Car on show: LaFerrari
No, we can’t quite believe it either, but Ferrari has called its fastest roadcar ever built… LaFerrari.
Moving on from the silly name, everything else about this car is deeply impressive. Developed directly from experience gained in Formula One, the hypercar introduces a hybrid system to the firm’s range and makes use of KERS technology. Termed HY-KERS the device has two electric motors; one for the driven wheels and the other for the car’s ancillaries.
The system, including its batteries, only adds another 60kg to the LaFerrari’s overall weight, and keeps engine revs high in corners ready to accelerate out of them in an instant. Any excess torque produced by the engine under braking or on a balanced throttle under cornering is sent to the batteries ready to use when full acceleration is called upon.
That weight’s been healthily counteracted by some clever engineering, including the use of four different types of carbon fibre in the chassis and construction techniques also found in the firm’s F1 cars. Another single-seater influence to make it onto the road car is the fixed seat, which is surrounded by an adjustable steering wheel and pedalbox. Overall the chassis is 27 per cent more torsionally rigid than before.
Active Aerodynamics, a 41/59 front to rear weight distribution and specially designed Carbon Ceramic Brembo brakes ensure that the LaFerrari is as capable as you could wish for on the twisties, but it’s the straight-line figures that really impress.
With a high revving (9,250rpm) 6.3-litre V12 producing 789bhp and 700Nm combined with a 161bhp electric motor the combined output for the car is a staggering 950bhp and 900Nm. Put all of that power down and you can expect the Ferrari to complete the 0-62mph sprint in under three seconds and top out at over 217mph. What’s more surprising though is the sub 7 second 0-124mph and 15 second 0-186mph times though.
Only 499 of the cars will be produced worldwide, and you know what they say – if you have to ask how much, then you can’t afford it.
