16 auto italia
Cabin features curved HD
digital info panel, second
manettino for hybrid drive
modes and a (kind of)
return to H-gate gearshiftmeasures (and rigidity-boosting ones, too) can be
found in the chassis and bodyshell. These use a mix of
exotic materials, including carbonfibre and new,
patented types of aluminium. Examples of how Ferrari
has offset the extra 270kg weight of the hybrid
system include hollow castings (in place of ribbed
ones) and an all-carbonfibre bulkhead. The chassis has
40% more torsional rigidity than previous Ferrari
platforms and also better NVH (noise, vibration,
harshness) characteristics. Overall weight is an
impressively low 1570kg, resulting in a record-breaking
weight/power ratio of 1.57kg per hp.
So how does that all translate into raw performance?
Get ready for this: the SF90 is the fastest road car
Ferrari has ever made. It will do 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds
and 0-124mph in just 6.7 seconds, and attain 211mph.
It’s also capable of lapping Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit in 79
seconds – some 0.7 seconds faster than the LaFerrari.
The hybrid powertrain provides one other big
benefit: it’s four-wheel drive. The rear axle is powered
by the V8 engine, the front wheels by electric power
alone. Four-wheel drive intervenes automatically, for
instance assisting you when turning into corners and
when exiting them, as well as being used in launch
control mode. The system is not all-wheel drive all of
the time. At speeds above 130mph, the front axle
disconnects, leaving the car rear-wheel drive only. Yet
when the car is powered only by electricity – we’re
coming on to that in a moment – it’s 100% front-wheel
drive, which means this is the first front-wheel drive
Ferrari ever – yes, really!
Aerodynamics are massively important to the SF90,
which has the highest downforce, and the least
aerodynamic drag, of any Ferrari road car ever. InThe SF90’s beating heart remains a mid-mounted
petrol engine, in the form of a massive evolution of
Ferrari’s multi-award-winning V8 twin-turbo unit. So
much has changed that it’s almost a new engine. For
starters, it’s grown in size from 3902cc to 3990cc
thanks to a larger bore of 88mm. It also has a new
cylinder head, fuel injection system, valves,
intake/exhaust manifolds, con rods and pistons, to
name just a few. The exhaust system now sits higher
up, as evidenced by the tail pipes that dramatically exit
at almost hip height.
The new V8’s power leaps up to no less than 780hp,
as well as delivering significantly better fuel efficiency.
To this you can then add the oomph of three electric
motors, the power of which (220hp combined) makes
the SF90’s total power output a scarcely believable
1000hp, while peak combined torque is a monumental
900Nm. The single rear electric motor, which Ferrari
calls the MGUK (Motor Generator Unit, Kinetic) sits
between the engine and the new transmission, while a
further two electric motors power the front axle.
The dual-clutch transmission is all-new, too, evolving
from seven gears to eight. The first seven gears are
focused on delivering peak performance, the eighth on
cruising efficiency, while the new clutch design means
the engine/gearbox assembly sits 15mm lower down
in the car, benefiting handling. The gearbox is also
10kg lighter than the old seven-speed unit, partly
down to the fact that there’s no reverse gear – that’s
now incorporated into the front electric motors.
There’s no longer a starter motor, either, since the
electric motor now performs that function, and nor is
there an alternator.
This all saves weight, but the main weight-saving