The Ferrari F80 joins the Italian marque’s elite but the biggest talking point is not the R70 million asking price but rather the sad fact that the V12 was ditched for a highly-boosted, 1,183bhp (883 kW) hybrid V6 engine.
AutoExpress managed to have a chat with Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief marketing and communications officer who shed some light on their thoughts behind this decision.
“We asked the question of whether we were going to use the most iconic engine [the V12] or the highest performing [the V6], and decided to take the highest performer. This is something that we have always done with our supercars, to use the most high performing option available at the time; just look at the F40 and its twin-turbocharged V8.”
“We also asked the question about whether an electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain was considered, to which we received an emphatic: ‘No, we think that for now, this is the best technical solution'”. said Galliera.
The F80’s 120-degree 3.0-litre V6 is completely bespoke, unlike similar engines in lesser models like the 296 GTB.
Enthusiasm for the F80 remains high, with all 799 units already sold to Ferrari’s most dedicated clients. In fact, Ferrari is overwhelmed and has to manage the many disappointed clients who were unable to secure an allocation.