It is difficult to overstate the significance of McLaren’s victory in the 1995 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since the combined effort of drivers Yannick Dalmas, Masanori Sekiya, and JJ Lehto earned three particularly special bits of history. First, McLaren became only the third manufacturer to win on its Circuit de la Sarthe debut. Second, McLaren was the first constructor ever to complete the so-called motorsport ‘Triple Crown’ by adding to its wins in the Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix. Third, nearly three decades later, the F1 GTR remains the last road-based car to triumph outright in the world’s greatest endurance race.

Given the scale of those accomplishments, McLaren duly commissioned a road-going version of the GTR racers that finished 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 13th in France. These were known as F1 LMs. Including the famous XP1 prototype that has remained under McLaren ownership ever since and is proudly on display at the firm’s Technology Centre headquarters, just six chassis were built. Each gained the competition car’s retuned engine, and no fewer than three were ordered new by the Sultan of Brunei.

When the time came in 2020 to honour the silver anniversary of that remarkable Le Mans win, the marque was inspired to follow a similar recipe. While the ‘standard’, downforce-obsessed Senna supercar hardly wanted for performance, that did not stop McLaren Special Operations from taking the 4-litre, twin-turbocharged V-8 engine from the track-only GTR variant and placing it into the car to create the ultimate road-legal evolution: the Senna LM. The polished motor was equipped with new cylinder heads to gain 25 horsepower for a total of 814, which was transmitted to the rear wheels only via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

In keeping with the look of the F1 GTR and LM, these exclusive Senna models gained five-spoke, centre-locking, forged aluminium wheels by original supplier OZ Racing. To further evoke its celebrated predecessor, the engine bay was lined with 24-carat gold heat shielding. New louvres on the front wings featured alongside a rear wing that gained LM logos etched into the carbon fibre tips. Meanwhile, the suspension wishbones were painted gold to match the callipers for the carbon-ceramic brakes, and the new quad-pipe exhaust finishers.

The interior was also treated to an array of changes. The Alcantara upholstery for the carbon fibre bucket seats was made to match the paintwork in Papaya Orange. So too was the centre mark and stitching on the steering wheel, door pull straps, plus door struts. The LM logo was embroidered into the headrests, embossed in the carpets, and featured on the gold-coloured titanium nitride pedals.

McLaren Special Operations built just 20 Senna LMs, of which seven were finished in the historic shade of Papaya Orange to match the best-known F1 LM of them all, XP1. The example here is one of those select few cars and was ordered from new by its one and only owner to join a collection in the South Korean capital city of Seoul. The car has been driven sparingly since; the odometer within the theatrical rotating instrument display showed just 1,024 kilometres at the time of cataloguing.

Given the incredible rarity of the Senna LM in any form, let alone a Papaya Orange car such as this, the opportunity to acquire an example seldom presents itself. In short, the chance to purchase this homage to McLaren’s greatest endurance racing triumph is not to be missed.