As much as Jay Leno loves Ferraris, he avoids buying them, citing hassles with dealerships and its reputation for offering poor returns on investment as reasons. So in his massive collection estimated to be worth as high as $100 million, none of them has a prancing horse badge. But that doesn't stop the former talk show host from bringing on guest collectors willing to show off their Ferraris. And in this latest video released Monday, his animosity towards Ferrari doesn't stop him from being gobsmacked over the new SF90.
Faster, More Powerful, And Cheaper Than Other Ferraris
Right off the bat, Leno's impressed that the SF90 is faster and more powerful than anything the company's rolled out over the years, but it's also hundreds of thousands of dollars cheaper than other higher Ferrari models. "This shows you the efficiency of manufacturing and packing," he noted. "To me, that's always progress."
This SF90 is a four-wheel drive, a format that Leno has issues with in terms of handling. But that's not the case with this Ferrari that also features an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. He's also impressed with the carbon-composite brakes that are nearly as large as the wheels. But a bonus in this hybrid is the three electric motors, which have a bit more kick than their predecessors in that drivers can go as far as 60 miles before needing a charge.
Do The Math: 980 Horsepower
Those motors, combined with a 3.99-liter V8 engine armed with two turbochargers, account for nearly a thousand horsepower—980, to be exact. The internal combustion heart pumps out 769 horsepower, while the electric motor trio cumulatively provides 220 horses.
While Leno's a nut about technical details about cars, he can't help but gape at how good this Ferrari looks. "I'm not a big fan of the atomic insect look that a lot of cars have now," he said. "It's a kind of car that will look new for a long, long time. You look at the Countach; it looks like the mid '80s and it will look like the mid-'80s. Whereas this... I like the style. It's a fun car to wash."
Trouble-free Steering And Stability
It's also a fun car to drive, as Leno's in seventh heaven behind the wheel of the new Ferrari. "We are living in the golden age of the supercar," he said. "The hypercar, we should call it." And for a guy who has an arsenal of top performers in his garage, you'd think he'd be accustomed to driving something with a thousand horsepower.
Nope, the adrenaline rush is still there. And with the assistance of the stability and traction controls, Leno ikes the trouble-free effort to gun the thing down the freeway. Just a gentle touch of the throttle is enough to push the celebrity over the edge of ecstasy.
"It almost feels like all four tires are breaking loose!" he exclaimed. In reality, the Ferrari came back in one piece. Leno, on the other hand, was likely all over the landscape. And once Leno is back together, it's not likely he'll buy a Ferrari, but won't hesitate to drive someone else's.
Source: Jay Leno's Garage