McLaren unveils Senna Carbon Theme at 2018 Geneva Auto Show

Fans of McLaren are sure to be excited as the company has revealed it will be presenting a bespoke Senna Carbon Theme during the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. This is one of the five themes that are being developed in partnership with McLaren Special Operations.

As implied by the name, the most striking feature of this model is the complete body kit, all of which is composed of carbon fiber. In addition, the company revealed that this special edition supercar has a total of 67 parts, all of which took an estimated 1,000 hours to make. The Solar Yellow detailing for example took around 250 hours of work.

The black main hue and yellow detailing can be seen on the front active aero blades, the sill exteriors, and the rear wing. This particular color combination on the outside can also be seen on the interior particularly on the Alcantara sports seats in black contrasted by the yellow stitching. Its steering wheel even has a leather centre band in the same yellow hue. While the exterior has the Laurel Green brake calipers, the inside has the doors gas struts in the same color.

McLaren disclosed that this Senna Carbon Theme will also bring with it a new wheel option. Made by MSO as well is the seven-spoke Hybrid Carbon Fiber Wheel. Composed of carbon fiber and forged aluminum, this center-lock wheel, without a tire fitted to it, weighs around 16.5 pounds (7.5 kilograms). Compared to the standard Senna wheels, this is lighter by as much as 10%. Lower weight also means rotating inertia is reduced around 10% to 15% and thus, improvements are seen in the steering responses, acceleration, and braking.

Powering this special edition model is the biturbo 4.0-liter V8 engine, the same one that powers the standard Senna. Output is at 789 hp (588 kW) with peak torque amounting to 590 lb.-ft. (800 Nm). This allows for acceleration from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds.

Talking about this special edition model, MSO Managing Director Ansar Ali said that this is the type of project that the company lives to deliver. Once customers get the chance to see it in person, it would not come as a surprise that interest in MSO Visual Carbon Fiber models like this one will increase.

McLaren revealed that only 500 units of the McLaren Senna will be developed and all of them have already been assigned. Priced at £750,000, each model is hand-assembled by specialists working at the McLaren Production Centre located in Woking, Surrey, England. Cars that have been commissioned from MSO will clearly take longer to produce while also come with a premium price. The Senna Carbon Theme for example is projected to add around £300,000 to the base price.

PRESS RELEASE

McLaren Senna Carbon Theme

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…