Ferrari has officially unleashed the SF90 Stradale, their most advanced and fastest accelerating road car. This supercar also marks the first production series of a plug-in hybrid vehicle from the company. The production name SF90 has been taken from the Ferrari’s 2019 Formula 1 car and it is also a reference to 90 years when Scuderia Ferrari came into existence.
The SF90 Stradale is also the Ferrari’s first sports car to be equipped with 4WD. For delivering maximum performance in terms of overall weight, rigidity and centre of gravity, the bodyshell and chassis of the car are all new and have been built using multi-material technology including carbon fibre. The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is the first supercar by the brand to have a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) architecture which comes with an internal combustion engine integrated with three electric motors.
Two electric motors are located on the front axle, with the third one is at the rear between the engine and gearbox. The petrol-electric powertrain is capable of generating a total horsepower figure of 1000HP. The petrol engine is good for 780HP, while all three electric motors generate a total of 220HP. The battery can either be charged by plugging it in or using the engine as a generator.
Mechanically, this supercar is extreme at every level as it delivers unmatched performance for a production car. The power figure is about 36HP more than what the LaFerrari was capable to deliver. The heart of the car is a twin-turbocharged V8 3990cc engine which produces 780HP of maximum power with 800 Nm of peak torque at 6000 rpm.
The supercar sports a completely redesigned 8-speed, oil bath, dual-clutch transmission. It is lighter and also the new clutch’s performance is 35% higher, which transmits up to 1200 Nm in dynamic torque in gear shifts. The advancements in the car are also seen in its braking module where the 1000HP supercar records 160-0 kmph stopping distance 2m shorter than LaFerrari.
The new power mode selector, dubbed eManettino, provides four driving modes: eDrive, Hybrid, Performance, and Qualify. The eDrive keeps the engine switched off for as long as the battery lasts, whereas Hybrid comes as a default setting when the car is turned on. The Performance mode keeps ICE running because in this mode the priority stays on charging the battery than on efficiency. The Qualify mode adds increasing levels of go-faster capability.
There are two body styles available on the SF90 Stradale, one is standard and one is the Assetto Fiorano package, which aims at forgoing some comfort in the name of offering better track pace. The 1000HP supercar comes featured with a taller rear spoiler for increasing downforce, and also gets more stripped-out interior with bespoke carbon fibre detailing, which results in a weight reduction of 30kg. The Assetto Fiorano package also gets Michelin Cup 2 tyres with a bespoke compound instead of the Pirelli P Zero tyres available on the standard car.
If we talk about the cabin area, it is 20mm lower than previous Ferraris and is also bubble-shaped with larger rear flying buttresses – a classic Ferrari design cue. The tail-pipes of the supercar are centrally mounted and are higher than ever before. Even its slim C-shaped headlights are integrated with the brake air intakes and use matrix LED technology.
The SF90 Stradale’s interior provides a premium cockpit design which is entirely new. This Ferrari comes featured with the central instrument cluster which comprises of a 16” digital HD screen which is curved towards the driver to make it easier to read. When the engines and motors of the car are turned off, the onboard instruments go black giving its cockpit a wonderful sleek look.
The car features only a handful of touch sensitive icons on either side of the steering wheel for climate and driving assistance functions. The steering wheel of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale looks astonishingly beautiful and also the company claims that 80% of the car’s functions can be controlled from here.
The SF90 Stradale is a series production model, and as for now, the company has invited 2000 customers to see the car out of which mostly have ordered one. Sources say that anyone who orders now will have to wait for a long period. The first deliveries for the car are expected to begin in Italy in the first quarter of 2020. As far as the launch in India is concerned, the car will arrive for sure but the brand has not yet revealed the exact launch details.
