Ferrari F80, beauty becomes performance

[exxtrissm88]

The new supercar from the Prancing Horse is powered by a 1,200 horsepower V6 turbo hybrid. Only 799 will be made at a cost of 3,600,000 euros each

The birth of a new Ferrari is always a special moment, but some moments are more special than others. They usually come once every 10 years and represent the maximum expression of the synthesis of design and technology that Maranello is able to give shape to on four wheels. And so, after a decade of waiting, here comes the heir to the LaFerrari, the Ferrari F80.

Direct heir to the lineage of supercars from the Prancing Horse , which began with the GTO and continued with the F40 , the F50 , the Enzo and, indeed, LaFerrari , the new Rossa contains in its forms designed by the Style Centre directed by Flavio Manzoni, the most brilliant showcase of Ferrari 's technology and performance , symbolised by the extreme development of an extreme combustion engine that hides under the hood. A 1,200 horsepower hybrid V6 that makes the F80 the most powerful road car ever produced by Maranello.
Ferrari F80, the design: beauty is performance

Like every Ferrari supercar, the F80 inaugurates a new stylistic path . The project is the result of a new approach that saw the Style Centre and the aerodynamic and engineering departments work in synergy, to make form and function go hand in hand, drawing on the experience of F.1 and WEC . “Beauty is performance” said Flaivo Manzoni when presenting his creation, a demonstration of how every form on the F80 is functional. The first concept that was worked on was to establish whether to make a single-seater or a two-seater. The convergence was found on a “1+”, practically a “two-seater” single-seater with the entire cockpit oriented towards the driver’s seat, to which a passenger seat was added in an offset position, behind the driver… So much so that it practically disappears from the field of vision of whoever is behind the wheel. A configuration that, as explained at the presentation, also thanks to the seat that is 103 mm lower than the LaFerrari and the backrest inclined by 8°, made Leclerc, who participated in the development, exclaim: “Finally a normal driving position!”.

So, the particular configuration of the cabin then generated the rest of the volumes. The bubble, tapered at the end, allowed two ducts to be created on its sides, called impluvium, which flow into two reinterpretations of the NACA intakes located in the upper part of the passenger compartment, in front of the rear wheel arches. Two functional channels to convey air towards the engine intake and the radiators. The truncated tail then has an element of rupture with the latest supercars from Maranello, the Enzo and LaFerrari: an adjustable rear wing that, in a neutral position, is perfectly integrated into the volumes (a configuration reminiscent of the F40 and F50) but capable of rising and “tilting” simulating DRS or aerodynamic brake to increase or decrease the aerodynamic load depending on the situation. The nose is very original. On the F80, an attempt was made to avoid an anthropomorphic effect on the front end, the prominent headlights tend to be associated with the eyes , so the front projectors are concealed inside a visor, a sort of black screen with both aerodynamic and optical functions that makes the F80 particularly original. Functions all expressed by the S-Duct, set in the central volumes, which conceals a triple wing profile inside - reminiscent of the 499P that won at Le Mans - to draw air from the front and make it flow over the front to increase downforce. The front section also features an illustrious reference, with the lateral section of the front mudguard recalling the style of the F40.

The F80's aerodynamic numbers
S-duct, impluvium, adjustable wing and extractor are the visible design elements, but what you don't see is equally functional. From experience with recent ground effect F1 cars, the floor is no longer flat but has Venturi channels made from bargeboards that energize the flows coming from the S-Duct to feed the rear extractor more effectively.

The result is that the F80 generates 1,050 kg of downforce at 250 km/h, split between 460 kg at the front and 590 kg at the rear. In percentage terms, the same distribution of masses between the two axles, i.e. 42.2% at the front, 57.8% at the rear.
Engine, because the F80 has a V6

The heart, soul and voice of the F80 is a V6 turbo hybrid, and the explanation of why a more noble fractionation such as the V12 was not used is easy to say. The F80 represents the pinnacle reached by Ferrari in all fields and four years ago, when the project began, at an engine level that top was the V6 because fractionation used in F.1 and the WEC, so the transfer of technologies from Motorsport was natural because it is part of Ferrari's DNA. The F80's 120° V 3.0-liter F163CF engine derives from that of the 296 but has been completely redesigned in every part, such as the titanium connecting rods, crankcase, sub-crankcase, timing cover and other components derived from the 499 engine; titanium screws have also been introduced. From F.1, however, the concepts of both the MGU-K (through the industrialization of an electric motor similar to that of the Prancing Horse's single-seaters) and that of the MGU-H (which generates power using the excess kinetic energy of the turbines, in turn created by the thermal energy emitted by the exhaust gases) have been taken through the dedicated development of the e-turbo. In this way, the turbo lag is practically absent and the unit reaches 900 hp at 8750 rpm and a record specific power for a Ferrari engine of 300 hp/l. The other 300 hp are generated by the hybrid system, composed of two front electric motors powered by a 2.28 kWh battery developed internally in Maranello. The total power of 1,200 hp is therefore discharged to the ground on all four wheels, for permanent e-4WD all-wheel drive that however favors the rear. The gearbox is the F.1 dual-clutch one with 8 gears. Impressive performance. 0-100 km/h in 2.15", 0-200 km/h in 5.75" and the top speed is self-limited to 350 km/h. And thanks to the carbon-ceramics derived from the Ferrari Challenge, 100-0 km/h is done in 28 meters, while 200-0 km/h in 98 m.
F80 chassis, brakes and suspension

The F80's cell and chassis elements were designed using a multi-material approach, using the most suitable material for each area. The cell and roof are made of carbon fibre and composite materials, while the front and rear subframes are made of aluminium and are fixed to the cell with titanium screws. At the rear there is also an aluminium subframe dedicated to the battery installation and screwed to the rear one. The F80's body is completely new and is made of carbon fibre using autoclave technology, derived from motorsport and Formula 1, with pre-impregnated carbon fibre. Maximum performance is also achieved with the active suspension system, which is necessary not only for the exaggerated power, but also to guarantee the aerodynamic balance of the car, controlling the set-up in real time and regulating the distance between the underbody and the road in every driving situation.