In 2019, Ferrari debuted the brand's first-ever plug-in hybrid vehicle. It is a supercar that has laid down the marker much in the same way as the LaFerrari did back in 2013. However, as impressive as the hallowed hypercar was and still is, the SF90 Stradale is so much more. It is even quicker off the line than the LaFerrari, thanks to its all-wheel-drive system and more horsepower than has ever been packed into a Ferrari production car. The name 'SF90' commemorates the 90th anniversary of the Scuderia Ferrari race team while 'Stradale' is a subtle hint alluding to the transfer of F1 technology into a road car.
Unlike the LaFerrari, the SF90 Stradale is going to be a regular production Ferrari, which means more people will have the opportunity to enjoy the incredible capabilities of the car...if they can afford its $500,000 base price, that is. Here then, are a few standout features of why the SF90 Stradale is such a special supercar.
10 A Formidable Power Plant
The SF90 Stradale is powered by a combination of an internal combustion engine and 3 electric motors. However, even working alone, the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 still generates more power than a lot of modern supercars out there. It is officially rated at 769 hp at 7,500 rpm, making it the most powerful V8 ever installed in a road-going Ferrari.
Things get even more interesting when you toss in the combined power of the electric motors, leading to a total output of 986 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Backed by this power, the SF90 has a blistering turn of pace, able to hit 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds and cross the quarter-mile in 9.5 seconds at 148 mph.
9 More on the Electric Motors
The electric motors don't just act as a backup to the V8 engine. On their own, they generate about 218 hp, drawing from the small lithium-ion battery in the car. The SF90 is the first Ferrari road car that can move purely under battery power.
The electric motors can propel the supercar to a top speed of 84 mph. There's also enough juice in a fully charged battery to take the car to somewhere about the 15-mile mark before the driver either has to switch to the V8, find a charging station, or call a tow truck.
8 The Reverse Gear...Or Lack Thereof
The electric motors and lithium-ion batteries contribute significant mass to the overall mass of the SF90 Stradale and so Ferrari had to figure out other ways to cut down on the car's weight. One of the strategies employed is by doing away with the components that manage the reverse gear in the 8-speed gearbox system.
The car can still move backward though. It relies on the twin electric motors mounted on the front wheels for the task. In cases where the motors have no power, the V8 engine can send power to the battery and then onward to the motors for a fresh burst of life - a really clever system indeed.
7 Reinvented Dashboard Design
Gone are the days when the dashboard and steering wheel of the Ferrari are taken over by physical dials that control various vehicular functions. The brand fully embraced the tenets of modern styling when it came to designing the car's interior
Most notably, the iconic rev counter is gone and some people will not like that but the replacement is arguably just as good and more aesthetic - a 16-inch center screen that's largely operated by thumb swipes on the steering wheel.
6 The Clever Aero System
At the rear of the supercar is a wing that's able to generate up to 860 lbs of downforce at 155 mph to help keep the car planted but that's not all. That rear wing includes a clever design element that's reportedly being patented by Ferrari.
The wing is mostly fixed and it's only a smaller center section that moves. That means smaller motors are required for the operation, saving some weight. At the front, there's an 'S-duct' that channels air through the hood and a complex system of vortex generators to generate downforce over the front axle.
5 Smart Cooling Flow Management System
Packed within the frame of Ferrari's plug-in hybrid are a sophisticated performance system made up of the internal combustion engine, electric motors, battery pack, gearbox, and brakes. All these elements require cooling and in a car that can generate temperatures of nearly 1652°F (900°C), it becomes even more crucial to have an effective thermal management system.
Luckily, Ferrari has got that covered with several ingenious techniques that include among others, a completely redesigned cooling circuit for the brakes to maximize performance
4 One Last Thing About The Electric Motors
Two of the electric motors help drive the front axle but the focus here is on the third one. That one slot in between the engine and 8-speed automatic gearbox system is also referred to as the Motor Generator Unit, Kinetic (MGUK).
It is based on a technology derived directly from Formula One cars. It drives the rear wheels but can also help the Ferrari supercar recapture kinetic energy that would have otherwise been lost under braking.
3 Four Wheel Drive
It has been a long time coming but finally, we get the first mid-engine, V-8 powered, 4WD car to wear the Prancing Horse logo. The system allows the car to fully exploit the thrust offered by the electric motors for instant acceleration off the line.
There's also a unique torque vectoring system that can actually vary the amount of torque delivered to the outside and inside of each wheel, greatly improving the car's cornering performance at speed.
2 The Manettino Lever
The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is modern in every sense; pushing the brand into new technology frontiers. That is why the Manettino lever is all the more endearing with a styling that's a direct nod to the gated transmission design found in classic Ferraris.
The little lever allows the driver to switch between 4 available driving modes - eDrive, Hybrid, Performance, and Qualify. Each one of them comes with particular settings for the traction control, suspension settings, electronic differential, and gearbox response. The functions can also be carried out with a haptic switch toggle on the steering wheel but that tiny manettino lever looks way cooler.
1 The Assetto Fiorano Package
Even in its stock form, the SF90 is a monster of a supercar, capable of mind-bending numbers. However, for some, that may still not be enough for the ultimate thrill. Ferrari is well aware of this which is why the Assetto Fiorano package was introduced along with the launch of the supercar.
It is essentially a track package designed to unlock even more performance from the car and includes add-ons like racing-derived Multimatic shock absorbers, carbon-fiber rear spoiler, titanium springs, and exhaust. The Assetto Fiorano package does take away the lift system but it's a small price to pay considering the results.