I’m standing on the edge of the Hoover Dam, surrounded by a collection of some of the most extraordinary McLarens ever built, and it all feels quite surreal. Completed in 1936, this massive gravity-arch dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, was once the largest concrete structure in the world. Today, I’m privileged to drive across it in a 765LT Coupe, with the road closed to the public for the occasion.
I’ve joined the tail end of McLaren’s Ultimate Series Experience (MUSE) drive ahead of the Concours at Wynn Las Vegas. That means a 5 a.m. alarm call and an early arrival at the resort’s south entrance, where I can admire the extraordinary machinery before everyone else arrives. At the front is a Lark-liveried P1 GTR, ahead of an Elva prototype (with a windshield), followed by a circle of Sennas – many of which are the products of McLaren’s MSO division – along with a super-rare Speedtail and a Sabre.
I slide into the racing-style bucket seats of the 765LT through its butterfly doors. The car belongs to its heritage fleet and is based on the last McLaren I drove, the 720S, so I feel comfortable in these Alcantara-swathed surroundings. During that Pure Track day, I had an entire racetrack at my disposal, with a professional racing driver urging me to push harder and faster around Thermal Club.
This time, I’m following a train of multimillion-dollar cars, and I’m keen to learn just how much force the brake pedal requires before I rear-end anyone. The convoy is led by former F1 racer Bruno Senna in a 750S, who also beat my laptime on the simulator at McLaren’s boutique in the Wynn the night before, so I’m already used to trailing him.
In fact, there’s a whole suite of experiences under the McLaren Pure name, including Pure Track, its flagship circuit-based events, and Pure Arctic, which you can read about here. Pure Hospitality includes activations such as the Monaco Grand Prix and McLaren’s annual Winter Ball. In America, there are also additional track events that operate on a slightly smaller scale.
Back to my drive: As traffic ebbs and flows, I catch up with our road tester Michael Teo Van Runkle at a set of traffic lights. He has started out in the Elva. “I just got hit in the head by a rock,” he reports. I reply, “But, more importantly, is the car OK?” As I’m next in line to drive that same car, I instantly regret the comment, in case he decides to relieve himself in the seat during the drive to the dam.
As we turn off the interstate onto the picturesque high-desert roads, it’s time to stretch the legs of the 765LT, which sits at the upper end of McLaren’s Super Series range. With 755 horsepower on tap and a top speed of just over 200 mph, hard stabs at the throttle produce a cacophony of noise from behind my head and vicious bursts of acceleration. As we build speed through sweeping bends, I feel the understeer building to the point of a white-knuckle ride, so I turn to the spartan central control panel for assistance.
Switching the top Handling toggle from Comfort to Sport transforms the suspension response, so I do the same with the Powertrain control. The result is snappier throttle response and quicker gear changes. Suddenly, the car makes much more sense, and I feel far more confident throwing it into faster corners. I also press the AERO button. Nothing happens immediately, but the next time I slam on the brakes, I see the large rear wing rise in the mirrors, doubling as an air brake.
That level of performance isn’t really required as I arrive at the dam and trundle across at the 15-mph speed limit, genially waving at the federal officers keeping an eye on me. Now is not the time for a show of bravado, so I park and watch the car-dance choreography as the Ultimate Series machines are positioned for photographs across the top of the dam, with their proud owners posed alongside. Meantime, I get to enjoy the view...
Once that’s out of the way, we get a tour of the dam’s interior, taking an elevator down to the level of the turbines. Although newer constructions elsewhere have surpassed it, the Hoover Dam remains among the world’s 20 tallest dams and generates about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each year for use in Nevada, Arizona and California – enough to serve 1.3 million people. The turbines that generate this power are gigantic, with a total rated capacity of 2,998,000 horsepower – equivalent to the output of 3,800 Sennas!
Once the tour is over, and we’ve enjoyed breakfast overlooking the remarkable structure, it’s my turn to climb into the Elva. Fewer than 150 Elvas exist, and this is a genuine prototype, identified by its XP12W signage. It was used to test the rare fixed front windshield required for U.S. street legality, rather than the standard screenless Active Air Management System design.
Weighing in at 2,800 pounds and producing 840 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the Elva makes quite the impression. You climb aboard through a tiny, windowless door that seems almost pointless, and the immediate sensation is one of being completely exposed to the elements. That feeling intensifies as I fire up the engine and pull away. The car needs just 2.8 seconds to reach 60 mph. Of course, it has the potential to reach 200 mph, but even at half that speed, it feels like I’m riding a rocket to the moon.
I can’t quite convey the amount of buffeting I’m experiencing in the cockpit, but the overarching feeling is that of riding a giant roller skate. Putting that aside, the driving experience is sensational. This car is so nimble that it darts wherever you point it with the lightest touch.
It is quite simply a blast on multiple levels, not least because of what it must be like sitting inside a wind tunnel. I’m left breathless for several reasons, and I’m not sure the smile will ever leave my face, for both physical and emotional reasons. I’m also glad it didn’t rain.
As I reach the designated driver-change point, swapping the Elva for my final ride – the Senna – my ears are ringing so much that I can barely hear the instructions being barked at me. Something about the door release being in the roof panel and an emergency release hiding behind the seatbelt. I strap in, and drive off.
Compared to the Elva, the sensory overload of this car comes from how much it rattles. I’d imagine that when the great Ayrton, after whom this car is named, was racing to his three Formula 1 World Championships, his cars shook a fair bit, too at the insane racing speeds of the late 1980s and early ’90s. Everything attached to this car’s carbon-fiber tub seems keen to harmonize and shake with every movement of the throttle pedal, including the wild see-through door panel.
This prehistoric shark-faced car feels enormous after the Elva, and I can’t think of a greater contrast in terms of feeling completely cocooned. What doesn’t change is the engine noise, which is once again right behind my head. This time, it sounds even more urgent, even at idle. With 789 horsepower under my right foot, it’s time to unleash the ponies, and the car launches to more than 100 mph in about five seconds. It feels absolutely effortless. If there’s an overriding sensation the Senna delivers, it’s that of a car that, like Ayrton himself, belongs on the track rather than the road. It feels out of its natural element.
By happenstance, on my return to the Wynn, I misread a turn instruction on the phone I’ve wedged between my knees. I find myself on the Strip, which is being transformed into a Formula 1 circuit ahead of the upcoming Grand Prix. The Senna is finally in its natural habitat of a smooth racetrack, and it seems to know it. I give this million-dollar masterpiece some serious throttle, much to the delight of a few open-mouthed car fans, as the traffic lights turn green. After a surreal day, we both finally feel right at home.
IMAGES COURTESY OF MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE, CHARLES BRADLEY
