Ferrari F80: The most powerful road car from Maranello – and the most expensive

It’s still quiet in the brand new Ferrari “E-Building”. The ultra-modern factory hall in Maranello is located directly near the old driveway from 1947, behind which founder Enzo once had his office. Soon, a Ferrari spokeswoman tells him star during a tour, production is supposed to start there. But contrary to what the name “E-Building” suggests, not only electric cars are built there. Rather, the “E” stands for the buzzwords “energy, evolution and environment”. The fact is: all of the group’s cars are built at the dozens of stations – including the new F80 super sports car, which Ferrari plans to deliver from the end of 2025.

The F80 is a very special car for the company. Because in the super sports car category, Maranello likes to take its time before introducing a new model. The F80 only has five predecessors: GTO, F40, F50, Enzo and LaFerrari. Now comes the latest addition to this exclusive model family, which has existed since 1984.

A super sports car is always a kind of internal benchmark for Ferrari. The company installs the very latest components there and then always looks at the larger model for future vehicles. If you like, the super athletes are a kind of pioneering achievement.

This is no different with the F80. According to Ferrari, the vehicle is the most powerful road car ever built. The system output of the turbocharged V6 engine in conjunction with the electric motors is 1200 hp. This ensures real top values: it goes to 100 km/h in 2.15 seconds, the end is only reached at 350 – electronically sealed off. There should no longer be any turbo lag, as Ferrari also relies on the help of an electric motor for the chargers, which is installed axially between the turbine and the compressor housing and can build up boost pressure without delay. The energy for the electric motors comes from a battery with 2.28 kilowatt hours; there is no purely electric driving mode like the SF90 Stradale.

But Ferrari is not satisfied with unbridled power with the F80: unlike its sometimes murderous predecessors like the F40, the car should always be able to move safely and give every driver the feeling of being the fastest on the racetrack. This is also ensured by completely revised assistance systems and the huge active rear spoiler.

Purists might still be a little annoyed. And that’s not because of the electric drive assistance – the LaFerrari already had that. Rather, some people might be bothered by the downsizing, which doesn’t even seem to stop at super sports cars. The GTO and F40 are equipped with a V8, the F50 already offers a V12. The Enzo too, LaFerrari too. The V12 is considered the pinnacle of engine art from Maranello and is almost certainly expected in the most expensive cars. With the F80 you still take a different approach.

Ferrari says they were based on current Formula 1 engines and therefore used the V6 with a three-liter displacement. The fact that the smaller – and usually quieter – engines are not without controversy among fans of the premier class apparently didn’t matter. The choice of engine also seems strange because Ferrari recently underlined how important the twelve-cylinder engine is to the brand with the 12Cilindri. When it comes to pure performance, you probably won’t notice the missing cylinders.

Apart from that, the company emphasized several times at the launch that the F80 should also be suitable for everyday use. It remains to be seen whether this will succeed. The controllability of the car will not fail, thanks to the countless top-class components from racing and extremely clever electronics.

But you can’t fit any luggage in the F80. Ferrari specifies the capacity of the luggage compartment as a measly 35 liters – but at least it provides a suitable suitcase. It will also be tight for the passenger. This has to do with an internal discussion.

There was a long debate in Maranello as to whether the F80 should perhaps be a single-seater. According to some engineers, this is the only way to build a real racing car, such as the 499 Modificata (you can find out more here) – and also a V6, by the way.

But the big question when it comes to single-seaters is: How are you supposed to share your joy with your loved ones? The solution for the F80 is therefore: “1+”. Because the car is a two-seater, but somehow not. The entire cockpit is built around the driver, the two seats are even closer together – and are offset. While as a driver you definitely have a lot of space for a Ferrari, things look different next to it. When we tried it out, it was a bit tighter at 1.83 meters. The F80 tends not to be a comfortable cruiser.

This is also due to the interior: Actually there is only carbon to be seen, two bucket seats, a really nice steering wheel and a small display. The center console offers a few buttons, but that’s about it. The F80 is a thoroughly puristic vehicle.

This continues in the external design. The futuristic packaging not only looks great, but also serves a purpose with almost every component. Above all, better aerodynamics and less weight. Unfortunately, you can’t see a lot of it. For example, the upper wishbones come from a metal printer, which enables a completely new and weight-saving design. Ferrari also left conventional screws in stock and used lighter titanium components for the F80. All of this ensures that the F80 has a curb weight of just 1525 kilos. The power-to-weight ratio is therefore 1.27 kilos per horsepower. V6 or not – that promises incredible performance.

At least for the select few. After all, Ferrari has planned 799 vehicles this time – more than its predecessor, LaFerrari. Still, that wasn’t enough, the company revealed at the launch. All vehicles have already been sold out and there were still enough collectors and regular customers who would have liked to be given a car, it was said. This probably caused long faces for some people.

Maybe it helps to be happy about the money you saved. Because the F80 is the most expensive super sports car in the series: the price tag is a whopping 2.9 million euros before taxes. In Italy that would be 3.6 million euros. Extremely much money for an extreme car – which, despite what Ferrari promises, is probably not that easy to use in everyday life. Which, of course, is something that very few people will care about.

Transparency note: The trip to Maranello and the on-site reporting took place at the invitation of Ferrari.