YouTubers and their cars: as much as we hate them for showing off, sometimes in the most destructive ways (for the cars), there's a certain trainwreck appeal to the whole thing. You simply can't look away.
Edmond "Mondi" Barseghian is one such trainwreck right now, after he crashed his brand-new (to him) McLaren Senna in Los Angeles, on an empty and straight street in the Woodland Hills. Somehow conveniently or simply because that's the world we live in today, at least a couple of cameras were rolling when the crash occurred, and videos went viral.
Barseghian had already been teasing his followers on social media and streaming platforms about his new purchase, and he had, in his own words, big racing plans for it. Whatever those plans were, they never came to be: Barseghian crashed the Senna on its very first outing, putting just one mile (1.7 km) on the odometer.
The crash was so avoidable and ridiculous that it earned Barseghian a not-enviable spot among Mustang memes, bringing his skills and carfluencer (influencer in the automotive industry) reputation into the spotlight – and casting serious doubts on both.
Photo: Insurance Auto Auctions
It didn't help that Barseghian first tried to play coy about the crash, which fueled speculation that he'd actually destroyed the vehicle on purpose, for clicks. That report is still around, by the way, because Barseghian also crashed his GMC Hummer EV last year after just 9 miles (15 km) of driving.
Barseghain eventually confessed he'd been behind the wheel of the Senna and expressed his commitment to fix the vehicle. It was a 1-of-1 estimated at $1.3 million, so naturally, he wanted to put it back together.
Well, so much for that. The crashed Senna will soon be auctioned off straight out the junkyard by the insurance company. The listing also brings a better look at the damage suffered in the crash, which saw the speeding Senna jump a curb and shoot directly into a Lexus dealership, smashing into a wall.
The listing notes that primary damage is to the front of the vehicle, but that's putting it lightly. There's also secondary damage to the undercarriage, the airbags are both deployed, and there seems to be a barrier of sorts impaled into the front of the vehicle. Bringing it back to its former glory won't be easy or cheap.
Photo: Insurance Auto Auctions
Only 500 units of the Senna were produced between 2018 and 2019, and this one, which Barseghian previously described as "the only 1/1 Kiwi Edition McLaren Senna in the world," was known as "Project Kilo II" under previous ownership. That owner, unlike Barseghian, was an experienced driver who raced it occasionally – and specced it accordingly.
It's the only Senna finished in Oak Green Metallic, it features a waterfall design in exposed carbon, and it gets its name from the McLaren "Speedy Kiwi" logos and cartoon illustrations of "Bruce" the Kiwi, as tributes to Bruce McLaren of the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Team. There's also a "NEVER LIFT" warning on the brake pedal and a gold exhaust heat shield, which is a nod to the McLaren F1.
Powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine developing 789 hp (800 ps/588 kW) and 590 pound-foot (800 Nm) of torque, the Senna can reach 100 kph (62 mph) in 2.8 seconds and maxes out at 208 mph (335 kph).
This Kiwi Senna, customized for the original owner, was a proper star in McLaren circles and worthy of all the attention it got. And that makes what Barseghian did to it all the sadder.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News