Ferrari’s ‘selfish’ new hypercar

Half the cylinders, twice the performance.

That’s the difference technology has made with Ferrari’s new flagship hypercar, the F80, which has dropped the brand’s iconic V12 engine in favour of a V6, but manages to make almost twice the power that the brand’s last V12 model, the Enzo.

If you want a clear demonstration of the technical evolution of performance cars look no further than Ferrari’s flagship hypercar. The F80 replaces the LaFerrari which introduced the hybrid assistance with a V12 engine, while the Enzo and F50 were powered by naturally-aspirated V12s and the predecessors to those, the F40 and the 288 GTO before it, both had twin-turbo V8s.

The F80 manages to combine all those elements, with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 supported by two electric motors on the front axle and combined with an Formula 1-style MGU-K energy recovery system. All up this complex powertrain delivers a stunning 883kW of power (1200hp) and 850Nm of torque.

While a major change for the hero model of the range, it is in keeping with the theme for these models. The 288 GTO came when Ferrari was in its turbocharged era in F1, while the F50 famously used a variation on the brand’s 3.5-litre V12 F1 race engine. For the F80, using a hybrid V6 ties into both Ferrari’s F1 and Le Mans Hypercar programs, so despite the smaller engine compared to its predecessors the car is very much in keeping with Ferrari’s theme.

It works too, with Ferrari claiming a top speed of 350km/h, 0-100km/h in just 2.1 seconds and 0-200km/h in 5.7 seconds.

Remarkably, despite the complex powertrain the F80 tips the scales at 1525kg, which is not much more than the LaFerrari and only a new hundred more than the Enzo and F50. To achieve this Ferrari has been driver focused, narrowing the cabin to save kilograms even if that means the passenger is a bit more squeezed in than before.

Ferrari says the cabin has a “distinct single-seater feel” and admits even though it is legally classified as a two-seater it is best described as a “1+”. So if you’re looking for a Ferrari to drive with your mates, this isn’t it.

As you’d expect the F80 is loaded with complex aerodynamics too (which is another reason for the narrow cabin), so much so Ferrari claims it has levels of downforce not previously seen on its road cars. At 250km/h the F80 has 1000kg of downforce, thanks to inspiration and concepts drawn from both F1 and the 499P Le Mans Hypercar.

Now if you’re wondering how much it costs or if you can buy one the answer is ‘no’. Like so many of the brand’s limited run models, the F80 is strictly a ‘by invitation only’ proposition and reserved for the brand’s most loyal customers who are given the ‘honour’ of handing over millions of dollars for this piece of automotive history.