The Ferrari dream factory in Maranello has opened its doors to reveal the company’s latest technical tour de force, the F80. This is a 1,200-horsepower hybrid-electric, all-wheel-drive, twin-turbocharged V6 missile wrapped in wind-cheating bodywork producing enough downforce to flatter an F1 car.

The F80 employs some elements that we’ve seen before: a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 combustion engine driving the rear wheels and an electric motor powering the front axle.

The car features a more highly stressed version of the 60-degree V6 engine seen previously in the 296 GTB, tuned to produce 900 horsepower in this application. It is matched to an uprated version of the front electric drive module used in the SF90.

Electric Drive

In the interest of maximum performance, the F80’s hybrid electric system substitutes a lighter 2.3-kilowatt-hour 800-volt battery pack from SK On, in place of the SF90’s 7.9 kWh pack. Correspondingly, the F80 lacks the ability to drive on electric-only power because that’s not an important attribute for a maximum-performance car, according to Ferrari. A DC/DC converter lets the high-voltage pack provide 48-volt power to the car’s active suspension system and the electric turbocharger plus 12-volt power to the electronic control units and other conventional components.

Related:Maranello Masterpieces: The Legacy of Enzo Ferrari

The F80’s electric motors, both in the front and mated to the combustion engine to help drive the rear wheels, are Ferrari’s first home-grown units, replacing the Yasa axial motor that was previously used in combination with the V6 engine in the 296 GTB. The company says that its new motors employ Halbach array technology to maximize magnetic flux density and minimize mass and the resulting inertia.

The F80's electric front axle is a lighter version of this one, as seen on the SF90. FERRARI

Ferrari says the Halback array technology and the motors’ lightweight carbon fiber magnet sleeve are both direct technology transfers from the company’s Formula 1 racing program, where they are used in the race car’s Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic. Litz wires with multiple insulated strands in the motors’ stator minimize high-frequency losses by reducing the so-called “skin effect” to allow current to flow uniformly through the entire cross-section of the wire.

The two motors in the front-drive module and the one at the rear produce a combined 300 horsepower. The electric front axle shaves 31 lbs. off the one used in the SF90. It also has an active dry sump lubrication system and low-viscosity Shell E6+ oil to reduce losses by 20 percent. It is also 10 decibels quieter than the SF90’s unit thanks to the installation of high coverage ratio gears.

Related:The Ferrari Purosangue SUV Driving Experience

Combustion Drive

The V6 combustion engine is derived from the one in the 296 GTB, but with significant upgrades that boost its output from 663 hp in that car to 900 hp in the F80. Much of this extra power comes from the F80’s ability to run ignition and fuel injection timing right at the absolute limit thanks to a statistical knock control system that enables 20 percent higher cylinder pressures.

Additionally, the electric turbochargers operate under a unique calibration for each gear. This, along with the electric motor installed between the impeller and compressor sides of the turbos, provides the responsiveness of a naturally aspirated engine in a turbo motor, Ferrari says.

The F80's 120-degree 3.0-liter V6 engine is a more powerful version of this one, used in the 296 GTB. FERRARI

Camshaft profiles have been optimized for this engine’s 9,000-rpm redline, which is possible due to the use of a machined die-cast steel crankshaft with hot-forged crankpins that are offset at 120 degrees. The titanium connecting rods have caps that feature a toothed face between the rod’s shank and the cap on the big end. This increases the surface area between the two mating surfaces to produce a stronger rod while ensuring perfect alignment between the parts. It will be interesting to learn why Ferrari chose this solution over the more common fractured cap technology, which has been used in titanium rods for Yamaha motorcycles, for example.

Related:Is the Ferrari Portofino M the World's Most Exciting 2+2 Sports Car?

The engine has a very shallow oil pan to allow it to be mounted as low to the ground as possible for a low center of gravity. But its installation is tilting down at the front by 1.3 degrees, to tilt the transmission behind it upward. That leaves more space beneath the gearbox for the diffuser, which contributes half of the car’s rear downforce.

Active Aerodynamics

The car’s total downforce is 2,200 lbs. at 156 mph, considerably more than the Corvette ZR1’s 1,200 lbs. at 233 mph. More than 1,000 lbs. of this comes from the front, where the car’s central nose section acts as a main wing plane. At the rear, the active wing is an obvious contributor, complementing the downforce of the underbody diffuser.

The F80's wing moves higher or lower depending the downforce required. FERRARI

That diffuser stretches 70 inches forward from the rear of the F80, providing a large low-pressure zone beneath the car. This dependence on ground effects for downforce means that maintaining a consistent ride height is crucial to predictable handling characteristics.

Active Suspension

That’s where the F80 active suspension comes into effect. The 48-volt active suspension system provides a comfortable ride in regular driving but switches to a mode that maintains constant ride height over all surfaces for performance driving. An interesting component of the car’s double-wishbone suspension system is the use of 3D-printed upper wishbones.

The SF80's 48-volt active suspension system is mounted inboard, at the top of the engine bay. FERRARI

This suspension system is complemented by the F80’s stability control system, termed Side Slip Control 9.0. This ninth-generation system runs a digital twin in real time to simulate the car’s circumstances using data from its sensors to predict the F80’s behavior and adjust the stability control parameters accordingly. Ferrari says this method lets the computer calculate the velocity of the car’s center of mass within less than 1 degree and 1 kilometer per hour of precision.

These and an avalanche of other technical details create a car that will carry Ferrari’s banner into the future. We anxiously await more detailed briefings from the engineering team on how they did it.