How does that commandment go again? “Thou shalt not covet your neighbor’s….McLaren?” Regardless of the scripture, we were especially covetous of the scintillatingly hardcore McLaren Senna, which made its debut late last year, especially since all 500 units of the limited production run were sold out before we were finished scrounging around our couch cushions for change. Now, for those of us who missed the boat, the British automaker unveiled an even faster track-only GTR variant, limited to just 75 units.
For McLaren faithful, it’s likely this new Senna GTR already needs no real introduction. This is the third McLaren to wear the GTR badge, following the mighty F1 GTR from 1995 and the P1 GTR from 2015. Like the P1 GTR, the Senna GTR represents the latest track-only toy for the ultra-wealthy.
In the same vein as the Ferrari FXX K, Pagani Zonda R, Aston Martin Vulcan, and Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, this is nothing more than a tool to carve out mega-low lap times. They don’t qualify for any race series, so they’re not beholden to any of the FIA’s draconian regulations. The Senna GTR is the roadcar, unleashed–packing more power, torque, less weight and an incredible amount of downforce.
The GTR adds a massive front splitter, working in tandem with an absurdly extruded rear diffuser. The car rides on a wider track, housed in the extended rear fenders that are “clipped-on” the cockpit structure allowing for ease of replacement and modification. All this adds up to a stunning 2,205 pounds of downforce at speed, cementing this as the most capable and quickest McLaren around a circuit short of the automaker’s Formula 1 cars.
Unsurprisingly, the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 gets a boost from 789 hp to “at least” 814 hp. Torque is also improved over the road car’s 590 lb-ft, but McLaren didn’t mention specific figures. Even with all the wild aero work, the automaker claims the GTR is faster in a straight line than the standard Senna, likely thanks in no small part to the extra power and relatively low weight of just 2,641 pounds.
If it’s not sold out already, McLaren will only build 75 of these weapons for private consumption. Surprisingly, it’s a relative bargain at $1.4 million, considering the older, more exclusive, and ostensibly slower P1 GTR started at a whopping $3 million.
