six months, anyway. Whatever comes next will surely obliterate it.

3-Eleven 430

The 430 in the name obviously comes from the power figure – 430PS from the Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre Edelbrock-superchaged V6. 0-100km/h (0-62mph) passes in just 3.1 seconds for the 920kg carbon and aluminium monster. The kerb weight is down five kilos, if you’re interested.

Torque is a wild 440Nm – or wild in a car this light, at least – and helps push the 430 around Hethel two seconds quicker than the previous version. It also knocked off the Exige 430 by two-tenths. Top speed is a frankly bananas 280km/h (174mph).

Power hits the road through a six-speed manual which includes a “Lotus Precise Shift” and its own cooling. The driver can choose from six traction control settings (including “off”). Everything is held up by Öhlins adjustable dampers and Eibach springs. The wheels are 18 at the front, 19 at the rear wrapped in Michelin Sport Cup 2 tyres (225/40 front, 275/35 rear). Lotus reckons you can generate 1.5 lateral gs. That’s…a lot, and definitely helped along by the Worsen-Type diff

Also helping out is the lighter, carbon fibre bodywork wrapped around the now-traditional bonded aluminium chassis.

Aerodynamics

The 3-Eleven already had actual, real downforce. Lotus’ engineering team found another 44kg to take the total to 265kg, impressive for a roadgoing car.

The new straight-cut rear wing is higher and has re-profiled wing endplates. The front splitter is a monster and the flat floor feeds into a big rear diffuser.

What’s a 3-Eleven?

Anything with a Lotus badge and an Eleven in the name, is an open cockpit special.

The 3-Eleven joined the Lotus range in the dark days of 2015, not long after the idiotic reign of Danny Bahar. Unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, it joined a crowded track-day special market populated with startup types like Zenos, BAC and Ariel as well as old-stagers like Caterham.

When we first unveiled the Lotus 3-Eleven it heralded a new generation of truly focused, world-class sports cars. It altered perceptions of what was possible at this price category, and today the new 3-Eleven 430 moves the benchmark to remain the ultimate weapon in focused road driving and track work.”

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO

It’s had a relatively short but effective life. Sadly, it won’t go into active retirement like the Seven did all those years ago. With new owner Geely sending money to modernise the plant and with plans for two new cars by 2020, times are changing.

Read all our Lotus coverage here

Watch our first Lotus review, the Lotus Evora 400

Watch our latest Lotus review, the Lotus Elise Sprint 220

February 25, 2018
The Ferrari 488 Pista Has Landed: Updated

Updated with new useful tidbits from the Geneva Show release.

Because motor shows are now just after-parties for pre-show press releases, we’ve got the Ferrari 488 Pista for you. Based on the Scuderia’s outstanding 488 GTB, it’s another in the line that gave us the 360 Challenge Stradale, 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale.

Ferrari 488 Pista

Maranello’s press team says the Pista has evolved straight out of the FIA World Endurance Championship GTE series success. Ferrari has won five championships in the last six years, so that’s not a bad place to start. Added to that is the three decades of experience running the Ferrari Challenge Series.

Maranello took the 488 GTB and started by knocking the weight back to 1280kg dry, mostly by flinging stuff you’re unlikely to need on the track. That dry weight is impressive. To put it in context, it’s 90kg lighter, or one chunky person, lighter than the GTB.

488 Pista engine

The Pista’s V8 is an evolution of the GTB’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Power is up 40kW (50PS) to a staggering 530kW (720PS), matching McLaren’s twin-turbo in the, er, 720S. Torque is up to 770Nm.

The Pista is clearly aimed at Porsche’s GT3 RS and McLaren’s Senna and is going to be extremely fast and rare.

The engine itself is 18kg lighter, with some weight-saving pinched from the 488 Challenge. The savings come from titanium conrods, lightweight flywheel and crankshaft and carbon fibre intake plenums. Cooling is courtesy of the inverted radiators of the 488 Challenge, part of the reason the front-boot is gone.

The Pista uses the seven-speed twin-clutch to send you to 100km/h (62mph) in 2.85 seconds and 200km/h (124mph) in just 7.6 seconds. Top speed is 340km/h (210mph).

488 Pista Aerodynamics

Oddly enough, the road car’s aero is a harder-core version of the race cars, because it can be. The front splitter is hugely aggressive. An F1-inspired “S-duct” helps suck the car to the road (and if you look down the windscreen, you can see the road) and the rear wing is bigger and more aggressive than the race car’s. The vortex generators beneath the car are also redesigned for a bit of extra whoosh.

All of that boosts the downforce by 20 percent.

488 Pista Chassis

Ferrari is becoming almost as addicted to acronyms as Porsche. Starting with SSC (side-slip control), there’s the E-Diff3 active diff, F1-Trac stability and control systems, SCM dynamic dampers and FDE, which stands for Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer.

FDE controls brake pressure at the calipers, which sounds like a torque vectoring technique to aid turn-in and overall stability.

Some of the 90kg weight loss comes from the carbon fibre rimmed wheels, a Ferrari first. Handily, they also decrease the car’s unsprung weight.

More details will come at the Geneva Motor Show (now incorporated into this story), which is shaping up to be a classic. Either way, this car is a classic and likely already pretty much sold out. And for prospective owners, a genuine investment. No, really – 458 Speciales are known to go for double their purchase price in some markets.

February 21, 2018
Porsche Amps Up The 911: The GT3 RS Is Here

Porsche’s brand new track weapon, the 911 GT3 RS is here and boy is it a machine. Naturally-aspirated, lighter and harder, the new RS is certain to keep tongues wagging for years to come. And after the GT3 and GT2 RS, it’s the third hardcore “road-approved” 911 in less than 12 months.

911 GT3 RS

Based, obviously, on the 911 GT3, this bad boy is, predictably, rather more than a stickers-and-shocks pack.

The 4.0-litre flat six smacks out 383kW (520PS) for a 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds before heading on to an aerodynamically assisted 312km/h. The aero kit is clearly based on the GT3 race car’s, with a big front splitter and whopping wing glued to the back.

The interior has been stripped out for that lightweight race car effect, with nets for your helmet and carbon fibre racing buckets. Famous for less-for-more when it comes to hard-edged interiors, there’s not much else in there.

If you fancy taking it racing, Porsche will fit a Clubsport package (as they will for the other GT cars). A no-cost option, you get a roll-cage, fire extinguisher, six point harnesses and battery cut-out switch. Want to go even harder? The Weissach package cuts weight further with magnesium alloys, more carbon fibre bits – you can pare the weight back to 1430kg if you’re in the mood and your wallet allows.

The RS rolls on 20-inch alloys hitched up to upgraded suspension. Conventional bearings are out the door, replaced by ball joints. The fronts are clothed in 265/35s while the rears are fattened up to 325/30s. For added stability and passenger-scaring ability, the rears also take on some of the steering duties.

The legendary flat-six has 15kW more than the RS and current GT3. Revving to a glorious and ever rarer 9000rpm redline, the power finds the road via Porsche’s PDK twin-clutch. This will no doubt upset a few people but things will happening so quickly in this car, it’s probably not going to be that much of an issue.

February 21, 2018
The New BMW X4 Has Two M Versions: the X4 M40i and M40d

The BMW X4 is about to metamorphose into its second generation and like its family-focussed X3 brother, there’s an X4 M40i and M40d on the way.

BMW has released the “all-new” X4 which often means a new set of lights and extra equipment. Not this time, it really is substantially new. It’s lighter, has a lower centre of gravity and now has two performance variants.

The new X4 shares much of its front end of the X3 but goes all swoopy out back, mirroring the relationship between the X5 and the mad-looking X6. The new posterior is more attractive than the old one, partly because the number plate has been pushed south into the bumper moulding. Much better and with more than a hint of the lovely new M8.

BMW X4 M40i and M40d

We’re obviously most keen on the M40i and M40d.

In the M40i, BMW’s brilliant 3.0-litre straight-six turbo hides under the high bonnet, spinning out 265kW (355bhp) and 500Nm. Obviously that’s not going to hang around, cracking 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in just 4.8 seconds.

Opt for the diesel, and for a bit of extra weight you’ll lose just 25kW but get way more torque. The 3.0-litre diesel straight-six pumping out 240kW (329bhp) and a very satisfactory 680Nm. It drops just a tenth to the petrol in the benchmark dash, so the decision will come down to how much you like revs.

Both versions have an M-focussed all-wheel drive system with always-brilliant eight-speed ZF automatic, 20-inch wheels (21s are an option), plenty of interior goodies and scope to add an easy fifty percent to the entry priceAnd, of course, if you like the look of the X4 but can’t quite stretch to the M don’t worry. There’s plenty of other lower-powered versions with a little box marked “M Sport Package”. If you can’t have an M40, at least you can make it at least look like one.

Here’s a video with some exciting, desert-bound thrashing of the new cars. Below that there’s a gallery of new X4 images.

https://youtu.be/AQNFVO8W1qI

February 15, 2018
Range Rover PHEV Climbs Some Stairs

In what appears to be an act of automotive parkour, the new Range Rover PHEV has climbed to China’s Dragon’s Road and then on to Heaven’s Gate. All 99 turns and 999 steps including a 45-degree incline to get there. That’s…well, it’s slightly nuts. But you can’t have stunts without nuts and a couple of extra letters.

Stunts also need good drivers, or, failing that a driver with a local connection. Ho-Pin Tung is a good driver and has a local connection – he had the chops to be a Williams development driver and has won his class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He’s also Jaguar’s Formula E reserve driver.

Dragon’s Road is on Tianmen Mountain. The 11.3km road is narrow and spectacular, with huge drops over the side. Once you reach the end of the road, you’ll find the stairs to Heaven’s Gate. They’re steep and, er, not really made for cars, not even for a two-tonne 297kW (398bhp) Range Rover hybrid which probably wasn’t on the builders’ minds, if I’m honest.

“This was the hardest Range Rover Sport challenge I’ve ever been involved with because, until we reached the top, we couldn’t categorically say we would succeed. By making it to the summit, we’ve proven the phenomenal capability of the Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid like never before – with a genuine world first.”

Phil Jones, Land Rover Experience expert

Range Rover PHEV

But wait. Isn’t The Redline all about performance? We certainly are, and I think it’s fair to say that the Rangie is a performance car. Called the Range Rover Sport P400e, that e bit is important – it’s got an electric motor. Now, laudably, you can pootle around town on electrons only for up to 50km/h. Remember, the RR is pretty chunky, so even if you get half that, it’s cheaper, quieter and better for everyone, especially if you’ve charged from renewables.

Under the bonnet is the 221kW (300bhp) version of Jaguar’s 2.0-litre turbo Ingenium engine plugged into a nine-speed automatic transmission. Crammed in there is the 85kW electric motor which, as we’ve already mentioned, you can charge from the mains. When they’re working together, the Rangie moves with indecent speed and, as Tung discovered, will climb up the stairs when in the right Terrain response mode.

The video tells you all the good stuff, so have a watch and have a look at the images in the gallery.

February 12, 2018
The Lancia Stratos is Back. Again.

The Lancia Stratos HF is everyone’s idea of a mad rally car. Well, it’s my idea of a mad rally car, anyway. The Lancia dominated the World Rally Championship in the mid-70s, taking out the 1974, 1975 and 1976 titles. The video above proves why it’s so popular with petrolheads. Hell, this car probably made about a million people petrolheads.

Powered by a 2.4-litre Ferrari Dino V6, it was all sound and spectacle, with its wedge-shaped body and mid-engine stance, it looked like it was straight from space.

The HF in the name stood for high fidelity. It’s a vivid-looking and sounding thing and there have been countless knock-offs and relaunches over the last forty years. Not all of them were super-successful.

One such relaunch came in 2010 when a German father-and-son pairing with deep pockets asked Pininfarina to build them a new Stratos. The team, with a chap called Paolo Garella in charge, chopped up a Ferrari F430 (oh, the humanity) and kept the 400kW (532bhp) engine.

Eight years later, Paolo Garello has his own company, Manifattura Automobili Torino. Or MAT.

We’ll call it MAT, it’s much easier to say and type. Garello has excellent form with one-off specials, having worked on around fifty over the past three decades.

Like all good “relaunches” (Jaguar D-Type, Land Rover Defender Works), the 2018 Lancia Stratos (for want of a better title) is restricted to just twenty-five units. Garella’s MAT is an accomplished vehicle builder. If you’ve ever wondered how all those dodgy supercars make it to motor shows, MAT is behind a few of them, such as the Glickenhaus SCG003s, the Apollo Arrow and the frankly idiotic Devel Sixteen.

New Lancia Stratos

The new car, it’s worth pointing out, is quite a bit bigger than the old car, almost as big as a modern Audi TT. Design work for the modern iteration was handed to Pininfarina while the original was Bertone.

The new Stratos is clothed in carbon fibre panels over an aluminium space frame. With a 397kW (540bhp) engine aboard, it weighs 1247kg dry. That’s…pretty light.

The glass is thin, the brakes are carbon and it will scorch to 100km/h in 3.3 seconds.

You’ll also be able to choose from three different versions. A “standard” road car version (have fun getting it road-legal), a Safari-style rallying version or a track-racing GT version. Price? Well, if you have to ask…

Some outlets are suggesting the chassis is based on the KTM X-Bow carbon fibre tub, but a quick look at the spec-sheet says “aluminium profile” and “integrated roll cage.” We can’t work out if that’s a line break or two different things. In 2011 Ferrari banned companies like MAT using Ferrari bits to build cars like the Stratos, so you might have to bring your own F430 to the party. And €550,000 give or take.

Yep, your helmet goes in the door. That’s pretty nifty.

It seems odd that Lancia hasn’t spoken up and told them to stop, but that company seems busy making really ugly cars.

The carefully-worded press release also stated that the Germans who ordered the first Stratos in 2010, the Stoscheks, had to give permission. I can’t imagine why they’d say no, but there you go.

The New Stratos will officially go on sale at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show.

Here’s a video form 2011 (with some properly naff slap bass) to give you an idea of how it looks on the move.

February 10, 2018
More McLaren Senna Info Announced

The release of 2018 McLaren Senna, the British company’s latest Ultimate Series car, edges ever closer. And in the now-traditional way of announcing new cars, we have more info from the drip-feed.

The car, as we already know, will debut at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show in a few weeks but cars aren’t properly unveiled anymore, we get weeks of photos and information.

Anyway, we already know that the Senna is completely sold out, the last one went to a charity auction and raised a squillion dollars for underprivileged kids and schools in Brazil. Which was nice.

We also knew that the car is based on the superb McLaren 720S, the engine is the M840TR 4.0-litre twin turbo with 800 horses and 800Nm (575kW/590lb ft) and the interior is…sparse. We also know that it’s the lightest McLaren since the lauded F1 at 1198kg.

So What’s New?

Well. At 250km/h, the McLaren Senna generates a whole Formula 1 car of downforce – 800kg. That’s like loading a Lotus Elise with an empty tank on the roof while you’re streaking down the front straight at Circuit of the Americas or Sepang. That’s monstrous. I’ll wager that if you try and lock the brakes at that speed, you can’t.

The Senna will reach 100km (62mph) from a standstill in 2.8 seconds, 200km/h (124mph) in just 6.8 and the quarter mile zaps by in 9.9 seconds. Top speed is a massive 340km/h (211mph).

“The McLaren Senna is a car like no other: the personification of McLaren’s motorsport DNA, legalised for road use but designed and developed from the outset to excel on a circuit. Every element of this new Ultimate Series McLaren has an uncompromised performance focus, honed to ensure the purest possible connection between driver and machine and deliver the ultimate track driving experience in the way that only a McLaren can.”

Mike Flewitt, McLaren Cars CEO

Weighty Matters

Along with aerodynamics, McLaren’s engineers put a lot of energy into reducing weight. The interior is pretty well stripped back, with unnecessary parts ending up on the floor. The media screen looks detachable and a bit lost, with lots of carbon eating light. The cabin looks flat-out menacing, which should keep out a few drivers with a weak constitution.

The Bowers and Wilkins stereo weighs just 7.32kg, specially developed for the Senna. The F1 had a Kenwood, if you’re wondering and was also specially-developed. McLaren made the Japanese company lop half the weight and reduce the number of buttons to five. No such figures are available for the Senna.

The Inconel exhaust saves plenty of weight and will likely sound amazing. The carbon Monocage means the strong, light structure already familiar to McLaren’s fans and owners continues in its third version.

Parking sensors and the reversing camera are no-cost options for those who really want to keep the weight down.

The 2018 McLaren Senna’s release at the Geneva Motor Show ought to be fascinating. It’s an important show and a car like this generates headlines everywhere and, with any luck (as far as McLaren is concerned) will annoy Ferrari no end.

February 8, 2018