McLaren just introduced the new W1. Porsche will pull back the cover on its latest hypercar in a few months. Now, more than a decade after the introduction of the LaFerrari, Ferrari has a new flagship dubbed the F80. And just like the LaFerrari, this one hopes to rewrite hypercar history.
The big news is what's under the hood: A hybrid V-6. Ferrari chopped its iconic V-12 in half and slapped three electric motors into the powertrain. The 3.0-liter engine alone makes 900 horsepower, and when combined with the electric motors, the F80 has a total output of 1,184 hp. It's the most powerful Ferrari ever built.
It takes just 2.15 seconds for the Ferrari F80 to reach 62 miles per hour, and 5.75 seconds to reach 125. The F80's top speed is listed at 217.5 mph—quicker and (slightly) faster than the McLaren W1.
The 3.0-liter V-6 is loosely the same 120-degree, hot-v engine from the 296 sports car and 499P Le Mans race car. And even though it has roughly 237 more hp than the 296, it doesn't gain any weight.
Ferrari engineers modified the ignition and injection timing, and increased the combustion chamber pressure by 20 percent compared to the 296. The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission was specially calibrated to account for that added pressure, and the electric turbos—with a motor on the shaft between the turbine and compressor—virtually eliminate lag. With those upgrades, the V-6 achieves a maximum engine speed of 9,000 rpm, with a dynamic limiter at 9,200 rpm.
Ferrari developed and built its electric motors in-house. The front axle houses two plus an inverter and an integrated cooling system, while the third motor is located on the rear. The two motors up front allow for torque vectoring and can send up to 210 kilowatts back to the front axle through regenerative braking.
Now, more than a decade after the introduction of the LaFerrari, Ferrari has a new flagship dubbed the F80. And just like the LaFerrari, this one hopes to rewrite hypercar history.
The electric motor on the rear performs three basic functions: Starting the gas engine, recovering energy, and adding additional torque when necessary. It'll add an extra 80 hp to the total output and can recoup 70 kW of energy in regeneration mode. All three of those electric motors are connected to an 800-volt lithium-cell battery pack with a total capacity of 2.3 kilowatt-hours, dishing out a total output of 325 hp.
The F80 uses an asymmetrical monocoque chassis constructed of carbon fiber and composite materials. The roof is made entirely of carbon fiber, and both the front and rear subframes are aluminum. The asymmetrical design of the chassis means that the driver's seat is adjustable (as opposed to the fixed positioning on the W1 and other monocoque supercars, the LaFerrari included), while the F80's butterfly doors allow for easier ingress and egress—plus they just look cool.
The F80 has a traditional two-seat layout with a driver-focused cockpit—Ferrari calls it a "1+" configuration. The control panel is angled toward the driver, and the driver's seat is a bright red adjustable sport bucket, as opposed to the passenger's seat, which is fixed to the chassis. Ferrari also created a new steering wheel for the F80 with a flatter top and bottom that will make its way to other Ferrari models in the future.
Flavio Manzoni penned the F80's design at the Ferrari Styling Center in Maranello with retro cues like the Daytona-inspired headlight "visor" and the F40-inspired rear wheel arches. The greenhouse sits nearly 2.0 inches lower than that of the LaFerrari, and active aero gives the F80 two unique visual flavors at the rear.
Ferrari took most of its aerodynamic cues from Formula 1—as you'd expect. The pointed nose combined with Ferrari's signature S-Duct gives the F80 a whopping 1,014 pounds of downforce at 155 miles per hour on the front end alone. With an active wing and a massive 71.0-inch diffuser, the F80 produces 1,300 pounds of downforce at the rear, for a total of 2,204 pounds of downforce at 155 mph—nearly identical to the McLaren W1's 2,205 pounds, though that’s achieved at 174 mph.
The Ferrari F80 has three different drive modes: Hybrid, Performance, and Qualify. The F80 does not have a fully electric drive mode like the W1 (or other Ferrari hybrids), but the default Hybrid mode prioritizes energy recovery and battery charge, while Performance mode doles out more power while keeping the battery at a charge state of around 70 percent. Qualify mode, as you'd expect, unleashes the F80's full power.
Ferrari also introduced a new technology called Boost Optimization that drivers can access in Performance and Qualify mode. After a quick reconnaissance lap at your preferred track, Boost Optimization will recognize specific areas of the course where it can deliver additional boost—on a long straight, for example—and dole out power as it sees fit.
To bring the F80 back down to speed on those long straights, Ferrari worked directly with Brembo to introduce new CCM-R Plus braking technology. The advanced carbon brakes use longer fibers that improve mechanical strength over traditional carbon fiber brakes by 100 percent, while improving thermal connectivity by 300 percent.
Like the Purosangue, the F80 also gets an active-suspension system, based on spool-valve dampers from Multimatic. Each damper has a motor that can brake or accelerate the piston, eliminating the need for anti-roll bars and allowing for a huge spread between ride quality and handling performance. The suspension system also ensures a very stable aerodynamic platform, essential for a high-downforce car like this.
Buyers can choose from two excellent tire options: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s or Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs, measuring 285/30 front and 345/30 in the rear. And Ferrari even offers some active safety equipment; Automatic emergency braking, a lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic high-beam assist, and traffic sign recognition.
The Ferrari F80 costs €3.6 million—or about $4 million USD at current conversion rates. That makes it, easily, the most expensive new Ferrari of all time, and double the price of the W1. Only 799 will be built. Production kicks off at the end of 2025 and will last until 2027.
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