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GENEVA, Switzerland - Ferrari is the latest supercar-maker to join the gang of hyper-hybrids. We take a closer look at the LaFerrari unveiled at the 2013 Geneva auto show on March 5.
While the LaFerrari looks good and takes the perception of hybrids to a whole new level - just like McLaren’s eco P1 - the name almost seems a bit cheesey.
View the specifications
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said: “We chose to call this model LaFerrari because it is the maximum expression of what defines our company – excellence.
“Excellence in terms of technological innovation, performance, visionary styling and the sheer thrill of driving. Aimed at our collectors, this is a truly extraordinary car which encompasses advanced solutions that, in the future, will find their way in to the rest of the range, and it represents the benchmark for the entire automotive industry,“ he said.
Image gallery
The super-hybrid runs a 6.3 V12 engine and an electric motor to make a combined 718kW, mated to a Ferrari F1 dual-clutch gearbox.
Ferrari Designer Flavio Manzoni developed the car’s styling to emphasise its form and function. There are traditional styling features like the sharp, downward-sloping nose and a low bonnet, highlighting the beefy wheelarches.
Watch the video
The LaFerrari’s body was sculpted with F1-inspired aerodynamics and a rear that is distinctively sporty. The cabin has a reworked steering-wheel with functions and longer gear-shift paddles. The signature bridge features the F1 gearbox functions now has a sleeker and suspended wing-like shape.
The LaFerrari uses four types of carbon throughout the car and has development input from Ferrari F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Seats are fixed but custom-fit for the driver with an adjustable pedal box and steering wheel.
The car has a lot of advanced technology that will eventually filter down to other production models, such as the F1 kers.
WOLRD-FIRST
The development of kers in the hybrid car is called the Hy-Kers, making the LaFerrari a world-first model to use this technology. The LaFerrari produces a combined figure of 330 g/km of CO2 emissions but during development testing when running exclusively on the electric motor, the car emitted only 220g/km.
Ferrari says “the hybrid system is composed of two electric motors developed in collaboration with Magneti Marelli – one powering the driven wheels and the second the ancillaries – and a battery pack attached to the floor of the chassis consisting of cells that are assembled in the Scuderia Ferrari department where the kers for the F138 is also made.”
Even charging the car’s batteries is quite clever with a couple of methods. It uses under braking, hard braking with active ABS and converting excess torque to charge the batteries. An example is when cornering, excess torque is converted to energy and stored in the batteries instead of being sent to the wheels.
Check out the latest models in our Geneva show section.
While the LaFerrari looks good and takes the perception of hybrids to a whole new level - just like McLaren’s eco P1 - the name almost seems a bit cheesey.
View the specifications
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said: “We chose to call this model LaFerrari because it is the maximum expression of what defines our company – excellence.
“Excellence in terms of technological innovation, performance, visionary styling and the sheer thrill of driving. Aimed at our collectors, this is a truly extraordinary car which encompasses advanced solutions that, in the future, will find their way in to the rest of the range, and it represents the benchmark for the entire automotive industry,“ he said.
Image gallery
The super-hybrid runs a 6.3 V12 engine and an electric motor to make a combined 718kW, mated to a Ferrari F1 dual-clutch gearbox.
Ferrari Designer Flavio Manzoni developed the car’s styling to emphasise its form and function. There are traditional styling features like the sharp, downward-sloping nose and a low bonnet, highlighting the beefy wheelarches.
Watch the video
The LaFerrari’s body was sculpted with F1-inspired aerodynamics and a rear that is distinctively sporty. The cabin has a reworked steering-wheel with functions and longer gear-shift paddles. The signature bridge features the F1 gearbox functions now has a sleeker and suspended wing-like shape.
The LaFerrari uses four types of carbon throughout the car and has development input from Ferrari F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Seats are fixed but custom-fit for the driver with an adjustable pedal box and steering wheel.
The car has a lot of advanced technology that will eventually filter down to other production models, such as the F1 kers.
WOLRD-FIRST
The development of kers in the hybrid car is called the Hy-Kers, making the LaFerrari a world-first model to use this technology. The LaFerrari produces a combined figure of 330 g/km of CO2 emissions but during development testing when running exclusively on the electric motor, the car emitted only 220g/km.
Ferrari says “the hybrid system is composed of two electric motors developed in collaboration with Magneti Marelli – one powering the driven wheels and the second the ancillaries – and a battery pack attached to the floor of the chassis consisting of cells that are assembled in the Scuderia Ferrari department where the kers for the F138 is also made.”
Even charging the car’s batteries is quite clever with a couple of methods. It uses under braking, hard braking with active ABS and converting excess torque to charge the batteries. An example is when cornering, excess torque is converted to energy and stored in the batteries instead of being sent to the wheels.
Check out the latest models in our Geneva show section.
