McLaren Senna review - the ultimate track driving experience - Interior and tech

The Senna’s interior has been developed solely as an environment in which to drive quickly. In doing so, it takes the staples of the modern McLaren - the laid back, race car-style driving position, fabulous panoramic view and driver-centric control layout - and evolves them with a sharper focus on track ergonomics. Climbing in is hardly graceful, the driver needing to vault the sill and fit through the gap enabled by the butterfly doors. Once in, the embrace of the Senna’s special seat - weighing just 8kg - holds you tightly, a sensation amplified by the harness as you draw the belts down tight. In your lower peripheral vision the optional glazed door area reveals the road surface, about to rush by very quickly indeed; it could hardly be any more exciting.

The door release mechanisms, window switches and engine start button have been moved to a panel above your head, while the slender infotainment display is joined by the rotating instrument binacle first seen on the 720 S.

The firm offers a McLaren Track Telemetry (MTT) system that runs via the infotainment screen, capturing all the necessary data from laps recorded and offering split times over different sectors of the lap. It can be combined with a camera system - front facing, in-car to the front and rear-mounted - that records every lap visually: both this and the MTT data can then be downloaded for further analysis. Further interior options range from weight saving and performance items, such as a fixed passenger seat and a drinks bottle system, to more luxurious items such as a ‘Touring’ specification seat and a Bowers and Wilkins hi-fi, the latter not necessarily quite in the spirit of the car…