Who said that new was always better?
McLaren introduced Senna in December 2017, as the third member to the Ultimate Series. It joins the F1 and P1. The supercar is not a direct successor to it, as it has a different focus than the hybrid car: to get faster lap times. The 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 engine is combined with aerodynamics that affect acceleration and top speed. New video shows the differences between P1 and Senna with a direct drag racing between these supercars.
The clip begins with a race between a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (the Senna) and the Senna. The British model wins comfortably. The next race against the P1 is the first. Although the camera doesn’t show both cars at the start of the race, some comments under the video indicate that the hybrid had an earlier start which gives it a significant advantage.
The second McLaren duel is the same. We only see the Senna, but it was clearly a fair start. The P1 is still significantly faster, which shouldn’t be surprising considering Senna’s track-focused aerodynamics.
What is the moral of this story? Nearly seven years after its debut, and almost four years after its discontinuation of production, the P1 still kicks it butt. We don’t know if the P1 used launch control, but the Senna seems to have launched without it in all three runs. We would love to see these two cars on a drag strip with experienced drivers using launch control. You never know, it might turn out differently.This video shows the two races from an entirely different angle in order to give you a better understanding of the P1’s launch.