Ferrari F80 review

Pretty amazing, which might not be a surprise if you’ve been paying attention to Ferrari for the last 25 years or so. But there have been little hints that their power could be on the decline. The slightly blunt SF90; the technically intriguing and dynamically capable but philosophically troubling Purosangue, and even the 12Cilindri – a fabulous car but less savage than its predecessor and less special as a result.

The F80 blows such notions away. For some the 3.0-litre twin turbocharged V6 might be sacrilege and – we accept – the aural excitement from the outside is almost non-existent. But within its understated, focussed cabin, the engine and the electric motors in combination live and breathe like the very best supercar powertrains. The performance is mighty as you’d expect of 1,183bhp, but the intensity and fully immersive, tactile experience is where the magic lies.

Walk me through the good stuff.

The eight-speed dual clutch gearbox is outrageously good. The new CCM R Plus brakes are so much more consistent than other Ferraris despite the F80 mixing regen with the mechanical braking system. The steering is utterly wonderful. The wheel isn’t even close to being round, but don’t despair. Such is the response of the front end that you’ll almost never move your hands from the perfect position and so the GT3-style design just adds a bit more motorsport cool.

Most impressive of all is the suspension. The gorgeous inboard system uses an active Multimatic set-up where each damper has an electric motor, which can manipulate ride height, control body movements and provides minute control of the wheel tracing the road, too. There are no anti-roll bars. It was a really key technology to the F80’s dynamics as it provides such a stable platform for the active aero to increase load and create huge levels of grip.

Incidentally, the sensors within the dampers are so accurate that the loads they measure at speed perfectly matched Ferrari’s CFD and wind tunnel data regarding downforce levels. 1,050kg at 155mph, by the way.

Yet for all the tech, the real triumph is that the F80 feels so natural to drive. The platform might be stable but there’s still just enough body movement to create feel and allow your own senses to perform at their peak performance, too. The F80 gives you real confidence and very quickly.

On track there’s barely a sense that the front e-axle is driven at all. The F80 is neutral but superbly hooked-up on corner exit. Select CT Off and there’s lovely adjustability, too. The F80 slides just a little as you ride up over the exit kerbs and the powertrain delivers the full 1,183bhp…

And on the road?

The F80 feels freer and more exciting. The huge tyres mean there’s plenty of tyre roar but the ride is pretty decent even on bumpy surfaces. It’s not quite as supple as a 296 GTB at lower speeds but smooths out to stunning effect as pace increases.

And its control, responsive and pure, unbridled fury makes a ‘normal’ supercar like the 296 feel almost ordinary. It’s an absolute feast of technology with more than enough old school feel and fury.

Bet it sounds mega…

Angry, almost scarily purposeful and with all sorts of sci-fi electric noises that are pure Le Mans prototype racer. The F80 is an absolute riot.