FERRARI’S HYBRID MASTERPIECE

There’s no getting away from it; everyone loves a free-revving naturally-aspirated Ferrari V12. They’re not like other engines. Packed with decades of technological and mechanical know-how and with soundtracks that force every passer-by to crane their neck like an inquisitive owl, a Ferrari V12 is certainly up there with the most evocative engines ever created. So, if you were told that the latest and greatest flagship model produced by the Scuderia was a plug-in-hybrid, what would you think? A historic car company lost its way, or a brand at the forefront of the electric revolution? This is new territory for all of us.

The all-new Ferrari SF90 Stradale is, unquestionably, the most advanced, ground-breaking, technically-complex Ferrari production road car to date. Boasting two electric motors sending power to the front wheels alongside a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged four-litre V8 and a further electric motor situated just behind the engine, the SF90’s propulsion-recipe is something out of a science fiction film.

Producing a combined power output of 987bhp, the Plug-In-Prancing-Horse is more powerful than the LaFerrari hypercar; a machine that only a few years ago was regarded as at the very limit of what could be achieved for a road car. Setting a strong lap time on the famous Fiorano test track is no mean feat, yet the SF90’s time of 79 seconds not only pips that of the LaFerrari, but demolishes a back-catalogue of Ferrari exotica which, when they were new, set performance car benchmarks. Is there a better advert for hybrid supercars?

Such ridiculous performance figures would not be possible without a whole host of creative engineering solutions, facilitating other-worldly grip, handling, and high-speed agility. A specially-developed brake-by-wire braking system utilising state-of-the-art Brembo carbon discs combined with regenerative braking allow for brain-scrambling, organ-moving stopping power. You can have as much tyre-destroying power and torque as you like, but if you can’t come to a stop quickly and efficiently you may as well leave the car safely tucked-up in the garage.

For maximum downforce, the 20-inch diamond turned forged rims not only look the business, but utilise small ‘wing profiles’ between each spoke to extract excess air from the wheel arches, helping to keep the front-end grippy and composed. A patented ‘shut-off gurney’ at the very rear consists of both fixed and mobile aero components designed to keep the car stable under heaving braking or sudden changes of direction.

These changes may appear over engineered, particularly for a road car, but it’s this technical mastery that ensures the SF90 remains sure-footed, easy-to-drive, approachable, yet ferociously fast all at once.

Our Rosso Corsa example is offered with an extensive array of optional features that give our SF90 Stradale a cossetting yet focused character. Eye-catching exterior gloss carbon fibre to the side air splitter, rear diffuser, front splitter, and underdoor cover highlight its performance-driven design; whilst an LED driver zone, dashboard inserts, and racing seats similarly ensconced in carbon contribute toward a lightweight, purposeful interior environment.

A Nero leather interior with Alcantara seat centres, Rosso headrest embroidery and coloured inner details beckon you in to go for a spirted drive, whilst a front and rear suspension lifter ensures nothing will impede your progress should you meet an aggressive speed-bump or concerning kerb on the way.

The Ferrari SF90 Stradale. It may be a dramatic change from what has come before – it doesn’t howl like a V12. But you cannot fail to be impressed by its unparalleled engineering, breadth of ability, and superlative performance. The future of the supercar doesn’t look too bleak after all.

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