Ferrari calls it a Supercar, but its appearance, styling and, crucially, its performance, would appear to place it firmly in the realm of the Hypercar. What else to call the F80, a new performance monster from the Italian manufacturer that, with an 800-volt V6 hybrid powertrain, pumps out 883kW and 850Nm, can sprint to 100km/h in 2.15 seconds, and can stretch its legs to reach a top speed of 350km/h.
To be produced in a limited run of 799 examples, the all-wheel-drive F80 is a bit special, even for Ferrari.
There’s technology here that is peeled from Formula One. Power comes from a 3-litre twin-turbo V6, which itself produces 671kW, paired with an electric front axle (e-4WD) and rear motor that add another 221kW. The turbos are e-turbos which allow for the elimination of turbo lag. The front axle includes two e-motors and there’s that e-motor at the rear. These motors boost the power output of the V6 and recharge the 2.28kWh battery.
The hybrid powertrain of the F80 offers three different driving modes – Hybrid, Performance and Qualify. There is no eDrive – electric-only – mode.
Aerodynamics play a key role on the F80. There’s an active rear wing, rear diffuser, flat underbody, front triplane wing and S-Duct working in concert to generate 1000kg of downforce at 250 km/h. There’s also active suspension, which contributes directly to generating ground effect.
The system features independent suspension all round actuated by
four 48V electric motors, a double wishbone layout, active inboard dampers and upper wishbones created with 3D printing and additive manufacturing tech – used here for the first time on a Ferrari road car.
The tub and other elements of the chassis of the F80 were developed using a multi-material approach. The cell and roof are made of carbon fibre and other composites, while the front and rear subframes are made of aluminium and are fastened to the tub with titanium screws. At the rear there is an additional aluminium subframe, fastened to the main rear subframe with screws, for carrying the battery. The bodyshell is fabricated from pre-preg carbon fibre.
Butterfly doors are used and the substructure of the doors, a structural element also tasked with absorbing dynamic loads in the event of lateral impact, is constructed from special high-performance carbon fibre.
There’s interesting stuff going inside the F80, with the cockpit inspired by a single-seat racer and resulting in a creative seating concept. Then passenger seat is set farther back than the driver’s seat, and the driver’s seat gets more space.
The F80 boasts a new steering wheel developed specifically for this car. Slightly smaller than its predecessor and with flattened top and bottom rims, there are physical buttons on the right- and left-hand spokes, replacing the full-digital layout used by Ferrari in recent years.
The F80 is equipped as standard with all the main ADAS driver assist functions currently available including Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go function; Automatic Emergency Brake; Lane Departure Warning; Lane Keeping Assist; Automatic High Beam; Traffic Sign Recognition; and Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning.
A Ferrari of any sort is going to carry a hefty price tag, and for something special like the F80, things go up a notch. Reports from Europe suggest a price tag of around $AU6 million. That might seem like a lot (and it is!) but, apparently, all 799 examples already have buyers.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (November 2024)
23 November 2024