The Ferrari F80 opens a new chapter in the history of legendary supercars bearing the Prancing Horse badge. The F80 will be produced in a limited run of just 799 examples and joins icons such as the GTO, F40 and LaFerrari in showcasing the best that the Maranello-based marque has achieved in terms of technology and performance.
In addition to this is a further 300 hp produced by the hybrid system, consisting of the e-4WD electric front axle and MGU-K electric motor. The link with motorsports plays an essential role: the architecture of this engine and many of its components are closely derived from the powerplant of the 499P which won the last two editions of the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans of the WEC World Endurance Championship.
The concepts of the MGU-K (which has given shape to an industrially manufacturable electric motor similar to the unit used in Ferrari F1 cars) and the MGU-H (with e-turbo technology developed specifically for this application used to generate electric power from excess kinetic energy recovered from the turbochargers) were both carried over from Formula 1 race cars.
E-turbo technology makes it possible to use larger turbochargers, for maximised performance at mid to high engine speeds, by using electric machines integrated in the turbochargers themselves to negate turbo lag at low engine speeds. The MGU-H system also allowed the use of dynamic map calibrations, which benefit from the fact that knock and compressor surge condition limits are different in dynamic and stationary conditions.
This made it possible to develop a dedicated calibration for each gear, allowing the engine to attain levels of responsiveness comparable to a naturally aspirated engine in all operating conditions.
The F80 takes aerodynamic performance to levels never seen before on a road-going Ferrari: with 1050 kg of downforce generated at 250 km/h by the combined action of the huge active rear wing, extractor, underfloor and front section, the latter producing 460 kg of downforce on its own at 250 km/h with solutions, namely the S-Duct and triplane wing, inspired by motorsports.
The active wing, the most visually distinctive aero feature of the new supercar from Maranello, features an actuator system that not only adjusts height but also controls angle of attack continuously and dynamically, for precisely modulable downforce and drag.
In the High Downforce (HD) configuration, which is used during braking, turn-in and cornering, the wing assumes an angle of 11° relative to the direction of the air flow to generate over 180 kg of downforce at 250 km/h.
At the extreme opposite of its range of rotation, the wing is in Low Drag (LD) configuration, with the leading edge pitched upwards. Drag is much lower in this configuration, not only because of the reduction in lift, but also due to the tractive effect generated by the residual low-pressure zone impinging on the underside of the wing itself.
The new active suspension system, with an individual 48 V electric actuator motor for each of the four corners, contributes to generating downforce and maximising stability when cornering: the suspension ensures the extreme stiffness needed where variations in ride height must be minimised as much as possible, but also the suppleness to effectively soak up bumps in the road surface during road usage.
This means that the car boasts outstanding driveability on the road, but can also manage downforce optimally in all possible conditions, making it effective on the track yet perfectly usable on the road without making extreme compromises.
Another major evolution introduced by the F80 is the new SSC 9.0 (Side Slip Control) system, which now benefits from the integrated FIVE (Ferrari Integrated Vehicle Estimator) function.
The new estimator is based on the concept of the digital twin, a mathematical model that uses the parameters acquired by sensors installed on the car to replicate its behaviour virtually.
The Ferrari F80 reconciles the functional needs of performance and high technology in an all-new design language which is nonetheless steeped in Ferrari DNA. The result of the work by the team at the Ferrari Styling Centre headed by Flavio Manzoni is a car with a modern and innovative visual identity which, while capable of accommodating a passenger without sacrificing comfort, offers the uncompromised experience of single seater.
With bold references to aerospace, the design for the F80 was guided by a futuristic approach, and features an architecture defined by a dihedral cross section with its two bottom corners firmly planted on the wheels.
In the side view, the rear section has a sculpted flow that emphasises the muscularity of the entire rear wing.
At the front, an upright panel feature standing proud from the door acts as an extension to the wheel arch, paying homage to the visual language of the F40.
Rising out from the volumes of the lower body is the cabin, a floating bubble structure of unexpected volumes, and the product of an exacting study in architecture and proportion.
A whole 50 mm lower than the greenhouse of the LaFerrari, the cab has a significant effect on the perception of volume, broadening the shoulders of the car to give the cockpit an even more compact look.
With the rear spoiler raised, the car expresses even more power and dynamism as the difference in visual balance between the two configurations reveals the other side of its character.
The functional needs of the car have been resolved visually in the design to create the perfect dialogue between performance and form.
Like the exterior, the interior design of the F80 makes no secret of the inspiration it draws from the world of motorsports, and from Formula 1 race cars in particular.
A project involving designers, engineers, ergonomics specialists and Colour & Trim experts working in concert culminated in an original new solution that sets the driver unequivocally as the protagonist in the cabin and transforms the car into a “1+”.
The cockpit is centred entirely around the driver, enveloping them completely, and even the forms of the dashboard are oriented towards the driver side. The passenger, on the other hand, has a fixed seat integrated perfectly into the trim of the cabin.
The F80 features a completely new steering wheel: around 14 mm smaller in diameter than its predecessor, the new wheel has flattened top and bottom rims, and a boss measuring 70 mm less in height to improve visibility and accentuate the sense of sportiness when driving.
The lateral zones of the rim are optimised to ensure a better grip with or without gloves. The physical buttons on the right and left hand spokes of the steering wheel make a return here, replacing the full-digital layout used by Ferrari in recent years with a solution with easier to use buttons that can be instantly identified by touch. This change will also be extended to other road-going Ferraris in future.