The 2020 Ferrari SF90 is Powered by a V-8 and Three Electric Motors
Supercars today are evolved, and the SF90 is no exception. Under the skin, the SF90 houses a 4.0-liter V-8 that delivers a cool 769 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That alone makes it the most powerful V8 Ferrari to ever roll off the production line. That power is backed up by not one, not two, but three electric motors that suck juice from a lithium-ion battery pack.
Ferrari hasn’t said anything about additional torque, but we know the benefit of electric motors is the electric torque, so you can expect the SF90 to pump out a bit more than just 590 pound-feet. But, that’s the official number for now, so we’ll leave it at that.
Those 986 ponies are shunted through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and to all four wheels – something only one other Ferrari in history has been capable of doing. Of course, I’m talking about the Ferrari GTC4Lusso, but that’s a discussion for another time. All of this power, the electric motors, and this car’s outrageous aerodynamics lead to a Ferrari-claimed sprint time of just 2.5 seconds to 60 mph and 6.7 seconds to 125 mph.
When you consider the fact that the Ferrari LaFerrari – one of the craziest cars to wear a prancing horse badge – did the same lap in 1:19.70 it’s quite possible that the SP90 Stradale actually beat its run. If nothing else, it at least matched it, and that’s huge for a road-going car.
The 2020 Ferrari SF90 Actually Has All-Electric Range
Believe it or not, the SF90 actually has an all-electric range. It’s not much, mind you, at just 16 miles (25 km) but it can reach a top speed of 84 mph running on battery power alone. Unlike the LaFerrari, however, the SF90 also has plug-in charging capability as well. Yeah, this hybrid Ferrari can actually cruise around town silently and then raise the dead with its amazing soundtrack the very same day. Of course, I can’t think of one person that would actually enjoy driving a Ferrari without its amazing soundtrack – or at a limited speed of 84 mph – but it’s cool enough to say that it can do it. We’ll give it that.
The SF90 is the First Ferrari With a Publicized All-Electric Range, But It’s Not the First To Drive Silently!
Unless you’ve paid really close attention, you’ll probably argue with me for days. But, it’s not the truth. Believe it or not, the Ferrari LaFerrari did offer some all-electric range. It wasn’t 16 miles like the SF90 but, as it turns out, some customers actually requested all-electric capability. And, this came directly from Ferrari’s communications department Of course, Ferrari apparently never kept it a secret, but it was never really put out there outside of the initial press event either. In fact, almost everyone overlooked the fact. When you consider the fact that the LaFerrari’s battery is smaller than the battery of a Porsche 918 Spyder, which has an electric range of 12 miles, the Laferrari can’t do much – maybe 8 miles at best, after a lot of regenerative charging. Needless to say, the SF90 isn’t the first to feature an all-electric capacity, but it is the first to actually have an electric capability that’s actually worthwhile… if you consider 16 miles of range worthwhile, anyway.
The 2020 Ferrari SF90’s Aerodynamics Are Also a Leap Forward
The front section of its chassis actually sits a bit higher – about 0.6 inches or 15 mm – than the center. Thanks to more airflow through the car’s vortex generators, total downforce generated at speed (155 mph) comes in at 860 pounds – a number that Ferrari claims is a new benchmark for efficiency in high-performance road cars… we’ll see. The point is that it looks amazing and it delivers amazing downforce, all thanks to some pretty interesting aerodynamic innovation.
2020 Ferrari SF90 Weight and Drive Modes.
Since we’ve talked about the SF90’s near-1,000-horsepower output, and it’s 2.5-second sprint to 60 mph, it’s time we explain a little bit of how this is possible. Despite the V-8 hidden under the skin, all the crazy aerodynamic bits, and a rather lush interior, the Ferrari SF90 has a curb weight of just 3,461 pounds. Sure, it sounds like a lot, but it’s actually 33 pounds lighter than the LaFerrari. Just when you think automakers can’t do anything else to save weight, Ferrari hit’s us with something lighter than the LaFerrari. T
The first two drive modes, eDrive, and Hybrid, are pretty self-explanatory. The former is all-electric mode while the latter pairs that V-8 and electric power for some extra grunt when you hit the go pedal. In Performance mode, the V-8 actually works as a generator – to some extent – to keep the battery pack juiced up and electric motors operational. Qualify, on the other hand, puts the engine and motors in go mode and you’ll get to experience all 986 horsepower. Of course, that’ll only be for a limited time as without sending some juice to the battery – unless you do a lot of braking – logic says that the battery will eventually run dry.
2020 Ferrari SF90 Interior – It’s Crazy
Ferrari’s interior designs are never dull, but the SF90 takes things to a new level.
For a car of this caliber, the interior actually looks quite spacious, and the overall shape of the dash is just appealing. It does look a little spaceship-like in the right light, but I’ll stick with the term “modern.” I could go on an list all of the little goodies, but we’ll do that more in-depth when we update our speculative review.
Further reading
Read our full review on the 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari
Read our full review on the 2021 Ferrari SF90 Stradale.