Kiwi bags ultra-rare McLaren Senna LM

McLaren Auckland has taken delivery of an ultra-limited McLaren Senna LM that pays tribute to the original McLaren F1 LM road cars that marked the car-maker's 1995 Le Mans win.

A video of the tribute car, posted on Giltrap TV, is said to feature the only car coming to Australasia -- just one of 20 cars created by McLaren's Special Operations (MSO).

Painted in Papaya Orange, just like the original F1 LM, the Senna LM is the second one spotted out in the wild. A McLaren dealer in Manchester, England, has also posted pics of its car.

The McLaren Senna LM features numerous details that set it apart from the standard Senna, including new five-spoke Speedline-style centre-lock alloy wheels, front fender extractors, a roof scoop and lots and lots of period-correct LM decals, including a pair on either side of the huge rear wing's endplate.

Inside, the bright orange theme continues, with the Senna LM getting a pair of ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre bucket seats wrapped in Papaya Alcantara and with 'LM' embroidered on the head restraints.

Other MSO extras include gold-painted wishbones and 24-carat gold reflective foil under the rear boot lid, matching the original McLaren F1.

Despite numerous conflicting reports, as previously revealed by carsales, the new ultra-limited Senna is not a road-going version of the track-only Senna GTR.

According to an insider working closely with the Senna LM project, a Senna GTR with number plates was explored but ruled out because the process of making it street-legal would have led to a car so close to the standard Senna it became pointless.

The proof that it is not a GTR with number plates, says our insider, is the car pictured runs the standard car’s aero package and not the GTR’s repositioned active rear wing, wider front and rear tracks, larger front spoiler and a GT3-inspired front splitter.The Senna LM pictured also has glass side windows, airbags, an exhaust silencer and lacks the full integrated roll cage of the GTR.

Under the rear boot lid, with a secondary catalytic converter required to pass emission regs, the Senna LM misses out on the GTR’s 19kW power bump.

But according to the presenter in the video, the special MSO creation does get a blueprinted twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 that's thought to raise power to around 800bhp or 597kW – up from the standard car's 588kW.

There are no performance claims, but it's thought the LM will be even quicker than the standard Senna, which is claimed to hit 100km/h in 2.8 seconds, 200km/h in 6.8sec and 300km/h in just 17.5sec.

It’s not known what price premium McLaren Auckland plans to charge over the standard Senna that was sold in Australia for $A1.4 million (plus on-roads).

McLaren Auckland says the Senna LM is now on display in its showroom and invites anyone who wants to get up close and personal with one of the rarest Sennas out there to pop by for a visit.