10 Things That Make The Ferrari SF90 Stradale The Best Supercar Currently On The Market

For many, the definition of the ultimate car will always be a Ferrari. The Italian manufacturer has a rich heritage, often being a trendsetter and a benchmark in the automotive industry. Time and again, Ferraris have taken the role of being decade-defining machines, offering the very best of performance and technological innovation that cars had to offer. Be it the F40 in the '80s, the Enzo Ferrari in the 2000s, and the LaFerrari in the 2010s. However, with the SF90 Stradale — a car that Ferrari defines as its flagship — the Maranello giant dares to experiment, having seemingly found the perfect blend between harmonizing the glory and legacy of the past with the promise of the future.

10 A Car Of Many Firsts

Ferrari

Ferrari has always been known for holding onto its roots and traditions, a belief firmly reflected in its cars. For decades, it held on to its firm belief of having internal combustion engines, laughing off the idea of having an electric car. And, yet, with the SF90 Stradale, Ferrari hasn't just produced its first-ever plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), but also its first mid-engine car with an all-wheel drivetrain. Yes, the LaFerrari also featured an electric motor, but the motors couldn't power the car on their own, something that the SF90's electric motors can do.

9 Powered By Ferrari's F-154 Turbocharged V-8

Let's talk about the SF90's engine; the supercar features an upgraded 4.0-liter F-154 twin-turbocharged V-8 when compared to the 488 and the Ferrari F8 Tributo's 3.8-liter engine. The SF90s engine can generate 769 horsepower at 7,500 rpm on its own. The engine also features a modified intake and exhaust system. It sits 50 mm lower when compared to Ferrari's other mid-engine models to maintain the SF90's low center of gravity.

8 Ferrari Ushers Into A New Era Of Performance

Besides the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, the SF90 also features three separate electric motors. The motors produce a combined output of 217 horsepower, bringing the combined output of the SF90 to a jaw-dropping 986 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The electric motors also make the SF90 Ferrari's first-ever PHEV. The car tops out at a speed of 211 mph, reaching 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. All these figures also make the SF90 the fastest and most powerful Ferrari road car, ever.

7 The Electric Motors Do More Than Just Add Extra Horses

A 7.9-kilowatt-hour battery powers the three separate electric motors. Besides a traditional power source like a wall socket, the battery can also be recharged using regenerative braking. There are two electric motors in the front for each of the front wheels, also allowing for torque vectoring. The third motor in the back acts as the reverse gear for the car since the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission has no reverse gear option. The smaller transmission thus saves weight and occupies less space, making the car lighter.

6 It Features Four Separate Driving Modes

The SF90 Stradale comes with four different driving modes that the drivers can choose from. The first is an all-electric mode where the electric motors power the car on their own. It has an all-electric range of over 15 miles and can touch speeds of around 86 mph, an impressive feat for a PHEV. There's also a hybrid driving mode that uses both the motors and the engine. Then there's a 'Performance' mode which increases the car's performance for a more thrilling driving experience and finally, the 'Qualify' mode pushes the car to its limit and maximizes the drivetrain's performance capabilities to offer the best lap times.

5 A Strong And Agile Supercar That's Fun To Drive

The car weighs around 3,500 pounds, which is still light when you factor in the electronic components. The chassis combines aluminum and carbon fiber to boost its structural strength and reduce its weight to maximize performance, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 3.7 pounds/horsepower. It also features a double wishbone suspension in the front and an independent multi-link suspension in the rear. It employs eSSC (electric Slide Slip Control) which can help the car perform drifts by controlling the amount of torque distributed to all four wheels in real-time when cornering.

4 The SF90 Assetto Fiorano 'Upgrade Package'

Front view of a blue Ferrari SF90 Assetto Fiorano on track — Ferrari

Ferrari unveiled the SF90 Assetto Fiorano, a performance upgrade package for the regular SF90 that featured an improved suspension, additional carbon fiber parts in the car to reduce weight, and an improved titanium exhaust system. It featured a special paint job and was 66 pounds lighter than the regular SF90 Stradale.

3 There's Also An SF90 Stradale Spider

Alongside the SF90 Stradale, Ferrari also unveiled the SF90 Spider, a convertible roadster version of the standard supercar. It was the same car but with the ability to have an open-top. The SF90 Spider is Ferrari's fastest and most powerful open-top convertible car, a record that was previously held by LaFerrari Aperta, the LaFerrari's convertible counterpart. The car is also the world's fastest and most powerful non-limited open-top car, breaking the previous record held by Ferrari 812 GTS.

2 The Timeless Design Makes It One Of Ferrari's Most Beautiful Cars

The SF90's design is futuristic yet timeless. Flavio Manzoni, the car's lead designer, describes its design as being somewhere between a spaceship and a race car. The design was a close collaboration between Ferrari's engineers and Ferrari Styling Center. It incorporates many elements from the F1 car, with its rear wings inspired by the DRS (drag reduction system) from Formula, maximizing downforce. The aerodynamic design of the car boosts its performance and maintains airflow which keeps the brakes and the engine cool.

1 A Possible Shift In Perspective At Maranello

Steering wheel and center console — Ferrari

The SF90, which shares its name with Ferrari's SF90 Formula 1 car, is only Ferrari's second-ever car that produces horsepower from motors, the first being 2013's LaFerrari. The 'Stradale' in its name translates to 'for the road', while the SF90 is an homage to 90 years of the Scuderia Ferrari, its racing division. Traditionally, Ferrari's flagship cars have always been catered towards its high net worth clients, with the LaFerrari costing about $1.2 million at the time of its release. The SF90 however costs around $516,000 excluding taxes, almost half as cheap as the LaFerrari. Combine the still very high price with the innovation that went into the SF90 and what you get is a car that serves as a pioneering leap into the future, setting a precedent for the next decade of Ferraris that incorporate high performance, technology, efficiency, and keep the costs down to boost sales.