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Ferrari SF90 Stradale brings new hybrid tech to hypercar heights
This is Ferrari’s fastest car ever. It also happens to be a plug-in hybrid with nearly 1,000 horsepower on tap. It’s called the SF90 Stradale, and inside and out, it’s unlike anything else.
What is the state of the modern hypercar? You’re looking at it. This is the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, a 986-horsepower, all-wheel-drive, plug-in hybrid rocketship that will sprint from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds. Or, for those who prefer a stealthy departure, the Stradale can travel up to 25 kilometers (about 16 miles) on electricity alone, thanks to its 7.9-kilowatt-hour, lithium-ion battery pack.
Ferrari’s latest hypercar was unveiled in Maranello, Italy, on Wednesday, and after having some time to look at and sit in it, I can tell you it’s a stunning thing. But, as ever, there’s a lot more to it than that.
Motivation
Let’s start with what makes it move, because while Ferrari’s newest powertrain is its most advanced by a mile, it all has a familiar foundation. Sitting at the center is the well-known 4.0-liter, turbocharged V8 found in the 488 GTB. However, that lump has received some significant modifications, including a slight boost in displacement (3,990 cc versus 3,902) and a new fuel system. This brings the power up to 769 horsepower, compared with 710 in the 488 Pista.
That’s just the beginning. The Stradale pairs that engine with a trio of electric motors. The biggest sits in the middle of the car and is attached directly to the transmission, providing a maximum of 148 horsepower. The other two motors provide a combined maximum 84 horsepower. They sit up front, one attached to each wheel, to enable torque-vectoring all-wheel drive in a layout that is very similar to the Acura NSX’s.
Total theoretical power of the entire system is limited slightly by the output of the battery pack, providing a maximum 217 horsepower from the three motors. That, added to the V8’s power, brings us to that 986 horsepower figure — which is a nice, round 1,000 if you prefer CV, or metric horsepower.
Styling
While I’ll always rate performance as more important than aesthetics, given this is a Ferrari you can’t discount the shape of the thing, and the way that shape makes you feel. We’ve seen some supercars trending a little too far toward the function over form side of things (hello, Senna), but Ferrari generally does a good job of splitting the difference. Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief marketing officer, said, “Design should be functional to the technology, but should still be something that is called a piece of art.”
Art is in the eye of the beholder, of course, and I have a feeling that some of you will find the Stradale to be a bit much. I quite like the look, but I think it’s worth pointing out that Ferrari’s overly clean, rendered images you see here don’t do the proportions of the car justice. (I sadly wasn’t allowed to photograph the car myself.)
In person, you can quickly appreciate how dramatically low the Stradale is, and how aggressively forward the cabin sits. The large greenhouse makes for excellent visibility from the inside, while on the outside the way the roof and A-pillars are blacked out by default give it the air of a concept come to production.
Interior
If the exterior of the Stradale is a little too radical for you, I’m sorry to say you won’t find solace on the inside. This is Ferrari’s most progressive and dazzingly high-tech interior to date. The highlight is a massive 16-inch curved display situated behind the steering wheel. Continuing the trend from cars like the 488 GTB, this is not only the gauge cluster but also the infotainment interface, so everything from radio tuning to navigation is all here. Because of that, the extra real estate is appreciated.
If that weren’t enough, the Stradale has a new head-up display (HUD) that will reconfigure based on your driving mode. Navigating to the track? It’ll show you speed and turn information. Trying to find that last tenth at the track? It’ll turn into a big, projected tachometer.
Controlling all that is a radically redesigned steering wheel that will be familiar to those who’ve driven basically any Ferrari since the 458, but takes the concept of putting everything you need on the steering wheel to the next level. The big change is reducing the number of buttons while simultaneously increasing the number of things you can control right from the wheel.
Read More https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ferrari-sf90-stradale-hybrid-hypercar-official/
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