The McLaren Senna is the company's latest track-ready supercar. A successor to the P1, the Senna dropped the hybrid drivetrain for pure V-8 power and adopted a more aerodynamic design. The Senna is essentially a race car for the road, but it also spawned a track-only GTR version. Come 2019, and Hennessey Performance launched a couple of upgrades for the supercar.

Yes, it's hard to believe that the Senna can be further tweaked, but the folks over at Hennessey are known for their capability to push just about any car to the limit. If you think that the Senna's 789-horsepower rating is impressive, you need to know that the British supercar can generate much more than that. Let's find out more about that in the review below.

2019 McLaren Senna by Hennessey

Specifications
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  • Model: 2019 McLaren Senna by Hennessey
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What Makes the 2019 McLaren Senna by Hennessey Special?

- Hennessey badges - Numbered dashboard plaque - 4.0-liter V-8 - New air filters - New ECU recalibration - Upgraded turbo - High-flow wastegate - Up to 986 horsepower - 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds

The McLaren Senna remains unchanged on the outside. This isn't surprising though, as almost all of Hennessey's builds ignore the exterior. This is a good option if you want a sleeper and it makes that much more sense with the Senna, which is already a very aggressive supercar. So how do you know when a Senna has been tweaked by Hennessey? You'll have to look really close for the company's logos and model-specific emblems, like "HPE900" and "HPE1000," depending on the build, on the body.

The same goes for the interior, where Hennessey left everything unchanged. The only extra feature you'll find is the serial numbered dash plaque that keeps track of how many were made. Given that the Senna is limited to 500 units, you won't see too many of these supercars with a Hennessey badge on the road.

McLaren Senna - stock vs. Hennessey versions

Engine

4.0-liter V-8

4.0-liter V-8

4.0-liter V-8

Horsepower

789 HP

986 HP

887 HP

Transmission

Dual-clutch, seven-speed transmission

0 to 60 mph

2.7 seconds

2.5 seconds

2.6 seconds

Top Speed

211 mph

211 mph

211 mph


It's under the skin where all the Hennessey magic happens. The HPE900 version comes with new high-flow air filters, ECU recalibration, which is very difficult to obtain at this level, an upgraded exhaust, turbo, and intercooler systems. How do these updates affect the output of the twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 engine? Hennessey has yet to release final figures, but the "HPE900" badge suggests a 900-PS output. That's 887 horsepower, a 92-horsepower increase over the regular Senna. Hennessey's upgrade is also 73 horses more powerful than the Senna GTR.

Moving over to the HPE1000 model, it features all of the upgrades added to the HPE900 plus a new high-flow wastegate system, an upgraded transmission, and a higher performance engine management system from Motec. Oomph is up to 1000 PS for this model, which converts to 986 horsepower. That's a massive 199-horsepower increase over the Senna and a 172-horsepower increase over the Senna GTR. Hennessey's Senna should be quicker than the regular supercar. In McLaren's standard setup, the Senna hits 60 mph from a standing start in around 2.7 seconds. This means that the HPE900 should get there in 2.6 clicks, while the HP1000 should do it in an amazing 2.5 seconds. The power increase should affect the Senna's top speed, rated at 211 mph.

Pricing information for these packages aren't yet available, but they aren't cheap. Working on a supercar like the Senna requires the best tools and materials, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the HPE900 package fetch in excess of $20,000. The HPE1000 should be even more expensive, most likely priced around $35,000. That's a lot for an aftermarket upgrade, but it's pennies given that the Senna costs around $1 million before options.

Hennessey offers a three-year or 36,000-mile warranty on its upgrades on the HPE900, but the HP1000's spec sheet doesn't include the same deal as of this writing. Perhaps Hennessey will work out a similar deal before this package goes on sale.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2019 McLaren Senna.

Read our full review on the 2019 McLaren Senna GTR.