The McLaren Senna was revealed as the third model in the McLaren Ultimate Series at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The supercar was named after the Brazilian Formula One race driver Ayrton Senna who drove McLaren Formula One cars for six years, from 1988 to 1993.
McLaren Beverly Hills built four Senna XP cars to pay homage to famous Ayrton Senna race victories. The last one, named "El Triunfo Absoluto" (in English, "The Absolute Triumph") celebrates Senna’s win at the 1989 Formula One Mexican Grand Prix.
During his entire career, Senna scored a total of 41 victories - with all but six of them for McLaren, but the one from 1989 in Mexico was the most impressive. Senna arrived in Mexico as the championship leader after winning in San Marino and Monaco. He started the race from pole position - for the seventh time in a row - and dominated the race from start to finish. At the end of the race, he scored his third consecutive GP in the season.
If you wondering why are we still hearing about one-off Senna editions, even if all the 500 units were sold out before the first customer car was built, is because this is no ordinary Senna. It is in fact an XP car – even rarer units - and this particular unit was used for press activity in the United States and then sent back to UK to be rebuilt. It was commissioned through MSO and, of course, it offers unique design elements.
The Senna is very close to being perfect from the factory, so there isn’t much to change when it comes to appearance. It is finished in Graphite Grey paint combined with Accent Red and Mexico Green on the roof scoop, front service panel and sides, inside front fenders, door lowers, front light sockets, front and rear wheel arch vanes, and rear bumper. All exterior Satin VCF areas except the roof canopy were replaced with MSO Bespoke Gloss VCG elements. Ayrton Senna’s signature in exposed Gloss Visual Carbon Fiber (VCF) is placed on the driver’s side in front of the light socket, while a "Senna XP" logo in exposed Graphite Grey is placed on the door lowers. There is also a "1" logo in Anniversary White placed on the rear wing end plates, while the rear wing upper features a hand-painted flying Mexico flag. The same flag can be seen on the MSO Bespoke fuel cap. "El Triunfo Absoluto" lettering were placed on the front fenders.
The interior has been subjected to the same treatment. The seats are covered in MSO Bespoke Jet-Black leather with contrasting double stitch in Pure White and Bright Red. The headrest will feature both the Mexican flag and the "El Triunfo Absoluto" logo embroidered underneath. Green Tinted Gloss VCF, Anniversary White and Galvanic Grey dominate the interior look. The MSO Bespoke steering wheel features a Green Tinted Gloss VCF Upper and the Mexican flag placed on the 12 o’clock position. The accelerator pedal is laser-etched with the Mexican Grand Prix 1989 race track layout, while a special dedication plaque etched with ‘El Gran Premio De Mexico de 1989’ reminds you this is no ordinary Senna.
No changes were made to the powertrain, which means the "El Triunfo Absoluto" is powered by a twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 engine that delivers a total of 789 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph comes in 2.7 seconds, from 0 to 124 mph in 6.8 seconds, while top speed goes up to an impressive 211 mph.
Everything You Need to Know About The McLaren Senna