What in tarnation is this thing?!
Oh, nothing much. It's just the SF90 Stradale, which happens to be the most powerful Ferrari ever built and the company's first-ever plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
Most powerful? PHEV? What are we talking, here?
Try this on for size. The SF90 has the award-winning 3.9-litre biturbo V8, from something like a F8 Tributo or 488 Pista, only with a larger 88mm bore taking capacity up to 3,990cc and thus a 4.0-litre rating. With 780hp and 800Nm, that already makes it the most powerful Ferrari eight-cylinder ever built, but three electric motors - a kinetic recovery MGU item sandwiched between the engine and a new eight-speed, twin 'wet' clutch gearbox, and two on the front axle that can do full torque vectoring and so on - boost the former figure by another 220hp and the latter to 900Nm for brief periods of time. And yes, simple maths should tell you that the SF90 therefore has a peak output of 1,000hp.
Good lord! Is it quick?
Is it quick? Is it quick?! What do you think?! Weighing in at 1,570kg and capable of generating 390kg of downforce, the SF90 has a top speed of 212mph. This, though, isn't a patch on its acceleration. Because it has four-wheel drive; yup, with those front electric motors handling the leading axle and the V8 driving the rear wheels, clever systems make the SF90 Stradale all-wheel drive. Which means, with its 637hp-per-tonne power-to-weight ratio, it will hit 62mph from rest in just 2.5 seconds and will go on to double that speed in a mere 6.7 seconds overall. It has also lapped Fiorano in a ridiculous 1m 19sec. Oh, and if you're more interested in its eco-powers, then know that it can go 15.6 miles on electric power alone and has a zero-emissions top speed of 84mph. And to clarify the 'first Ferrari PHEV' stuff, if you're thinking the LaFerrari was a PHEV, you're wrong; that was 'only' a regular hybrid.
It looks good, doesn't it?
It most certaianly does. It has a more cab-forward stance than Ferrari's other mid-rear-engined Berlinettas from the past two decades, with a lower tail to boot. Flavio Manzoni led the design team responsible for the SF90's looks and we think he's done a sterling job; slim light clusters, high exhausts, dramatic flying buttresses... it has the lot. And it looks gorgeous. Inside, a new cabin architecture that's inspired by the aeronautics industry is dominated by a 16-inch digital instrument cluster and a steering wheel that controls practically all the major functions of the car, meaning you never have to take your hands off the wheel of this mighty machine. Just touching on its mechanical make-up once more, it'll feature tricks like electronic Side Slip Control (eSSC) with electric Traction Control (eTC), and a brake-by-wire system with ABS and EBD, these latter items capable of hauling the SF90 Stradale from 62mph to a complete halt in less than 29.5 metres.
Anything else to add right now?
Well, its name is to do with it being the 90th anniversary of the foundation of Scuderia Ferrari, the brand's racing division, so that's nice, while an Assetto Fiorano specification will add Multimatic shock absorbers, more carbon-fibre and titanium components for a further 30kg weight saving, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Yup, there's an even faster package for a car that has 1,000hp. Saints alive.
Matt Robinson - 29 May 2019
