REVIEW | Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale is a barrage of g-forces

“Here’s our R20.7m sports car. Go play with it on the track and drive it as hard as you want.”

That was essentially the brief from Ferrari when it invited me to experience the new SF90 XX Stradale around Fiorano, the brand’s private test track at its home base near Maranello.

That’s quite a vote of confidence by a company launching its most powerful road car to date. The XX badge has until now been reserved for Ferrari track specials and the new SF90, available as coupe and an open-topped Spider, is the first street-legal car to wear it, hence the name Stradale (street in Italian).

Based on the mid-engined SF90 plug-in hybrid, which until now has been Ferrari’s most potent road weapon, the XX ups the ante with more power and optimised aerodynamics.

The twin-turbo V8 engine and three electric motors have been tweaked to produce 757kW of thrust — 22kW more than the standard SF90 — fed to the wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

A 12.5kW increase to the 4.0l V8’s output was achieved by means of new pistons and polishing the inlet and exhaust ducts.

Ferrari has unleashed a fuller and richer sound from the eight-cylinder engine by optimising the “hot tube” system which runs from the turbine exit and transmits combustion pulsations into the cabin.

In order not to wake up the neighbours, the car can be driven up to 25km in full electric mode at speeds up to 135km/h.

The motorsport-inspired two-seat cabin is trimmed in carbon fibre and alcantara, with lightweight carbon fibre seats. The carpeting has been removed to cut a few kilograms.

The SF90 XX Stradale is not a “pretty” car compared to the cleanly sculpted beauty of a Ferrari Roma. It has emerged from the wind tunnel as a busy design dominated by vents, wings and spoilers. It is dramatic and edgy and screams track-attacking intent.

Two S-Ducts on the bonnet help increase front downforce by 20%, while a large rear wing has a shut-off gurney that automatically adjusts to low-drag and high-downforce configurations depending on driving conditions. Maximum downforce is double that of the SF90 Stradale, with 530kg at 250km/h, resulting in improved grip.

The XX also has 10% less body roll than the standard SF90 and an upgraded braking system, all of which has resulted in it becoming the fastest road car to date around the 3km Fiorano circuit. Its 1min17.3 lap time is 1.7 seconds faster than the regular SF90 Stradale and a full 10 seconds better than the iconic Ferrari F50 of the mid 1990s.

Power is harnessed by an all-wheel drive system that has two electric motors powering the front wheels, and the V8 engine and a single electric motor feeding the rears. A full suite of driver aids including torque vectoring ensure the car stays glued to the road, along with Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer, electronic Side Slip Control  and an ABS EVO controller which ensures stronger and more consistent braking. The car has mild and wild modes selectable via switches on the steering wheel, including a full-attack Qualifiying mode that produces an extra boost of power when the car is exiting a bend.

With dark clouds looming I went out for my first few laps around the historic Fiorano track where Ferrari tests all its racing and road cars, and where founder Enzo’s old office is still situated. Thankfully it stayed dry, providing the chance to experience the full g-forces this Ferrari has to offer.

What blows you away is how hard you can thrust the throttle out of turns in a car that has more than 1,000 horsepower in the old-speak.

After the first few laps went by in a blur I was presented with the telemetry of the session, overlaid against a reference lap set by Ferrari’s test driver. It showed my braking and steering were on point but I was pussyfooting in putting the power down out of corners.

Armed with this newfound digital knowledge, I tackled the next track sessions with more vigour and floored the throttle earlier out of apexes instead of gradually building velocity. The traction displayed by the car while the front wheels are turned was a real eye opener. There was no sideways action; Ferrari’s most powerful road car is a marvel of engineering that simply gripped the road and calmly blasted out of corners — if you can describe 0-100km/h in 2.3 seconds and a 320km/h top speed as calm.

The acceleration is brutal, like being shot out of a cannon, and the powerful carbon ceramic brakes are just as impressive. The direct steering hardwires the driver into the heart of the action, and in corners the car rotates with an agility only a mid-engined car can provide.

As my confidence grew I teased sideways squirms from the car by braking later and going faster through turns, but it stayed composed and never felt like it would snap sideways suddenly.

For all its formidable power the SF90 XX Stradale is surprisingly civil to drive. Still, it is a tumultuous assault of g-forces, and a few laps behind the wheel leaves you quite breathless.

Production of the SF90 XX Stradale is limited to 599 Spiders and 799 coupes, and all are already sold.

Demand for such limited-edition Ferraris far exceeds supply and the company has a VVIP list of ultra-wealthy customers who are first in line to acquire them, including in South Africa.

Pricing:

SF90 XX Stradale — R20.7m

SF90 XX Spider — R22.8m