Ferrari pulled the covers off its latest hypercar, the Ferrari F80, this past Thursday. The F80 leverages the Italian brand’s racing pedigree at Le Mans and in Formula 1 to put cutting-edge performance in the hands of a privileged few. While the $4 million sticker price is eye-watering, the F80 doesn’t qualify for superlatives in any particular metric. The main selling point is the badge and the passion associated with it. Ferrari plans on only producing 799 F80s.
The F80 is powered by a hybrid three-liter V6 engine, a scaled-up version of the configuration familiar to F1 fans. The hypercar even utilizes the same energy recovery technology from its Grand Prix machinery. The F80’s power unit produces an impressive 1,183 horsepower, with 887 hp from combustion and 297 hp from electric power.
Continuing the F1-inspired trend, the F80’s asymmetric chassis is constructed from the same carbon fiber as Ferrari’s racing cars. The machine has a dry weight of 3362 pounds. The interior also hints that the hypercar was initially intended to be a truly single-seater before a passenger seat was added. Gianmaria Fulgenzi, Ferrari’s chief product development officer, told Wired:
“We are at the pinnacle. Thanks to the integration and software, we are able to push the boundaries, to create a new red line, you could say. The aerodynamics, the control of the slip angles, the acceleration… it’s a car you can push to the limit. To your personal limits. You can feel everything that’s going on immediately. The software is playing a key role, but you don’t perceive it. Instead you feel like you’ve been driving the car for a long time. It becomes part of you.”
The F80 weds form with function. The hypercar car shares many of its styling elements with the Le Mans-winning 499P. Those similarities are more than skin-deep as the F80 is also fitted with a similar underfloor front wing. The powertrain is slightly tilted to create the space for a flat floor, aiding the F80’s ground effect elements. Paired with an active rear-wing, the hypercar generates 2,200 pounds of downforce while going 155 miles per hour.
F80 feels like a personal statement handcrafted by Ferrari. In a world where electric vehicles will render the record books obsolete, the venerable automaker aims to provide a driving experience. It doesn’t eclipse the McLaren W1 on the spec sheet or attempt to be a F1 car clone like Mercedes-AMG One. It’s simply a Ferrari. The best road car that engineers in Maranello can built with the expertise gained from racing at the highest level.
