Month: June 2014

It should be worth mentioning to you that copious amounts of drool may ensue while reading this article.  If you’re a numbers junkie, read ahead.  If you’re an experience junkie, read ahead.  If you’re a looks person, read ahead.  Well, you got it.  There’s something for everybody in this car, and this article! The 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari is the most powerful production Ferrari ever made.  Yipe.  It’s also the first hybrid Ferrari ever made.  Yowza.  It’s carbon-fiber tub (where the driver and passenger sit) is made from the same carbon fiber as the frighteningly fast Ferrari F1 cars, and it’s formed by the same team that makes the F1 cars.  Wow.  It’s name translates to “The Ferrari.” As emissions regulations around the world get harder, supercar manufacturers are forced to turn to alternative different forms of power.  McLaren’s powerful P1 hypercar uses two turbochargers, an electric motor, and an already powerful 3.8-liter V8.  Stuttgart fired back with an equally impressive salvo that is the 918 Spyder, which uses an insanely powerful naturally aspirated V8 with two electric motors.  The LaFerrari is just as, if not more impressive.  It’s pretty darn hard to beat a Ferrari V12 for power, reliability, and sound. All three of said cars are spiritual and literal successors to simply amazing hypercars from about 10-15 years ago.  The P1 is the successor to the legendary McLaren F1 of the late 1990’s.  The 918 replaces the controversial Carrera GT, the car that Paul Walker and Roger Rodas died in late last year.  The LaFerrari replaces the stunning Enzo, named for Enzo Ferrari, the founder of Ferrari.  But, we aren’t going to be talking THAT much about the LaFerrari’s rivals. The seats are bolted directly to the carbon fiber tub, which means that they are not adjustable.  Ferrari tailors seat padding for each and every customer and their passenger.  A small lever does move the pedals fore and aft.  The flat-bottomed steering wheel adapted from the Ferrari 458 Italia Speciale telescopes and moves up and down.  The LCD screen that is the speedometer and tachometer has a 9000 RPM redline, but the engine will briefly go to 9250 RPM. The V12 engine is pulled from the F12 Berlinetta, which means that it displaces 6.3 liters, and puts out a shriek like nothing of this world.  It trades low-end power for a higher redline (the F12 stops revving at 8250 RPM, and the LaFerrari stops revving at 9000).  It also makes 58 more horsepower (731 versus 789).  The 161-horsepower electric motor that is bolted to the back of the equally fabulous seven-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission kicks in at low speeds and when the engine hits redline.  There is no EV mode, as Ferrari estimates that the range from the batteries is under 6 miles, and Ferrari has no plans of adding more batteries or EV range. With a combined 950 horsepower, this car is more far more powerful than the 903-horsepower P1 or the 887-horsepower 918 Spyder.  This means that the Launch button looks pretty dang tantalizing.  Ferrari claims 0-60 in under 3 seconds, but won’t allow any major automotive media publications to gather data. A nice touch is the small plaque at the bottom of the steering wheel, which allows owners to put whatever they want onto it.  The steering should be quick, as Ferrari says that the steering wheel will turn just under two turns lock-to-lock.  That’s on par with an F1 car.  Yet another Ferrari first is the electromechanical steering.  That basically means that an electric motor boosts the steering in addition to the power booster. The rear wing moves up and down, yet Ferrari claims that it shouldn’t impede driver rearview visibility too terribly much.  The flaps at the front of the hood lift up when the brakes are applied.  Combine those two flaps with the rear wing, and the car can generate up to 800 pounds of downforce at 125 mph. The LaFerrari also has an active exhaust system.  This means that there is a series of flaps inside of the mufflers to mute the noise when you’re not digging into the throttle.  When you get into the throttle, the valves stay open for more noise.  Another bonus – the electric motor’s high-pitched whine is drowned out by the wail of the V12! Yet another added bonus is the fact that every single piece of electronics in the LaFerrari don’t interfere with the driver, which means that the driver can drive as fast as they want to (on a track!) without having to fight all of the nannies.  That’s a problem with most new cars.  Give a driver a car with nannies that they have to fight, and it can lead to a horrible driving experience.