Ferrari has unveiled its F80, writing a new chapter in the history of legendary supercars bearing the Prancing Horse badge.

The F80 will be produced in a limited run of just 799 examples and joins the pantheon of icons such as the GTO, F40 and LaFerrari by showcasing the best that the Maranello-based marque has achieved in terms of technology and performance.

Since 1984, Ferrari has periodically released a new supercar that represented the pinnacle of cutting-edge technology and innovation of its era and that was destined to become enshrined in popular culture.

The latest addition to this family, the F80 embodies the ultimate in engineering for an internal-combustion-engined vehicle and employs all the most advanced technological solutions, including latest-generation hybrid technology for the powertrain, to achieve unparalleled levels of power and torque. Every aspect of the architecture is conceived to maximise performance, from the carbon-fibre chassis and extreme aerodynamic solutions far beyond anything seen before in a road legal car, to the new active suspension optimised to let the driver wring every ounce of performance from the car on the track.

“Unlike anything else in the current supercar world, the F80 combines all these attributes with uncompromising levels of usability on the road, where it can be driven with ease. This ability shaped every choice made in terms of technology and architecture to achieve the goal, which at first sight seems impossible, of creating a track-oriented supercar that’s just as driveable as a production range model,” says the company.

 This means that the driver will spend even more time in the car and can truly get to know and revel in its performance and the thrilling driving experience it offers. The architecture of the F80 is so extreme that the layout chosen results in a narrower cabin with a driver-centric layout, which nonetheless still offers excellent space and comfort for a passenger. This choice had crucial benefits in terms of minimising drag and weight.

The cockpit area, therefore, has a distinct single-seater feel, despite the fact that the car is homologated for two occupants, resulting in an architecture that we could call “1+”. The primary reason for this choice was to minimise width, to the benefit of aerodynamics (with less drag) and weight saving. 

As has always been the case with the Ferrari supercars preceding the F80, the powertrain is based on the finest expression of technology in motorsport. Today in both Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship (WEC), powertrains consist of turbo V6 ICE engines mated with an 800 V hybrid system. It was only natural then that this architecture – the same architecture used by the 499P, which has taken two consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – would be transferred into the new F80.

Here though the powertrain is further complemented by the introduction, for the first time ever on a Ferrari, of electric turbo technology (e-turbo).