I have some very regrettable news to share with you all. It has come to my attention that Ferrari’s all-new F80 hypercar sounds like complete and utter ass. I know this is tough to hear, so take all the time you need to process that information. The revelation was made after we got a look at the V6-powered F80 hybrid at a rain-soaked Imola.
Sure, it has more power than the V12 LaFerrari it replaces thanks to three electric motors and two turbochargers, but that extra 250 horsepower comes at a real cost: its sound. Gone is the large-displacement howl that has become synonymous with flagship Ferraris. In its place is… nothing. This engine sounds like nothing. If you told me that noise was coming from a mildly-hot Audi I’d believe you.
I understand the F80 isn’t going all out in this video, but still, it’s going quick enough that we can get a gist of what it’s going to sound like, and dammit is it disappointing. I mean, you hear more tire noise than engine noise. Disgusting. At least it looks cool with driving around, and I’m sure it’ll be fast. Ferrari says the F80 pumps out 1,184 horsepower through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to all four wheels. Hell, the twin-turbo V6 makes nearly 900 horsepower on its own. That’s enough to get from 0 to 60 mph in under 2.2 seconds.
Do not get me wrong, this isn’t an issue of electrification. (The F80 can’t run on pure electricity anyway.) If Ferrari made the car an electric vehicle, I wouldn’t care that it didn’t make any noise. It isn’t supposed to, but because Maranello stuck a V6 in there, it sounds like poopy doodoo. It’s a damn shame too, because it is possible to make a V6 sound good. Ferrari’s former stablemate Alfa Romeo did it with its Quadrifoglio models. I mean, Maserati made a better-sounding V6 with the introduction of the Nettuno. I don’t care that it isn’t a V12 like the LaFerrari. I do care that Ferrari isn’t even trying to make it sound good.
I doubt any of the 799 folks who spend about $4 million on an F80 will care what I, a poor person, have to say, but I don’t care. The sound of my keyboard angrily clicking away sounds as good as if not better than the F80. Disagree with me all you want. My stance will not change on this.
