14 http://www.evoIndia.com | July 2019
the cylinder heads are narrower, with redesigned
combustion chambers and central injectors,
and weight has been saved by changing the
material of the exhaust manifolds from steel to
Inconel. The whole lower part of the crankcase
has been redesigned too; the diameter of the
flywheel has been reduced, allowing the engine
to be mounted 50mm lower in the chassis. The
dual-clutch transmission has been completely
reworked and is 7kg lighter despite an increase
both in ratios – from seven to eight – and torque
capacity, now up to 900Nm.
The electric powertrain features two electric
motors for the front axle and a further motor
between the engine and gearbox, like on
Honda’s NSX. The two front motors drive the
front wheels independently, and at the rear the
e-diff manages drive to individual rear wheels,
allowing advanced torque vectoring and giving
multiple options to optimise the handling.
A new Electronic Side Slip Control system
manages on-limit behaviour and, with drive to
the front wheels, should be even more effective
than earlier SSC incarnations.
The front motors also provide drive in the
pure-electric eDrive mode, offering up to 25km
from fully charged batteries. So in this mode,
the SF90 is Ferrari’s first front-drive car! The
motors are also used to drive the car backwards,
allowing Ferrari to eliminate reverse gear from
the dual-clutch ’box and save a further three kg.
There are four selectable hybrid drive modes,
including eDrive. The default is Hybrid, a general
driving mode where the drivetrain manages
itself, choosing the appropriate propulsion
system based on demand and transforming
regenerative energy into battery charge.
Performance mode keeps the V8 running the
whole time to keep the battery topped up so
that maximum response is always available, and
Qualify prioritises full availability of that 986bhp.
The SF90’s braking system is Ferrari’s first
brake-by-wire setup on a road car, as it has to
be to successfully combine and blend braking
from a conventional hydraulic circuit with
regenerative braking from the electric motors.The hydraulic side is only used in heavy braking,
but nonetheless features new Brembo front
brake calipers with aero scoops that take full
advantage of the airflow from the intakes
beneath the new headlamps.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, there is no part of
the engine to be seen in the rear-view mirror, but
it should be more apparent when you’re driving
because Ferrari has worked hard to create a
richer, more engaging exhaust note throughout
the rev range. The cockpit looks different thanks
to the new HMI. There are push buttons on the
steering wheel for the indicators and a couple
of new knurled thumbwheels for wipers and
lights but, boldly, the rest of the switchgear
is provided by touchpads with hidden-till-lit
symbols. Personally, I think it’s a shame that the
‘start’ button is just a part of the touchscreen
rather than a dedicated physical button.
A smaller manettino toggle accesses
the usual drive mode functions, while the
trio of centre-console switches for reverse,
auto/manual and launch control are set in
an aluminium finisher styled to look like the
traditional gate of a manual shifter. ‘Key off’, the
space where the dials should be is flat black
like the touchpads because the instruments,
navigation and car info are provided by a curved,
16-inch digital screen shaped to fit the binnacle.
Lit, there’s the familiar, large central tachometer,SIDE SLIP
CONTROL
SHOULD BE
EVEN MORE
EFFECTIVE
WITH DRIVEN
FRONT WHEELS