Ferrari F80 succeeds LaFerrari with 1184bhp F1 V6 powertrain

Ferrari’s long-awaited successor to the LaFerrari is the Italian marque’s most powerful road car to date, drawing 1184bhp from a wild electrified V6 powertrain that fuses technology from the firm’s Le Mans-winning 499P with that of its Formula 1 racing cars.

Named the F80, the new hypercar has been unveiled just weeks after McLaren revealed its own new halo model, the W1.

The F80 reignites the two manufacturers’ long–standing rivalry and reboots two-thirds of the iconic ‘Holy Trinity’ of hypercars from the early 2010s.

The new hypercar is priced from £3 million and limited to just 799 examples (all sold), and it follows in the footsteps of the F40, F50, Enzo and LaFerrari in rewriting the rulebook for a road-going Ferrari, while also being fitted with a host of tech that makes it a “new benchmark for innovation”.

Powertrain

At the heart of the F80’s powertrain is a new version of Ferrari’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6. The engine can rev to 9200rpm and has been completely overhauled compared with the unit that powers the 296 GTB.

Parts from the 499P Le Mans car have been added to give it 888bhp in its own right, making it the most powerful engine Maranello has yet produced but no heavier than the 296’s engine.

Working in conjunction with the V6 engine are three electric motors: two on the front axle and one on the rear. Produced in-house (a first for Maranello), the front motors make 140bhp apiece, while the rear motor takes the form of an ‘MGU-K’ energy recovery unit.

The latter is similar in design to that found in the brand’s F1 cars and can recover as much as 94bhp through braking to automatically fill power gaps.

For the first time in a Ferrari, the F80 features ‘E-turbos’. Connected to an F1-derived ‘MGU-H’ heat recovery device, they have electric motors between the turbine and compressor to reduce lag and enhance throttle response.

All in, the powertrain sends a combined 1184bhp to all four wheels for a claimed 0-62mph in 2.15sec and 0-124mph in just 5.75sec. This trumps both the McLaren W1 and the Mercedes-AMG One.

Different modes offer varying power levels, with Hybrid, Performance and Qualify selectable via the eManettino switch on the steering wheel.

There is no pure-electric mode, as on the 296, because the F80 is not a plug-in hybrid: its 2.3kWh battery serves to boost power and allows low-speed, short-distance engine-off running.

While the default Hybrid mode optimises the powertrain for efficiency, Performance and Qualify modes give access to the F80’s Boost Optimisation function, which records the track during a sighting lap and then delivers power boosts when needed on the next pass – on straights or uphill sections, for example.

Aerodynamics

The F80 draws on the aerodynamic expertise of Ferrari’s top-class motorsport teams to maximise downforce.

As Ferrari’s chief product development boss, Gianmaria Fulgenzi, explained, the underbody of the new F80 is heavily inspired by the firm’s F1 car, with large barge boards used to channel air underneath the car.

Up front, the aggressively styled nose is dominated by a huge ‘S-Duct’, which takes inspiration from the 499P and moves air over the cabin and towards the rear.

The black fascia across the nose, which is of a similar vein to that of the new 12Cilindri, features a small lip at the top edge to channel air over the top of the cabin to the rear wing.

Endowing the radical F80 with greater visual presence is the active rear wing, which adjusts not only its height but also its angle to optimise downforce and minimise drag.

With help from a huge rear diffuser, the rear of the car is able to create up to 590kg of downforce.

All in, the new F80 generates up to 1000kg of downforce at 155mph (250kph), which puts it on par with the McLaren W1; Ferrari says the front end alone can generate up to 460kg of downforce. In comparison, an F1 car generates some 1200kg at the same speed.

Chassis

At 4840mm long, 2060mm wide and 1130mm tall, the F80 is marginally bigger than the W1, and it is 125kg heavier at 1525kg (dry).

However, the mix of lightweight, race-honed materials (carbonfibre, titanium and aluminium) used in its construction make it 60kg lighter than its LaFerrari predecessor. The F80’s chassis is also 50% stiffer than its forebear’s.

The cell and roof are made from carbonfibre, with the front and rear subframes made from aluminium.

Ferrari has also used the front subframe for heat management purposes, with the hollow structure used as cooling ducts for the brakes.

Crucial to the F80’s set-up is the active suspension, which is powered by four 48V actuators. 3D printing is used to create parts of the double-wishbone set-up employed by the F80.

“We developed the system with Multimatic because it helped us with the active suspension on the Purosangue,” said Fulgenzi.

“In the F80, the system is totally new. The centre of gravity is naturally lower, with most of the car’s weight in the centre of the car.

“Also with the aerodynamics, we need to keep the car stable and balanced through corners, and the active suspension is the perfect system to ensure this.”

Design

Draped over the lightweight carbonfibre chassis is a design that is “absolutely new” and avoids “anything nostalgic”, according to designer Flavio Manzoni, who cited spaceships and sci-fi as the inspiration for the car’s outlandish look.

The influence of icons from past Ferrari is evident, with the pronounced front wheel arches nodding to the F40 and Enzo, while the rear styling echoes that of the classic 330 P3.

Early discussions about making the F80 a single-seater did not come to fruition, but the cabin has been designed primarily for the driver with what Ferrari calls a ‘1+’ configuration.

This translates to an asymmetrical layout that gives the driver priority in the cabin, while relegating the passenger to a ‘seat’ that’s offset and carved into the chassis.

The majority of the controls and functions on both the new ovoid steering wheel and slim centre console are physical, which Ferrari says are easy to use while driving.

“A 0-62mph time of 2.15sec and 5.75sec to 124mph are only numbers, but when you experience this kind of driving, people want it more and more everyday,” said Fulgenzi.

“That’s what we want to create: for owners to be addicted to driving the car and not just own it.”