Skip advert
Advertisement

McLaren Senna review - the ultimate track driving experience - Performance and 0-60 time

McLaren has taken a legendary name and produced what genuinely could become a legendary car

Performance and 0-60 time

With 659bhp/ton you won’t be surprised to hear that the Senna is fast. Just how fast is clearly betrayed by the numbers, with 62mph arriving in 2.8 seconds, 124mph in 6.8 seconds and 186mph after just 18.5 seconds, but in reality it doesn’t seem that much quicker than the already studenously rapid 720 S - perhaps additional performance becomes largely academic beyond a certain lofty point. In any case, the top speed is 211 mph, but such matters were hardly McLaren’s focus with this car.

There’s certainly a lot more noise and drama to the way it accelerates, thanks to the Senna’s minimalistic cabin, reduced sound proofing material and dorsal air intake, which really screams as the V8 is wound up to high rpms. Nevertheless, the engine still sounds essentially the same as all the 3.8-litre and 4-litre McLaren V8s do - that is to say, hard-edged, aggressive, but not exactly melodic. One new facet to its character is the vibration felt: McLaren have fitted more rigid engine mounts, and at certain revs the V8 sends a fizzing tremor down the driver’s spine.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Porsche ‘Mission S’ supercar central in plan to tackle Ferrari head-on
What the new Porsche supercar could look like, edited with AI
News

New Porsche ‘Mission S’ supercar central in plan to tackle Ferrari head-on

Porsche’s plan to recover its profits involves pushing upmarket to widen margins, with more customisability and a new supercar
7 Oct 2026
​Best hot hatchbacks 2026 – fast, fun and family friendly cars
Best hot hatchbacks 2026
Best cars

​Best hot hatchbacks 2026 – fast, fun and family friendly cars

The new Peugeot 208 GTi and Vauxhall Corsa GSE join a great variety of current hot hatchbacks that we've ranked
6 Oct 2026
Ferrari Enzo v LaFerrari – analogue hypercar meets its digital successor
Ferrari Enzo v Ferrari LaFerrari
Features

Ferrari Enzo v LaFerrari – analogue hypercar meets its digital successor

When Ferrari launched its first hybrid hypercar, the LaFerrari, Henry Catchpole pitted it against the Enzo, its iconic analogue predecessor
4 Oct 2026