McLaren debuts track-only production Senna GTR after all 75 have been purchased

McLaren

designed the Senna to be a track car that was just barely legal enough to drive on public streets. Hinderances such as safety restrictions keep it from being the full-out ballistic projectile it was born to be. So McLaren asked the question, “What if we took the Senna out of that box?” and the approximately $1.4M track-only Senna GTR was born.

The

Senna GTR Concept car

debuted at the

2018 Geneva Motor Show

, and McLaren has returned a year later to show off the final production model. The Senna GTR follows in the historic footsteps of the

F1 GTR

and the

P1 GTR

and sits in McLaren’s throne room with other Ultimate Series cars, the base Senna and the

Speedtail

.

The most in-your-face change between the production model and the concept is the rear wing. Somehow, it managed to get even bigger, with new side planks that extend from the left and right tips down to the rear diffuser, creating a rectangular box of aerodynamic super strength. It also has a redesigned front splitter, a downsized rear diffuser, new dive planes on the front corners, and vortex generators on both sides of the car. Slipping through the air is what the Senna is all about, as McLaren says it is “the most effective aero performance for track driving of any McLaren Automotive product.”

According to McLaren, the Senna GTR’s downforce exceeds an astounding 2,205 pounds, compared to the road-going Senna that topped out at 1,763 pounds at 155 mph. The GTR can reach the same 1,763 pounds at about 15 percent slower speed, or at about 132 mph.

The GTR is lower, wider, and slimmer than the Senna, as well. At 2,619 pounds dry, the GTR is 22 pounds lighter (the track-only version deletes the infotainment and audio system but keeps the air conditioning). It’s 1.3 inches lower than the Senna, the front track is three inches wider, and the rear track is 2.7 inches wider.

Further expanding the GTR’s girth, fender flares were added to cover up the 19-inch centerlock wheels that are wrapped in 285/650 front and 325/705 rear Pirelli slicks. Behind the wheels are forged aluminum monoblock calipers, six-piston up front and four-piston in the back. These work with 15.4-inch carbo-ceramic discs for extreme stopping power. McLaren says, despite the design change, the rear wing air brake functions the same and can get a 20 percent greater maximum deceleration because of the slick tires.

One of the most significant changes to the car can only be felt, not seen. McLaren added a new suspension with tech and knowledge from the GT3 racing program. Aluminum double wishbones, springs, uprights, and anti-roll bars from GT3 cars replace the complicated and “heavy” variable ride control suspension from the regular Senna. The GTR also gets four-way adjustable dampers, solid bushes, and adjustable camber.

The powertrain in the GTR is a tuned version of the one found in the base Senna. The 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 makes 814 bhp, 25 bhp more than the Senna, and 590 lb-ft of torque.

McLaren announced the price of the Senna GTR at the time of the concept launch, and nothing has changed. It is listed at £1.1 million, or about $1.43 million before taxes. And although this is technically the release of the production model, all 75 examples to be built have already been reserved.

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