SUPERCAR GLORY
THE FERRARI SF90 EXPERIENCE
Solid, Fast and Purposeful
| ENGINE | V8 3990cc |
|---|---|
| TORQUE | 800Nm | Max @ 6000 RPM |
| 0-62 MPH | 2.5 SECS |
| TOP SPEED | 211 MPH |
| POWER | 986 BHP |
| PRICE | £376,048 |
In full race mode I am piloting a road vehicle that churns out not far off 1000bhp. That is about five times the power of an average road vehicle or about the same as a current Formula 1 car. Yet actually, it is a much bigger point of reflection than that. You see, I am driving a Ferrari, so maybe this latter point should rightly have taken precedence over the first. Enthusiasts don’t buy a Ferrari ‘because it has 986bhp’; Ferrari is typically their ‘first love’.
And there is good reason for this; for Ferrari is a company that lives and breathes its own DNA. I am reminded of 2004 when the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was launched at Ferrari HQ in Maranello, Italy. After a blistering test drive, we were greeted at the factory gates by a small studious gathering of Ferrari engineers, notepads and pens at the ready, waiting eagerly to hear our views on the car. They asked questions, we answered, and they eagerly took notes. They nodded their heads with approval when we praised the car, but even the slightest criticism they would take to heart, subsequently unable to rest until the matter was resolved in some way. I loved that, seeing how passionate Ferrari are about the brand; it inevitably translates to the product.
With the SF90 Ferrari have again produced something rather special. A Supercar with hyper car performance which at around £350,000, makes it about three times cheaper than the £1 million plus you might otherwise be paying for this level of performance in a limited production Hypercar. It’s Ferrari’s very first plug-in hybrid. The engine is a 4.0 litre twin turbocharged V8. That takes care of 760bhp. It is assisted by three electric motors powered by an 8kW lithium-ion battery. Two of these motors power the front wheels, whilst the third motor is mounted between the engine and the transmitsion driving the rear axle, between them adding another 217bhp. Simple maths achieves a total of 987bhp.
Complex
It is indeed a complex equation, yet in terms of pure straight-line performance the results are pretty impressive; 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds, 0 -124mph in 6.7 seconds, and a top end of 211mph. The partnership between electric and combustion power is divided according to the power option you choose once behind the wheel; ‘e-drive’ (electric only) propels only the front wheels for toddling around town; it’s all in a ‘whirry silence’, which along with the futuristic look of the car is the stuff made of science fiction comic books. Step up a level to the ‘hybrid’ setting then the electronically driven front axle works with the petrol electric rear axle, effectively creating a four-wheel drive affair.
Above 135mph the front axle decouples, and battery power is totally focused to the rear, as from thereon warp speed levels of performance have licence to take over. The gearbox is a new 8 speed evolution of the F1 dual clutch transmission, allowing the SF90 to cope with a staggering 770Nm of torque; there’s a lot happening when you flick through those eight gears of an SF90.
The complexity of the SF90 extends well beyond its powertrain. It’s multiple curves and vents are designed to harness or dispose of air to keep the car rock solid at high speed, the highlight being the ‘shut off Gurney’ that opens and closes automatically to generate maximum downforce when required. Even the wheels have been designed aerodynamically too, with wing profiles between the spokes acting as rotors to develop additional downforce on the car.
Inside, it’s pretty much all digital, dominated on the driver’s side by a 16-inch curved screen of analogue dials. All controls are operated via the steering wheel with two Manettinos, which are basically rotary switches on the steering wheel; one for the SF90’s dynamic modes, and another to select the powertrain.
‘Chillin’ Inside the SF90
On The Road
Just even the knowledge of this complex, high-speed, focused technology can be rather daunting on first acquaintance. Thankfully it is not for the driver. For myself, and indeed many of my colleagues working on the big mag motoring titles in this industry, it has taken some adjustment to the management of expectation when you press the throttle on this new mega hybrid Ferrari.
We are used to telling you about the explosion from the exhaust as a plethora of multi valve cylinders burst into life. Next, how the car mates various melodies of exhaust note with incremental stages of surging excitement through the gears. Not this time; instead, it is a mild electrical whir and silence behind the wheel. Simply put it’s not all that ‘Ferrari’, but instead awakens you to elements of the car that’s easily overlooked when you are enjoying the intoxicating sounds of a Ferrari engine.
Disappointing? Not really. That hum is quite musical anyway, and you have after all opted for a hybrid electric Ferrari. Instead, you can immediately appreciate the pin head accuracy of the steering, and the ‘go kart’ feel to the chassis, which is actually rewarding at even very low speeds. You immediately get that initial feel for the massive amounts of grip this car has at its disposal, making it feel extremely safe at very low speeds, and able to pretty much stop dead in its tracks at any legal speed.
Bliss!
Easy Does It
On the first occasion behind the wheel of the SF90, you should take some time to get acquainted with the car. Firstly, there’s the familiarisation time you need to get your head around the instant warp speed potential of one of the fastest accelerating cars on the planet. One careless blip on the throttle could have you looking at 140mph, when you thought you were doing 70mph ahead of the unmarked Police car behind. Soon, a feather touch on the throttle becomes the norm, but so too is the continuous urge to ’floor it’ if I’m honest. That’s because the engine has kicked in now, and that familiar ‘Ferrari feeling’ is coming back. Thankfully -but definitely not easily - that right foot of mine stayed remarkably tame, keeping at 70mph all the way to the Eurotunnel; it took self-discipline, but it gave time enough to reflect on the extra driving pleasure a latent 1000bhp affords.
For obvious reasons, there is limited opportunity to explore the depths of an SF90’s capability. It will be rare indeed, even for the most proficient of drivers who expect to walk away with a licence; but an SF90 owner should be keen enough to make the effort, and to find the terrain that will do this car justice. We did, on some choice back roads on the outskirts of Le Mans….and Wow, just Wow! First, you must concentrate hard, because the acceleration of the SF90 literally pins you to the seat, the braking - and indeed grip under braking - is so tenacious that your body is being pulled to the windscreen despite being pinned locked to the seat by the racing harnesses of this higher spec Fiorano version of the car.
Once you have the engine on song and are working just below peak torque in any gear, quite frankly, (and this is why you must concentrate) the SF90 covers terrain so fast that even a slight glance from straight ahead is quite frankly stupid; everything flies by in a flurry of blurred detail. This car redefines the meaning of ‘fast’, or put another way, there is ’fast’, ‘really fast’, ‘extremely fast’ and then there’s ‘SF90 fast’ which tops them all! Not long ago I test drove the incredible Ferrari 812 Superfast, (789bhp/0-62mph in 2.9 secs and 211mph) and even that felt relatively tame to the SF90. Yep, it’s that quick.
One can of course question the logic and relevance of producing a road car with this level of power and performance. That preoccupation is likely to rest primarily with those who have never driven the car. The actual driving experience gives you the answers in bucket-oads; there will always be a case for being the best at anything; the SF90 confidently says ‘beat this if you can’. That alone, makes it irresistible.