EXTREME INNOVATION
LAFERRARI, THE FIRST HYBRID
EXTREME INNOVATION
There is a thin red line uniting and connecting the limited edition supercars created at Maranello since the early 1980s. The path of this red line was cut with the GTO and continued with the brutal F40, F50 technology, and the iconic Enzo. That line continues with LaFerrari, taking on new colours and shades. Above all, it sketches new horizons in terms of style as much as performance. The LaFerrari is Maranello’s most ambitious project, and in many respects, the state-of-the-art of Ferrari mechanics and technology.
For the first time in the company’s history, it has equipped a GT with two different types of engine: a traditional 12-cylinder 800 hp, and a 120 Kw electric motor, providing the car with 963 hp. The high torque of the electric motor at low speeds and the optimisation of thermal performance at high speed, produces exceptional and continuous thrust.
The batteries are recharged during braking and whenever the heat engine produces excess torque, storing energy that is instantly made available whenever the driver needs it. The LaFerrari’s futuristic aerodynamics are the result of integrated work from the initial planning of the vehicle, involving the Ferrari Styling Centre team and the design and development engineers. This engineering synergy has integrated the active aerodynamics and the hybrid system with the car’s other dynamic control systems to ensure record-breaking performance in all conditions. Indeed, integration with the car controls and dynamic parameters ensures that the active aerodynamics continually adjust to refine downforce and balance through front and rear devices. In this way the LaFerrari combines maximum downforce and minimum drag coefficient in all driving conditions to produce the fastest road car in Maranello’s history. Form married with function. Technology transfer from Formula 1 to production models is one of the historic prerogatives of the Prancing Horse. The LaFerrari is the ultimate synthesis of the know-how gained in Formula 1 and in the creation of road cars, in Maranello’s most ambitious attempt to redefine the limits of automotive technology. With the HY-KERS system it is the most powerful and efficient Ferrari ever. The application of the KERS system, tested on the racetrack and evolved specifically for use on a road car, ensures perfect integration between the V12 and the electric motor, seamlessly combining the advantages of the two propulsion systems.The design and construction of the chassis was an area of close almost symbiotic collaboration in terms of technology transfer between Formula 1 and road cars. A team of the Scuderia and GT- Technical Department engineers and technicians worked from the early stages of the project with input from Rory Byrne, designer of Prancing Horse single-seaters from 1990 to 2000, yielding 11 world titles in Formula1. The chassis is made entirely in-house at Maranello, with the same materials, facilities and production processes used by the Scuderia. Just like in Formula 1, it employs aeronautically derived “pre-preg” compounds: using four composites because each area is designed to meet specific functional requirements. The driving position is also directly derived from F1: with a fixed seat and adjustable steering column and pedals, providing a perfect setup for each driver. The thin red line of Ferrari tradition turns into a strip of asphalt in front of the driver, on which they can enjoy yet another of Maranello’s jewels.
