In our ever-expanding, attention-deficient world, we have been conditioned always to demand, “What’s next?! ” The lifecycles of every kind of product, from insulated water bottles to smartwatches, have slowly been cut down so that manufacturers can capitalize on the novelty of the next new thing. But there are tiers of reactions, depending on what that new item happens to be.
While a new iPhone or PlayStation typically raises exceptional amounts of fanfare among each’s respective fan base, when it comes to a brand-new, top-tier Ferrari, the entire world stops and gasps at the sight of one. Even non-car people who don’t fully understand what they’re looking at will know the new Ferrari F80 is special. Picking up where it left off with the amazing SF90 Stradale and Spyder, Ferrari took what it learned about hybrid powertrains and literally and figuratively ratcheted up the power and performance to create the latest and greatest hyper-horse-halo-car.
The Ferrari F80 is the great, great-grandchild of the iconic F40
The F80 sits atop one of the most prestigious bloodlines in all of the autoverse. Beginning in 1984 with the 288 GTO, after which Ferrari created the iconic and timeless F40, followed by the F50, a car we consider the most underrated Ferrari of all time. Ferrari got away from the F-cars to create the Enzo as a testament to the company’s eponymous founder, and finally added the hybrid-powered LaFerrari in 2013.
More than a decade later, we now have the awesome F80, which may seem like a big jump in numbers from the F50, but if we could see the Enzo as the “F60” and the LaFerrari as the “F70,” then Ferrari is right on track (no pun intended) with the latest iteration being called the F80.
The F80 is the most powerful production car Ferrari has ever made
Beginning with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo DOHC V-6, the mighty F80 produces 888 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque before its three electric motors contribute their own power to the mix. Two front and one rear electric motors work in harmony to tack on another 296 hp and 166 lb-ft of torque for a total of 1,184 hp and 793 lb-ft of combined power, making the F80 the most powerful production road car to ever come from Maranello.
The F80’s V6 has the highest specific output of any Ferrari to date. With a staggering 296 hp/liter, the F80 surpasses even the potent 296 GTB’s 218.6 hp/liter by a considerable margin.
The Ferrari F80 is amazingly aerodynamic
The F80 benefits from the “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday” mantra. Thanks to an active suspension that uses a rear wing that can attain up to 10 inches in height and adjust up to 11 degrees, the car can raise and lower depending on which drive mode you select. Extensive use of lightweight titanium, aluminum, and carbon fiber offset the additional weight tacked on by the electric components of its hybrid drivetrain.
Tipping the scales at just 3,362 pounds, the F80’s dry weight is comparable to that of even the most nostalgic cars of the 1990s. Another impressive number is 2,315 pounds, which is the amount of downforce the F80 generates at 155 mph, which for perspective, eclipses the incredible McLaren Senna by more than 500 pounds at the same speed.
The Ferrari F80 is a slightly domesticated F1 car
The F80’s interior is about as Spartan as it gets, considering the car’s price tag (more on that in a moment). But much like its predecessors, the Halo Ferrari is essentially a detuned F1 car for the street. Slightly detuned. Inside the carbon fiber cockpit, it becomes clear that the driver is the center of attention, while the passenger is quite literally just along for the ride. So much so, that Ferrari calls the seating arrangement a “+1” setup, where the driver’s position is skewed more toward the center of the cabin than one might expect. The effect is not as dramatic as the McLaren F1’s center seat setup, but the passenger seat does sit slightly rearward compared to the driver’s seat.
The F1-style steering wheel was designed specifically for the F80, though Ferrari says it may appear on future models. The material it comprises maximizes grip without the need for racing gloves. Thankfully, Ferrari has brought back actual analog buttons to replace the digital layout of yesteryear, citing a fact that almost all of us knew: Buttons can be used while keeping both eyes on the road. And every microsecond counts in a car as quick as the F80.
Ferrari says the F80 can run from 0 to 62 mph in 2.15 seconds
Thanks to the annoying conversion of metric to standard, 0 to 100 km/h translates to 62 mph, not 60. So, the official time Ferrari quotes is 0 to 100 km/h in 2.15 seconds, which we can then estimate would be just under that once-impossible 2-second barrier.
Ferrari also lists a 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) of just 5.75 seconds. For perspective, that 0 to 200 km/h time makes the F80 quicker than even the fastest Bugatti to date, at least up to 124 mph. The top speed for the F80 is 350 km/h, which equates to just under 215 mph, which is well shy of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+’s record-breaking, top-end run.
The Ferrari F80 has a price tag of $3.9 million
Much like its limited-edition predecessors, Ferrari says it will only produce 799 units of the F80. With a price tag of $3.6 million euros, which converts to about $3.9 million at the time of this writing, the F80 adds “most expensive Ferrari of all time” to its list of accolades.
While it may seem excessive, there is no shortage of multi-millionaires and billionaires who have been chomping at the bit for the next thoroughbred from the Prancing Horse. Crazier still, if the F80 follows the collectibility legacy of its bloodline, $4 million might seem like a relative bargain in the not-to-distant future. It’s good to be king.
