The Senna GTR LM is a tribute to the Le Mans‑conquering F1 GTR

Five Senna GTR LMs pay tribute to the five F1 GTRs that crossed the finish line at Le Mans, with a matching livery that’s painted by hand, as well as a ‘1 of 1’ plaque with the car’s VIN number and details of the F1 GTR ‘twin’ etched into the carbon-fibre sill.

There’s more to the Senna GTR LM than a new paint job, though. Much more, as McLaren states this to be “the fastest-lapping car McLaren has ever made outside of Formula 1”. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 produces 845PS (621kW), 20PS more than the regular Senna, as well as 800Nm and a revised torque curve that means there’s more grunt lower down the rev range. It’s not just a tune, either, as the M840TQ engine now has valve spring retainers made from a ‘metal matrix composite’ that’s 65 per cent lighter, higher grade steel for the valve springs and hand-polished, CNC ported cylinder heads.

There are no drastic changes to the aerodynamics – the McLaren Senna GTR is extreme enough, with a rear wing bigger than most park benches and total downforce levels of more than 1,000kg. There is, however, a new Inconel twin-pipe exhaust system, new GTR LM-spec OZ Racing wheels, satin gold brake calipers and anodised satin gold wishbones.

Replicating the five F1 GTR’s paintwork wasn’t as simple as it might sound, it’s worth noting. The original designs included sponsor names and other trademarks and logos, so McLaren had to politely ask companies like Harrods and Gulf, as well as the Le Mans 24 Hours organiser the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), to replicate everything exactly. The ‘Ueno Clinic Car’, the Senna GTR LM that replicates the livery of the Le Mans winner, is an exact livery copy, and actually has specially commissioned headlights that are different to the standard Senna GTR’s and the other LMs (although at the time the photos were taken they hadn’t been fitted). The Harrods and Gulf liveries are exact copies, too, while the ‘Jacadi car’ and the ‘Cesar car’ are slight twists on the originals, without some of the same sponsor logos.

The interior, like the exterior, is Senna GTR with some LM tweaks. The steering wheel has anodised gold shift paddles and control buttons (the F1 GTR’s gear linkage was anodised gold, but there’s no manual ‘box in the Senna), titanium nitride pedals with LM logos, leather door-pull straps, carbon-fibre race seats with ‘GTR LM’ embroided headrests, and a black six-point racing harness with body coloured padding.

The five very lucky owners will get a very special Le Mans experience, too. For the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours, each of the owners will be able to drive their Senna GTR LM around the circuit hours before the race accompanied by the corresponding F1 GTR that raced in 1995.

“The McLaren Senna GTR LM project has been a labour of love for nearly two years,” said Ansar Ali, Managing Director of McLaren Special Operations. “We have gone to great lengths not only to perfect the engineering aspects of the cars, but also to gain co-operation from brand holders and partners to maximise authenticity.” All the hard work looks to have paid off.

The price of each car has not been made public, and will not be unless the owners decide to tell the world, but the five cars will now be sent off to their owners in the USA, Europe and the UK.