The Week in Cars #8

All 789bhp of the McLaren Senna prototype is unleashed at Silverstone, Bentley's new Continental GT wafts onto the streets, and BMW's silent i8 Roadster is driven for the first time. Mercedes-Benz's huge G63 AMG also rocks up. Finally, Brabham finally unveils the £1.2m BT62.

Mira Orange Senna flies around Silverstone. Image credit: Autocar

McLaren Senna prototype

Anyone remember the P1? Of course you do. 903bhp pedalled 1375kg of hybrid V8 madness around, and 640kg of air was happy to help out with sticking the whole thing to the track. Well this time, you've got no batteries, no electric motors, and no 'form over function' thinking here. McLaren accepts that this isn't the nicest thing to look at, but anyway, the 720S is one of the best looking cars of the decade, and that's £550k less, and not sold out. Anyway, here you have 789bhp, 590lb-ft of torque and 800kg of downforce. Dry weight? A bag-of-crisps-like 1198kg. That's courtesy of a full carbon-fibre tub, new brakes that run at 20% lower temperatures (so the discs can be made smaller and lighter), more carbon-fibre and new 19-inch wheels with centre-locks instead of the usual 5 bolts, which mean that you can have an odd number of spokes on the rims, decreasing weight.

To all 500 of you Senna owners, you made a good choice (I.C: Car mag)

Anyway, it's now time to drive it. One thing you notice immediately is the sheer power and durability of the new brakes. Developed with a top-secret compound called CCM-R, they really do not seem happy about your kidneys staying in place.

"The brakes do not seem happy about your kidneys staying in place"

 The only real downside is that they take 7 months to coat. Each. The steering, like all the best Maccas, is amazing; communicative and weighty, easily placeable and confidence-inspiring. You really feel the low weight and high downforce doing some work, and the ludicrous power greying out your vision. 

In fact, 0-62mph is a 2.7s hyperspace run, and after passing 124mph in 6.8s (same as a LaFerrari), 186mph in 17.5 (a Bugatti Chiron takes 16), it will reach a top speed of 211mph, but having a wing the size of the Atlantic Ocean doesn't really help with any of those things. There are also hidden active flaps in the nose (they're blue on the car in the picture) and endless channeling bits of bodywork and stuff, to get it up to that ridiculous downforce figure. And then there's the noise. Specially-designed engine mounts vibrate the chassis, and the sound of the air rushing in through the scoop on the roof is meant to create some more noise high up. The end is a hard-edged wail, building (10 decibels per 2,000rpm) up to something which really should have been the soundtrack to The Lion King the whole time.

What McLaren has created here is a true masterpiece, and so when they finally finish it off, prepare for something utterly outstanding

110% (yep, not a typo)

Bentley Continental GT

-The new Conti arrives with less weight, a 48V anti-roll system and a leather-smothered interior.

-It looks and drives far more athletically than before, yet is still very refined

-The problem is that adding the lithe element to the CGT has lost some of its waftability.

-Although the interior is amazing, there are too many optional extras. Your £159k should give you a bit more.

85%

BMW i8 Roadster

-The new Roadster variant of the i8 has required lots of small changes, but it fundamentally drives the same.

-The 3cyl engine continues to surprise us with its awesome noise.

-It is probably worth the extra cash, because the i8 is a lovely car anyway, and the Roadster just makes it that bit lovelier.

85%

Mercedes G63 AMG

-The brand-new G-Class drives so much better than the last one that it deserves much more than my 45% verdict on the previous gen. I'm giving it 75%

Brabham BT62

Although we know all the facts about the BT62 from TWiC 6, the new car has only just been revealed. Here you go. TWiC, as normal is back next Sunday. Enjoy your bank holiday!

I.C: Autocar