Cars
The LaFerrari: A true trailblazer
LaFerrari was, as its name suggests, the definitive Ferrari of its era and the definitive limited-edition supercar of its time. It remains one of the all-time great Ferraris, 10 years after its unveiling at the 2013 Geneva Show.
It followed in the noble bloodline of limited-edition classics such as the 288 GTO, F40, F50 and Enzo, and was the most powerful and fastest road Ferrari there had been. As befits the ultimate Ferrari, it was highly innovative. The LaFerrari was Maranello’s first production car to use electric hybrid power. The KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) helped to deliver electric power seamlessly, to supplement the considerable muscle offered by the Ferrari V12.
As with so much Ferrari technology, it was borrowed from Formula One, and was first used by Scuderia Ferrari in the 2009 season. (Kimi Räikkönen used KERS to win the 2009 Belgian GP.)
Watch the story of LaFerrari, the most ambitious and most powerful car Maranello had ever produced
On the LaFerrari, the car’s beating heart was the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in Ferrari history: the 6.3-litre V12 produced a mighty 800 CV at 9000 rpm. The redline was a stratospheric 9250rpm. The additional 163 CV electric motor worked alongside the V12 to boost total power to an astonishing 963 CV. Until the latest 1000 CV SF90 Stradale – which, unlike the LaFerrari, uses a plug-in hybrid system – it remained the most powerful production Ferrari in history.
The LaFerrari’s KERS system didn’t just help to make the LaFerrari astonishingly fast (0-200 km/h in 6.9 sec, top speed of 350 km/h); it also made the car very tractable. V12s are the world’s ultimate internal combustion engines, partly because they rev so high and produce great power. But they lack the meaty low-rev torque of the turbocharged V8 as used in most production Ferraris.
The LaFerrari’s electric motor filled in the missing torque. It was fêted as one of the greatest powertrains in Ferrari history, combining a glorious high-revving V12 to entertain and serenade, and the electric motor to give instant throttle response and to enhance overall performance, silently and seamlessly. Unlike some hybrids, the response was also linear and natural.
The LaFerrari's performance was nothing short of staggering: a 350 km/h top speed and 0-200km/h in just 6.9 seconds
But the high-tech innovation didn’t end with the powertrain. The LaFerrari used a highly advanced lightweight carbon-fibre chassis and had the most advanced aerodynamics of the era. Its active aero included flaps on front and rear diffusers, a front underbody guide vane, and the active rear wing. The upshot was greater downforce for improved cornering and braking, but minimal drag.
It was beautiful, too: low bonnet, muscular wheel-arches, highly sculptural. There was more than a hint of classic ’60s Ferrari sports racers, including the 330 P4 and 312P.
There were other innovations, too, including outstanding packaging: it was the same length but was narrower and lower than the Enzo, despite the additional bulk of the hybrid system. Its electronic controls – for the hybrid and aero systems, among others – were cutting edge.
These rarely-seen sketches show the initial development of the LaFerrari
There were also cabin innovations. The LaFerrari was the first Ferrari with a reconfigurable digital instrument display. More controls were placed on the steering wheel, F1 style, and there was an elegant floating wing on which gearbox function buttons were sited. The seven-speed gearbox was controlled by longer and more ergonomic paddles.
So, like all limited-edition Ferraris, it was technically pioneering. As one of the world’s first hybrid sports cars, it also presaged the motor industry’s move to electrified power.
Yet the most wonderful thing about the LaFerrari was the way it drove. It remains one of the world’s most outstanding supercars on road or track. It felt small, agile, super responsive. Its V12 gave it the explosive charm of a great analogue sports car. Yet its electronic controls – including a superb stability system – flattered the driver and seamlessly boosted performance. It was a masterful example of how high-tech can enhance driving enjoyment. Said one road tester of the Ferrari LaFerrari (to give it its full name): ‘It’s so good they named it twice.’
The LaFerrari's combination of a V12 ICE engine with a 163cv electric motor produced a combined power output of 963 CV
As with many of the greatest Ferraris, the LaFerrari was strictly limited edition. Just 499 coupés were built, and 210 Aperta open-roof versions would follow.
In fact, a 500th coupé was built, in 2016, specially requested by Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne. All proceeds went to victims of that year’s catastrophic earthquake in central Italy. It sold for $7.5 million, the most expensive 21st century car ever sold at auction.