It was a pleasure to meet you, alphanumerics.
The McLaren vehicle nameplate isn’t necessarily the most precise on the market. The MP4-12C was the first model to use the alphanumeric naming system. It has been used for all subsequent models, including the 650S and 720S as well as the 540C and P1, to name a few. The British supercar manufacturer has decided to rethink its naming structure and replace the Senna.
According to Autocar McLaren executives are looking at traditional names for their vehicles in the future. The Senna was named after Ayrton Senna, McLaren F1 driver. It was the first of a new line of McLaren supercars. Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren, stated that the Ultimate Series would be the first to use traditional names instead of alphanumerics. This includes the forthcoming P1 replacement internally called the BP23.
However, don’t expect McLaren to change their entire lineup. Super Series and Sports models will likely keep their number and letter identifiers. This means that cars such as the 570GT, 570S and 720S will continue to use alphanumeric namesplates in the future.
The company will continue to use the MSO acronym to identify high performance models. Recently, the company released a group version of the 570S that is identical to the track-only GT570S. Only 10 of these cars will be made, with each car featuring unique design elements such as intakes and the ability to generate up to 220 lbs (100 kg) of downforce.
The new naming scheme will be featured on the upcoming BP23 Hypercar. The hypercar is being billed as the fastest McLaren ever, with upwards of 1,000 horsepower (745kilowatts) in addition to a hybrid powertrain. We hope it gets a name that is as impressive.