Ferrari reveals radical new supercar

Published Mar 5, 2013

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GENEVA MOTOR SHOW - The covers have come flying off of Ferrari's long-awaited Enzo successor and it's literally dripping with high-tech componentry.

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo says they gave it the name LaFerrari “because it is the maximum expression of what defines our company - excellence.”

AND IT'S A HYBRID…

At the heart of this new prancing horse is a Hy-Kers hybrid system that allows it to achieve an emissions rating of 330g/km without resorting to electric-only drive, which Ferrari says “would not fit the mission of this model.”

That goes without saying as this supercar aims to deliver performance that's nothing short of thrilling.

To that end, the exciting piece of the powertrain puzzle is a 6262cc 65-degree V12 petrol engine that pushes 588kW at 9250rpm. It links up to two electric motors to allow a combined power output of 708kW. But if you think that's impressive, consider that the total torque output exceeds 900Nm.

0-300 IN 15 SECONDS

What this means for those 499 lucky owners that will get to indulge in the ultimate Ferrari, is a 0-100km/h sprint in under three seconds; keep the pedal planted and it'll reach 200km/h in under seven seconds and 300km/h in around 15 seconds - by which time an average cheap hatch would have barely reached 100!

In fact, this machine will only run out of steam past the 350km/h mark, says Ferrari.

It's got the dynamic aspect sorted too. Clever packaging results in an ideal weight distribution, with 59 percent of the weight hovering over the rear half.

Pirelli P-Zeros (measuring 345/30 R20 at the back and 265/30 R 19 up front) create a wide and grippy footprint for the LaFerrari, which features double wishbone suspension at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear.

Its effort is supported by an F1 electronic traction control system that's integrated with the hybrid system, as well as a third generation electronic diff and magnetorheological shock absorbers with twin solenoids.

Bringing it all to a halt is a Brembo braking system that sports carbon-ceramic discs and lightweight callipers that were designed to guarantee correct cooling.

F1 AERODYNAMICS

While the car's downward-sloping nose, low bonnet and pronounced wheel arches salute Ferraris of yore, the LaFerrari's body is very much about aerodynamics and its designers drew heavily off the company's F1 expertise.

Inside, these lucky few will find a 'human machine interface' steering wheel as found on F1 cars. It houses all the major command functions as well as a more user-friendly set of flappy paddles for the seven-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox.

In order to avoid interfering with the car's weight distribution (which is an ideal 41:59 front to rear), the seats are fixed but the pedals and steering wheel can be adjusted to the driver's preference.

The LaFerrari might be a rare indulgence aimed at collectors, but its maker promises that many of its technological innovations will filter down into the rest of the Ferrari range.

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