On the heels of opening its Pop-Up Porsche Exhibit in May, the Newport Car Museum in Portsmouth, R.I. has unveiled a 2014 McLaren P1 and a 2019 McLaren Senna, which are displayed together to create a stunning center-stage presence in the Museum’s World Car gallery. The two new “hypercar” additions scream power, performance and driver reward, all hallmarks of British automobile manufacturer McLaren Automotive.
The 2014 McLaren P1, with its blinding “MSO Magma Orange” paint color, is a road-legal limited production plug-in hybrid that sports a whopping 903 horsepower. Of a mere 375 built, only 127 are in the U.S. Closer in complexity to an aircraft than a conventional car, it is the spiritual successor to McLaren’s Formula 1 supercar launched in 1993. The combination of a 3.8 twin turbo V8 engine and electric motor takes the P1 from 0-60 in 2.7 seconds, and it has a theoretical 250 mph top speed but is limited to “just” 217 mph for longevity.
The 2019 McLaren Senna, inspired by one of the world’s greatest Formula One racing drivers Ayrton Senna, is the most track-focused car ever built: described by McLaren Automotive as “legalized for road use, but not sanitized to suit it.” Its unmistakable appearance is dominated by numerous air intakes and aerodynamic additions that create 1,764 pounds of downforce at 155 mph and maintain this level through to the manufacturer’s claimed top speed of 211 mph.
The Senna is one of 500 examples produced to commemorate Ayrton Senna’s success with the McLaren Formula 1 team from 1988 to 1993, during which Senna placed first in 35 races and won three Drivers’ Championship titles. Only 120 of the cars are in this country. If you look closely, you can see flecks of glitter in its otherwise menacing black paint job with contrasting red accents.
The Newport Car Museum is handicap accessible; hours are daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets at the door or online: www.newportcarmuseum.org (401-848-2277). Regular admission: $18/adults; $15/Seniors, Military, Students; $8/Ages 5-15 (with an adult); Free/Ages 4 and under (with an adult).
