(Ferrari)
Ferrari’s last three halo Supercars—the LaFerrari, Enzo and F50—have all been powered by the V12 engines the iconic Maranello marque is famous for. So one might reasonably have expected their long-awaited successor—initially codenamed the F250, which has been in the works since the 2016 release of the LaFerrari Aperta—to have one as well, even if in hybrid form (the LaFerrari also has an electric motor). Perhaps the most surprising thing about the F80, as it is now known, therefore is that its main power plant is a twin-turbo V6. Ostensibly this puts it more in line with the 296 GTB, also based on a twin-turbo V6, amongst its road cars. Conceding the point, Ferrari notes that the F80 will be as easy to drive as the 296.
However, while in effect downsizing the ICE engine component, Ferrari has augmented the hybrid boost—to the point where, while halving the cylinders vs. the LaFerrari, they have amped the horsepower up from 949 hp to 1,184 hp, making the F80 the most powerful road-going Ferrari ever built. Limited to just 799 examples priced at $3.9 million, and all of course already spoken for, the F80 also represents an increase in Supercar (the series’ official name) production, as only 499 examples of the LaFerrari were made. This is unlikely to offer much consolation to those who can still only dream of getting an allocation.
(Ferrari)
It’s also Ferrari’s first-ever all-wheel drive Supercar, with suspension borrowed from the Purosangue, adding to its utility. Ferrari calls the F80’s twin-turbo V6 “the ultimate expression of the Ferrari six-cylinder engine, producing an astonishing peak power of 900 hp, making it the Ferrari engine with the highest specific power of all time.” Two additional electric motors bring the total output up to nearly 1,200 hp. “Today in both Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship, powertrains consist of turbo V6 ICE engines mated with an 800 V hybrid system,” the marque notes, should any lingering skepticism remain. “It was only natural then that this architecture—the same architecture used by the 499P, which has taken two consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans—would be transferred into the new F80.”
Capable of 0–62 mph in 2.15 seconds with a top speed “over 217 mph,” the F80’s bloodline goes back to the iconic 288 GTO. “Ever since 1984, Ferrari has periodically released a new Supercar that represented the pinnacle of cutting-edge technology and innovation of its era and that was destined to become enshrined in popular culture,” as the marque, founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1947, puts it. “Intended for the most discerning clients of the brand, these cars immediately became legends in their own lifetime, making an indelible mark not only on the history of Ferrari, but on the history of the automobile itself.” So how does the F80 measure up? When Ferrari F1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. had the opportunity to test out the F80 at the famed Fiorano Circuit in Italy, Leclerc said it was the best road-going Ferrari he’s ever driven. “It’s fast, really fast,” Leclerc enthused. “But what I like most is its predictability. That’s essential to enjoy such power.”
(Ferrari)
“I guess you can understand the excitement and emotional involvement of me and my team in tackling such an important project, because this project is part of what is probably the most relevant legacy, not only of Ferrari, but I would say of automotive history,” Ferrari’s chief design officer, Flavio Manzoni, said at the time of the futuristic F80’s unveiling in October. “In fact, since 1984 Ferrari has given birth to true icons for this brand”—the Supercar series— “designed to achieve maximum performance and representing the pinnacle of technology and innovation even at the design level…. So, you can imagine what the burden of responsibility can be in designing an object that must be part of this strand. Clearly, this is not a project that can come from a preconceived idea of style.”
From the beginning, Manzoni says, “It was clear to us that it would be necessary to achieve the perfect synergy [among] designers, planners, aerodynamic engineers and ergonomists to conceive such a concentrated concentration of technology and innovation. But it was absolutely clear to me and my team that we wanted to do something absolutely futuristic, futuristic and disruptive; we didn’t want to get carried away with a nostalgic or continuity idea. We wanted to really look to the future, to do something absolutely innovative and unexpected.”
(Ferrari)
Of course the design is backed up with an imposing amount of tech, including features like Boost Optimization. After a single lap on any track, the F80 first maps the curves, corners and straightaways to determine where best to apply a performance boost, which it then deploys on the next lap. However, in some areas Ferrari has listened to client feedback and employs distinctly analog details on the new car, such as physical buttons on the steering wheel instead of the not-terribly-popular touchscreen controls found on the SF90 and 296.
Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief marketing and commercial officer, notes that, “The Supercar [series] represents the peak of Ferrari technology, and an important vision of our future performance and design. It represents the biggest dream for every Ferrarista. Every Supercar is remembered for a particularly unique feature: The GTO for its first e-turbo, the F40 for the first rear wing, the F50 for its F1 architecture, the Enzo for butterfly doors, LaFerrari for our first hybrid system.” And the F80 is no exception.
(Ferrari)
Today, he points out, “The pinnacle is our superb V6 turbo, a proven champion, having secured two victories in a row at Le Mans with the 499P. A powertrain that now soars to new heights when paired with our groundbreaking e-turbo. This revolutionary combination unleashes an unprecedented level of power, shattering records with an astonishing specific output of 300 cv/l [296 hp per liter]. The result is a monumental leap forward, a new record for a Ferrari and for a road car.”
As for those who are getting an extremely coveted allocation, Galliera says Ferrari will “start delivering the car, the first unit, at the end of [2025]. The car is already under heavy testing on road, so it has almost completed the last test. And we plan to complete deliveries by 2027…. Which also partially explains the name, which is F80, because [in] 2027 we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the company. So we thought it was a good idea, as we did for the F40”— which inspired the F80’s boxy front fenders—“and the F50, to celebrate this important milestone.”
(Ferrari)
The decision to increase Supercar production from 499 for LaFerrari to 799—representing more than $3 billion in sales—for the F80 wasn’t an easy one; and it still leaves many clients without. “Basically, we just tried to understand how much the world has changed [since LaFerrari] and how much our client profile has changed,” Galliera says. “And so basically, we [decided on] the number according to the number of collectors we have in the world that grew up in the last 10 years. And we kept the number as [low as] possible, considering the amount of requests that we are having. So, if now you come to the second question that normally you do in this consideration, ‘All sold out?’ I would answer in a different way, which is that the big problem we have today is to manage clients that didn’t get an allocation.”
“Even with the F80’s higher production number of 799, it will still be incredibly difficult to acquire, as they’re all already spoken for. Rarity always drives demand and value, and as Ferrari’s latest halo car, the F80 is no exception,” as Ethan Gibson of RM Sotheby’s told Yahoo Finance. “The F80 is destined to become one of the ultimate collector pieces in the automotive world—and even beyond as we see nonautomotive collectors increasingly interested in the finest cars as works of art.”
(Ferrari)
While there has been a lot of discussion around the F80’s price tag, especially give the significant premium over the LaFerrari, a Supercar Series price analysis by duPont Registry showed that collectors have realized significant returns on these halo cars over the years. The 288 GTO, which started it all, has gone from an original sticker of $85,000 in 1984 to about $4.5 million; F40s, launched at $400,000, have risen to around $2–$4 million; F50s now cost around $5 million vs. it’s $475,000 debut price; and Enzos, which originally clocked in at $650,000, now cost between $3–$4.5 million.
Enzo Ferrari himself famously dictated that the marque should “always deliver one car less than the market demands.” And demand greatly exceeding production is, of course, a “problem” that some of Ferrari’s competitors would kill for today—ditto that $3 billion in F80 sales, on top of all the other vehicles Ferrari will sell over the next few years, including its much-anticipated first fully electric car. As Forbes reported, the brand posted a record net profit in 2023, passing the $1 billion mark for the first time, denoting an increase of 34 percent over the previous year; and 2024 was expected to be even better, putting the company on track to hit the high end of CEO Benedetto Vigna’s targets for 2026. So it seems the F80 is just one more reason to celebrate.
Ferrari Supercar Series Evolution
Enzo Ferrari famously built road cars to fund his racing program, an MO that naturally created a distinct separation between Prancing Horses that were tailor-made to win championships on the track and those built to catch the attention of affluent clientele on showroom floors. But there is one Ferrari bloodline that stands apart as the convergence of racing pedigree in a road-going package: the Supercars. First among these thoroughbreds is the 288 GTO, which almost single-handedly created the Supercar segment of extreme race-derived vehicles produced in low numbers. Next came the F40, a true “race car for the road,” followed by the F50, which was the first Ferrari to break the 200-mph barrier. Then the Enzo caused a paradigm shift with its incorporation of F1 technologies, and LaFerrari ushered in electrification to set up the next generation of Ferrari Supercars. Check them out here.
Ferrari GTO
(Ferrari)
Announced in September 1983, the GTO (referred to unofficially as the 288 GTO to distinguish from the original 250 GTO) was conceived with a 200-model run to achieve competition homologation, but as the FIA rapidly changed requirements and rules, the vehicle found itself without a racing series to compete in. Nevertheless, its debut at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show was met with such intense enthusiasm from buyers that Ferrari ended up expanding production drastically to 272 total cars. That intensity was warranted: The GTO marked the first implementation of a V8 in a production Ferrari and one of few instances that hardcore racing tech had made its way into a road car. The 2.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8, mounted longitudinally to make room for turbochargers and intercoolers, sent 400 horsepower through a race-bred five-speed synchromesh gearbox. Other automakers took note of the GTO’s success and acted accordingly, creating a market of low-volume performance cars for those for whom cost is no object.
Ferrari F40
(Ferrari)
The final vehicle that Enzo Ferrari approved celebrated the 40th anniversary of his Maranello-based marque—”F” stands for Ferrari and “40” for the birthday. The F40 took the “race car for the road” philosophy pioneered by the GTO to new extremes, first by using mostly lightweight composite materials to form the body. Designed by Pininfarina and unveiled in 1987, everything about its shape screams speed. The eye moves from the mean aerodynamic nose and follows an array of intake ducts that flow all the way to the tail, where a massive integrated wing makes perhaps the boldest design statement. The loudest element, though, was of course the slightly enlarged version of the GTO’s twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8, which delivered a whopping 478 horsepower to help it become the first Ferrari to break the 200-mph barrier.
Ferrari F50
(Ferrari)
In keeping with the F40’s naming convention, the F50 was introduced in 1995 and served as the culmination of 50 years of Ferrari’s Grand Prix experience. Racing technology informed almost every component, including the bodywork and composites, the aero kit that exploited a ground effect to create downforce, the center of gravity-lowering pushrod suspension and the naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V12, which was derived largely from the power unit in the Ferrari 641 race car that competed in the 1990 F1 season. Even the incredibly forward driving position is a consequence of its racing heritage—the fuel tank is fitted behind the driver between the cabin and the engine, as with single-seaters of the day. A removable hardtop allowed drivers to get even closer to an F1 experience and feel the breeze in their hair. Buyers were able to personalize the Ferrari Supercar like never before, most notably by choosing among one of five exterior colors: yellow, black, silver or one of two shades of red. As with every Ferrari Supercar, performance was paramount, and the F50 could hit 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds on the way to a 202-mph top speed.
Ferrari Enzo
(Ferrari)
On the heels of complete Ferrari dominance during the 2002 F1 season came the homage to the man who built the iconic marque. Unveiled in 2003, the Enzo bristled with Ferrari’s best F1 technology: paddle shifters, carbon ceramic disc brakes and an ultra-rare carbon fiber tub—thus far seen only in the McLaren F1. The 660 horses from its 6.0-liter V12 allowed the gull-winged beauty to hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Multiple F1-style controls (including those for reverse gear and traction control) appeared on the steering wheel, along with warning lights that flash in 500-rpm increments. Arguably the most paradigm-shifting feature of the Enzo was the integration of all vehicle control systems for the first time in a road car. The engine, gearbox, suspension, ABS/traction control and aerodynamics all interacted in real time to maximize drivability, safety and performance.
Ferrari LaFerrari
(Ferrari)
The LaFerrari manages to look like something from the future that is still ultimately classic in Ferrari terms—a rare paradox. Ferrari’s first electrified car, it mates an electric motor with a 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 to expel 950 angry horses through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, all tucked into a kevlar and carbon-fiber tub. The efforts of F1 engineers are apparent throughout—the front wing was designed specifically to increase downforce by eliminating the negative effects of pitch sensitivity caused by the pronounced splitters, for instance. Of all its electrically enhanced hypercar nemeses (e.g. McLaren P1 and Porsche 918), the LaFerrari is the most desirable, according to a Top Gear verdict that came at the end of an extensive 48-hour real-world road test. Looking at more quantitative evidence, the LaFerrari established itself as the fastest Ferrari road car to date in 2013 when it slashed five seconds off the Enzo’s lap record at the Fiorano test track.