FERRARI SF90 STRADALE

Ferrari’s all new SF90 Stradale is the Italian supercar maker’s first series production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and thus represents a major landmark for the company that has brought us such a wealth of sports car innovation over the decades. And for those thinking something must have been sacrificed to take an environmental path, consider that the car boasts a whopping 986-horsepower, making it the fastest Ferrari road car ever.

WORDS TONY WHITNEY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FERRARI

SF90 styling is eyecatching to say the least. The svelte and sinuous lines flow superbly and the car does enormous credit to Ferrari’s in-house design team headed by Flavio Manzoni. Even parked on the street, the car looks sensational and passers by get to drool over the glimpse of the power unit as they gaze through the small glazed panel sited over the mid-engine location.

The vast power levels are generated by a Ferrari 4.0-litre twin-turbo V-8, boosted by no less than three powerful electric motors. Interestingly, two of the electric motors are located at the wheels and the other at the transmission. This makes the car the first mid-engine Ferrari with allwheel drive, a highly valuable asset in a car with this much power. Getting all this performance to the wheels is an 8-speed automatic transmission. There are four driving modes, EV only (about 25 km range), Hybrid, Performance, and Qualifying with the last choice exploiting the car’s optimal capabilities.

The cockpit is very much up to Ferrari’s usual high standards and comes with a wide range of creature comforts, including a large infotainment screen plus six speakers, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth. There’s also a rear backup camera and warning sensors for reversing, something any owner of a car like this would deem essential. Expectedly, there are some sacrifices owners will have to make and one of them is very minimal cargo space. Two people off for a weekend road trip will have to use lots of imagination to squeeze in anything by way of luggage, but no doubt the hybrid supercar’s performance will easily compensate for that.

What buyers will get, at an understandably substantial price, is one of the fastest Ferraris ever built and driving thrills they will be hard pressed to find in any other car available right now. Like all Ferraris, it will have considerable collector value eventually because the Maranello manufacturer is not likely to build very many SF90 Stradales.

• ENGINE: Twin turbo V-8 plus three electric motors.

• TRANSMISSION: 8-speed dual clutch automatic, all-wheel drive.

• ACCELERATION: Zero to 100 km/h in 2.5-seconds.

• TOP SPEED: 340 km/h.

• I LIKED: Outstanding styling job by Ferrari’s own design team and a joy to look at from any angle. Other-worldly performance almost unmatched anywhere in the industry. Handling developed to match the engine’s capabilities.

• I DIDN’T LIKE: Very minimal cargo space, limiting the length of road trips.

• MARKET ALTERNATIVES: Aston Martin Valhalla

• WHO DRIVES ONE? Ferrari enthusiasts with the money to invest in something very special, even by Ferrari standards. Buyers in this class who have been waiting for a PHEV to come along.

• PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: Available soon at around €562.500.