It’s never nice to see a rare car trashed in the name of digital content, and for some reason McLarens have been susceptible to this particular torture more than most. After a 21-year-old YouTuber crashed his custom McLaren 570S and another digital creator destroyed a one-of-one Senna last year, the latter is now being given a second chance at life.
The $1.3 million McLaren Senna was destroyed early last year after some ill-advised showboating in California. The car crashed into the front of a dealership in California’s San Fernando Valley, totally destroying the front end of the Senna and writing it off.
Less than a month after footage of the crash was posted online, the totaled McLaren was put up for sale and an unlikely hero swooped in to buy it with the aim of saving the rare hypercar. That’s right, a YouTuber snapped up a seven figure hypercar that was destroyed by another YouTuber. There’s something nice and cyclical about that, don’t you think?
The one-off Senna was bought by YouTube channel Goonzquad in an online auction last year, with bidding ending at the lofty sum of $351,000. Now, the channel is documenting the repair work in a new series.
When the McLaren Senna hypercar is offloaded at the channel’s base in Tennessee, things do not look good and the host admits “this right here is going to be one heck of a project.” The majority of the car’s damage is at the front end, with the whole hood ripped off and the impact structures laid bare for all to see.
In contrast, the rear of the Senna looks to be in good condition, as do the doors, but there’s no knowing the damage that could have rippled through the intricate carbon fiber parts as a result of the car’s crash.
The team says their plan is to rebuild the Senna and get it ready for the road once again. They even say they’ve been in talks with the previous owner with the hope of tracking down some spare parts that might help with the rebuild.
So far they’ve cleaned the whole car down, which revealed some wheel damage, suspension issues, bodywork problems and all manner of scratches, chips and cracks on almost every panel of glass in the Senna. Oh, and the team also found that they were missing the car’s engine cover and roof scoop. Just a few new parts to source, then.
In the latest update on the build, the team has sourced a replacement carbon fiber tub for the Senna, as well as an essential part of the car’s hood and a pair of replacement fenders to start rebuilding the front end. Despite shelling out more than $350,000 for the wrecked Senna, Goonzquad are still going about the build on a budget, which means there are scratches, issues and imperfections on some of the parts that they’ll need to work on - but they’re a damn site nicer than the trashed parts remaining on the original car.
The process of rebuilding a car like this is fascinating to watch unfold, as it showcases the craftsmanship and near-OCD levels of detail that went into the original car. It’s just a shame someone tried to show off and crash the Senna so that the process was even needed in the first place.
It’s a series that I’m excited to see unfold, as I’m fascinated to find out if they can get the trashed Senna back to looking factory fresh. If they can come close to the level of finesse achieved with this Rolls-Royce Wraith rebuild, I’ll be very impressed.