Extreme performance, power, and speed are part of the track-only McLaren Senna GTR 2019. This incredible car takes driving to a whole new level.
Often, McLaren begins on the track and transitions to the road, but the Senna takes things in the opposite direction. The GTR 2019 is the track version of McLaren’s most powerful and intense road-going supercar. It appears this supercar automaker simply wanted to see what the Senna could do when the limitations of road-going cars were removed from the equation. The track-only model brings incredible thills and unfiltered driving prowess.
This isn’t the first time for McLaren
Although we know McLaren began by developing incredible racing machines for track dominance, this company has taken things from the road to the track before now. The venerable McLaren P1 was made for road dominance and then transitioned to the track with the P1 GTR. By taking what they learned from this P1 track car, McLaren promised the Senna GTR would be a car that left many track-only models in the dust, making them seem like tamed-down cars compared to this McLaren product. Considering the target was the Ferrari FXX and Aston Martin Vulcan, McLaren was certainly aiming high.
How is the Senna GTR set up?
The street-legal Senna is already an incredibly powerful model, and the McLaren Senna GTR 2019 only increased this power slightly. This track-ready monster makes 814 horsepower from its 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. This is only a 25 horsepower increase compared to the street car.
The concept model of the Senna GTR featured a side-exit exhaust system that didn’t make it to the production model. Instead, the production version changed to a conventional exhaust that sent fumes out the rear of the car. The rear-exit exhaust is supposed to be more efficient than a side-exit system.
Changes from road to track
This track-only McLaren racing machine tips the scales at a light weight of only 2,619 pounds. This gives the Senna GTR the most impressive power-to-weight ratio of any McLaren car. The track car is also wider in the front by three inches and in the rear by 2.7 inches, giving the car a more impressive stance to stick to the track.
A plumbed-in fire extinguisher and onboard camera system are part of the changes from road to track, as are a set of pneumatic air jacks.
If this car adds equipment, where does it lose weight compared to the road car? The track car doesn’t have airbags, an infotainment system, or additional seats. There’s only a driver’s seat as part of the standard packaging. Strangely, a passenger seat is offered as a no-cost option, which makes this a car that could be fun for professional drivers to scare their friends in.
The track-only car has air conditioning, driver aids, a pit lane speed control system, and anti-collision radar. These seem like pretty important features in a car that costs $1.2 million.
More force and stable airflow for the Senna GTR
The McLaren Senna GTR 2019 features revised wingwork, including new dive planes on the front corners to create more stable airflow. This track car produces more grip than the regular Senna, making it easy to see how this new track car can stick to the tarmac.
McLaren claims the downforce peaks at 2,205 pounds, which is an incredible increase from the 1,763 pounds of downforce made by the street-legal car. This race-only car hits the same downforce as the street model at a 15 percent lower speed while producing less drag, which makes this racing machine incredibly fast and stable on the track.
Which tires does the Senna GTR use?
This track-ready car rides on a set of standard slick tires made for track performance. These tires from Pirelli are mounted on 19-inch ultralight forged alloy wheels and are wider than the tires currently allowed under GT3 racing regulations. That won’t matter to the millionaires who take this car out to the track to show off and have some fun.
Everything about this car is made to give it the most impressive track performance, including the braking system. This system provides up to 20 percent greater maximum deceleration compared to the regular Senna.
The McLaren Senna GTR 2019 is an impressive track-day car for those living at the top of the economic food chain. This car is fast, aggressive, light, and drivable on the track, making it one of the most incredible machines to hit the tarmac. Of course, with McLaren setting the bar this high, other automakers will top it, and then McLaren will need to make an even more aggressive track-day car.
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