Viewpoint: Ferrari Reveal New F80 As LaFerrari Successor, Setting Up Blockbuster Hypercar Clash With McLaren
- Danny Davies
- Oct 21, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 29, 2024
Only 12 days after McLaren unveiled their new Ultimate Series flagship, the 1,275bhp W1, Ferrari have joined in on the fun by unveiling this: the F80. The latest member of what was formerly known as the 'Big 5' (now 'Big 6', I guess), the F80 will, tantalisingly, go head-to-head with the new McLaren, just as its successor - the LaFerrari - did with McLaren's P1, eleven years ago. It was incredibly difficult to split those two, and both the LaFerrari and P1 are still regarded today as two of the greatest hypercars ever built - in the 2024 rematch, will a more clear victor emerge, or will the F80 and W1 be just as difficult to choose between as their predecessors were? Well, let's find out.
Firstly, I would like to touch upon the way that the F80 looks; at the end of the day, it's a Ferrari, so this is an absolutely critical point. And, a few days after the dust has settled, I'm not sure I like it. I think the F80's design looks too big, too ungainly and too fussy - the sharp edges and cut-aways jar against the rest of the design, which is quite clean and simple, leading to an outcome that just doesn't feel cohesive. I'm also not a fan of the strange side intakes, nor the raisable rear wing, either, that isn't boxy enough to carry off the F40-vibe supposedly intended for the F80. Yes, I certainly think the F80 looks aggressive and dramatic, which are important to a hypercar; but a Ferrari should also look elegant at the same time - the LaFerrari before it managed all three, but, I'm sorry, the F80 just doesn't in my opinion. Personally, I think McLaren's W1 is a much more appealing car to look at - and as a result, Round One goes to the Woking corner of the ring. Can Maranello recover?
Well, the next important feature to talk about is the F80's drivetrain - and, unfortunately, things don't appear to be improving for the red car. While McLaren's W1 is powered by an all-new 4-litre, twin-turbo, hybrid V8, the F80 will have to make do with a cylinder count that is 25% less - yes, Ferrari's new hypercar is powered by a V6. Admittedly, It's a very impressive V6; it's a 3-litre, twin e-turbo unit that on its own will produce 900bhp (or 300bhp per litre), although an 800v hybrid system (consisting of an e-4WD front axle and MGU-K rear motor) makes a further 300bhp to boost the F80's overall power figure to 1,200bhp, making it the most powerful Ferrari road car of all time. The V6 is closely derived to the unit that can be found within the 499P Endurance Racer that has won Ferrari the Hypercar class at Le Mans two years on the trot, and the electric motor that lives on the F80's rear axle shares many engineering solutions with the MGU-K system that Ferrari uses within their Formula 1 car - so there can be no doubt that the F80 has the spirit of motorsport flowing through its DNA. The engine is mated to an 8-speed dual clutch auto, and in top gear, the F80 will manage 217mph, which is the same as the McLaren.
However, when you compare the F80's other raw statistics to that of the McLaren, things start to appear slightly underwhelming. Even with its Le Mans-derived heart, the Ferrari has less power than the W1 (1200bhp vs. 1275bhp) and, due to its electrified e-4WD front axle, it's over 120kg heavier than the McLaren, too. There is also a further, more fundamental problem with the F80's powertrain, too; for many people, there is no escaping the fact that the displacement and cylinder count are 50% smaller than the 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 found within the LaFerrari that came before it. The Enzo before the LaFerrari, and the F50 before the Enzo, also had V12s - so this could turn out to be a problem for the F80.
Ferrari say they chose the V6 because it's the current powertrain layout being used in Formula 1, mirroring their decision to use V8s in the 1980s with the 288 GTO and F40 for the same reason. However, while I don't mind the decision - I actually really like the motorsport link back to the all-conquering 499P - there is absolutely no doubt that a thumping great V12 would have been the more popular choice here. A 12-cylinder orchestra has been a Maranello staple for nearly 80 years; the first ever Ferrari road car, the 1947 125S, had a V12, along with countless other iconic prancing horses - so the fact that the F80 has an engine half as big, regardless of how much performance it can generate, will undoubtedly divide the crowd. It does also beg the question; why can Ferrari's mass-produced SUV get a V12, but their halo hypercar can't? In a climate where Ferrari doesn't have much longer to be able to use their most special engine, it does seem strange - and, because of this, and because the F80 appears to be lacking slightly on paper compared to the McLaren, I think the W1 has Ferrari beaten here as well.
There are absolutely some major positives about the F80 to talk about, though. For starters, Ferrari have completely re-engineered their active suspension system to try and reach a balance of compliance for the road and stiffness for the track, so the F80 is perfectly tailored to both situations. In order to do this, the system uses all-round independent suspension, with a 48V electric motor in each corner, as well as 3D-printed upper wishbones. Also, in addition to these, the F80 debuts a new and very special kind of active inboard damper. Developed in conjunction with Multimatic (the Canadian company that, amongst many other achievements, built the third generation Ford GT and Porsche's Le Mans Hypercar, the 963), the True Active Spool Valve (TASV) Dampers on each corner of the F80 can have 500kg of force applied to them instantly by their corresponding electric motor. This means that the dampers alone can control body movement and ride height, eliminating the need for an anti-roll bar, and meaning that the F80 can benefit from softer spring rates as well. Effectively, each wheel on the F80 is fully independent as a result, and can be actively adjusted by the dampers to provide the best ride possible on the road, while making the car as stiff as possible when on a track. The system sounds incredibly clever, and if it works as well as Ferrari and Multimatic are suggesting, it could be a game changer.
Also, alongside the active dampers and ride height control system, the F80 is capable of generating a lot of downforce - 1000kg at 250km/h, in fact. To put that number into perspective, the Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin Valkyrie (the same man who has designed nearly 20% of all race-winning F1 cars in history, a ridiculous statistic), which is basically just one huge Venturi tunnel underneath and the craziest looking road car you could ever imagine, produces only 100kg more than that. The Ferrari is capable of producing so much downforce for several reasons; for starters, the reclined, racing-inspired driving position, where the driver's feet are up high off the ground, as well as a specially designed cooling system, means that the central portion of the F80 has been maximised space-wise for aero trickery inspired by the 499P and the latest F1 car. Also, the various ducts and vents create a zone of low-pressure underneath the car, where you can also find three sets of bargeboards (again, inspired by F1), and at the back, an active wing constantly adjusts to create stability when braking and cornering. On its own, the wing produces 180kg of downforce - and the diffuser beneath it creates a further 285kg. Oh, and the total amount of downforce that the F80 can produce - 1000kg - is exactly the same as what the McLaren W1 can make, funnily enough.
Ferrari have also said that their eManettino has been updated for the F80 to introduce new settings: 'Performance' and 'Qualify', which both utilise a brand new feature called Boost Optimisation. Essentially, when on a track, the F80 will learn the parts of the circuit where an extra surge of power will be appreciated the most (which requires a sighting lap of a circuit beforehand) and then deploy the extra power when necessary - which is a pretty cool concept.
They also say they have found a new solution for the F80's cockpit layout, which they are calling '1+'.The entire interior is focused around the driver, creating 'a visual perception akin to an enclosed Formula 1 car' so that 'the passenger seat almost disappears from view' - it sounds like marketing speak, but I think the solution is actually pretty effective, as you can see below. Not sure how pleased you'd be as the passenger, mind.
Where does all of this leave the F80, then? Well, it's certainly a very interesting car, make no mistake about it - there are several things to get very excited about, from the trick Multimatic dampers to the crazy aero statistics, and from the Le Mans-forged powerplant to the Boost Optimisation system. I think that, technically, Ferrari have probably built a very impressive, incredibly fast car - and in that regard, I think the F80 is a fitting successor to the LaFerrari as it appears as though the performance yardstick has been considerably moved forward. However; there are some problems with the F80, too - Flavio Manzoni's design has proved to be incredibly polarising, with many (myself included) not exactly warming to it, and the V6 fitted to the F80 - regardless of the fact that it's essentially the same V6 that has dominated Le Mans for two years - will never be as good as a V12 to many of the Scuderia. Add to this the fact that the F80 will be much less exclusive than the McLaren W1 at 799 units (over twice as many as the McLaren), and much more expensive at £4 million (vs £2.6 for the Macca), it just feels as though the F80's launch has been overshadowed by that of the McLaren, which, on paper at least, is more powerful, quite a lot lighter, faster, much rarer, and $1.4 million less expensive. Right now, I certainly know which one I'd be taking - but, time will only tell if Woking can land a knock-out blow on Maranello, as ultimately, the numbers only tell half of the story. I can't wait to see how the numbers translate into reality, when the W1 and F80 inevitably go head-to-head for real.
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