In the mid-1990s, McLaren cars introduced what many consider to be the finest supercar made, the McLaren F1. Its latest entry in the supercar field may be even a little more extreme. Named after legendary driver Ayrton Senna, the McLaren Senna is more track focused with maximum performance taking No. 1 priority over driving experience. Only 500 examples will be made, so they will be a rare sight indeed.
Tamiya has been in the habit of springing some surprises on us of late, and the McLaren Senna came as a total shock. The new kit can be built to European, US, or Japanese spec versions and features a complete detailed chassis with engine, metal transfers for emblems, and an accurate reproduction of all the aerodynamics integrated into the body. I counted nearly 250 parts altogether: chassis parts molded in black or silvery gray and body parts in white. The instruction booklet breaks down the assembly into 50 clear steps and even has a full-color addendum with some useful reference photos. (I find eBay motors is a great place to find detail shots, too.)
Basically, construction consists of two major assemblies — the body and the chassis — and then combines the two. The instructions start you off with the body which begins with the main “skeleton” on which the rest of the body panels attach. First to attach are the radiators and associated ducting. Clear parts come next. The glass roof panels need to be tinted with Tamiya smoke (TS-71) smoke (I gave my lower door windows some tint as well). All the clear parts are installed without glue! Instead they are captured in place by body panels or trim pieces so there’s no worries about mishaps.
Most of the body panels are subassemblies each requiring multiple parts to accurately depict the car’s complex shape and ducting. Most people cringe when they hear “multipiece body,” but don’t worry. The fit of the parts and the way they are engineered to go together is nearly fool proof. Trim pieces are separate, so there’s no need to mask anything. Just paint and glue in place! The body takes shape pretty quickly once you start attaching the different panels to the skeleton. Again, the fit is astoundingly precise, so be cautious of paint buildup as it may affect fit.
The chassis too has a main central component that everything else attaches to. The front suspension comprises 15 parts in total. Front wheels are steerable and the brake rotors and calipers are separate so the rotors will turn with the wheels. The twin turbocharged V8 engine is really simple to construct despite its complex appearance. Once installed and with the finished rear suspension, it looks incredible. Too bad it’s nearly completely hidden once the chassis and body are mated.
Seeing that it is mostly carbon fiber, simplicity in paint and assembly carries over to the interior. All the padded sections of the seats are individual parts to aid painting. The different colored sections of the dash and door panels are separate too. Optional displays for the main dash panel and info panel are provided as decals. Surprisingly, you will need to add your own seat belts, if desired, as they are the only thing missing.
Like the Senna for it's quick lap times, Tamiya has always had a reputation for high-quality, precision, model kits, and this kit, without a doubt, cements its spot at the tip top of the list. I could spout superlatives all day long, but suffice it to say the McLaren Senna is truly a phenomenal model. It comes with my highest recommendation!