McLaren has officially birthed the Senna into the world and it is GOOD
Is it an elegant shape? I'd argue it isn’t. Is it beautiful? Well that depends, can engineering be beautiful? Because if it can, then this is the Woking firm's Mona Lisa. And besides, this uncompromising hyper racer-cum-streetcar has an obsession with the number 800 that will no doubt have you excited.
That's 800Nm and 800PS (or 589kW), plus 800kg of downforce from a sliver of unobtanium weighing under 1200kg. It's not called the Senna for nothing, clearly. How does it compare to the P1? Well that car is a hybrid and this is a barrel-chested petrol incinerator designed to turn octane into speed, sending all that shunt to the bespoke Pirelli tyres. But how quickly though? Try 0-100kph in 2.8 seconds and onward to 200kph in 6.8 seconds. You'll smash 300kph in 18.8 seconds and continue all the way up to 335kph should you find a runway long enough. Wicked stuff, this.
"The McLaren Senna is a car like no other: the personification of McLaren's motorsport DNA, legalised for road use but designed and developed from the outset to excel on a circuit. Every element of this new Ultimate Series McLaren has an uncompromised performance focus, honed to ensure the purest possible connection between driver and machine and deliver the ultimate track driving experience in the way that only a McLaren can."
That’s Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive.
They're only making 500. And no you can't have one, they're all spoken for. Sorry.
But wait, there's more Mac news
This is the 600 LT where those initials denote Long Tail. As in Longtail, explained here;
"The McLaren 600LT is only the fourth 'Longtail' McLaren in more than two decades. The McLaren F1 GTR 'Longtail' that began the lineage was one of the purest race cars in modern motorsport history. The 675LT resurrected the revered name, creating the purest distillation of the sheer driving pleasure embodied by all McLaren cars. Now we are further extending our very special LT family -albeit in limited numbers - and once again showcasing the ethos of optimised aerodynamics, increased power, reduced weight, track-focused dynamics and enhanced driver engagement that are the hallmarks of a McLaren 'Longtail'."
Again, that’s from Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive.
A track-focused McLaren then weighing just 1247kg and endowed with a twin-blown 3.8 litre V8 rated at 441kW and 620Nm? Yes please!
Here comes a spate of new whips from Aston Martin
But we're forced to lead with the DBS Superleggera because my God, just look at it!
And for your information that's a famed name brand returned to an Aston Martin, having had its inception in 1967. Legacy and all that. From Aston Martin's 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 comes a whopping 900Nm of twist plus 533kW of grunt. But mind bending performance aside, we are perfectly fine admitting that we'd get one exclusively for the looks.
It's not all sex on wheels though, there's aero and engineering at play. Executive Vice President & Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman said:
"With DBS Superleggera we had the perfect opportunity to celebrate Aston Martin's unrivalled Super GT pedigree. We wanted to create a car that combined cutting edge aerodynamics with the classic muscularity and presence for which our most potent series production models are renowned. The result is a shape of true purity and exceptional efficiency - one that generates a significant increase in downforce without any drag penalty. Explicit but not exaggerated, it exudes a sense of immense potency."
Yes, very grrr indeed.
Meanwhile at the Nurburgring, Aston Martin unveiled this, the DB11 AMR. It replaces the old DB11 V12 flagship model, with the new DB11 AMR featuring a turbocharged V12 measuring 5.2 litres now producing (a greater than before) 470kW and 700Nm.
That will help it pick up its skirt and dash the 100kph mark in a blistering 3.7 seconds. Nice.
And lastly from the Aston Martin DB11 stable is the Volante. Power comes from a twin-turbo 4.0 litre V8 and that's important because the Volante allows you better aural access to what lays under the hood. What with being a (gorgeous) convertible and all.
The Audi A4 gets an update
In typical Audi fashion, the midlife facelift on the A4 makes the car a more compelling prospect while styling is little more than a sharper crease in its pants. We like those pentagonal air inlets the most, and the Turbo Blue paint job of the media car looks great.
Meet the Hyundai i20 Active
Or “the little Hyundai South Africa wants”. This is it, the Active iteration of the i20.
Think VW Polo Cross or Renault Sandero Stepway and you'll have an idea of the formula that R279,000 will buy you. It also essentially fits the role of most affordable SUV in the burgeoning Hyundai portfolio. Yours with plastic cladding, stilted suspension and a 3 year/ 60,000km Hyundai service plan.
