The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is proof that electrification can be great for performance. The plug-in hybrid supercar makes nearly 1,000 horsepower from its engine and electric motors, which are put to the test in a new drag race video where the Ferrari races a tuned BMW M3 sedan.
The Ferrari uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine with three electric motors and an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The plug-in hybrid, revealed in 2019, makes a combined 986 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The engine makes 768 hp, with the motors adding the extra oomph – Ferrari placed one on the rear axle and two on the front.
All that power allows the SF90 to hit 60 miles per hour in a claimed 2.5 seconds. It can speed to 125 mph in just 6.7 seconds and has a top speed of 211 mph. It even bested the Ferrari LaFerrari around the automaker’s Fiorano test track, lapping it in 1:19 to the LaFerrari’s time of 1:19.70.
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The Ferrari’s hybrid setup offers a pure-electric driving mode with a range of up to 16 miles and a limited top speed of 84 mph. Ferrari designed the body for aerodynamics, with the SF90 Stradale generating 860 pounds of downforce at 155 mph.
We saw the BMW M3 race a few weeks ago against a stock 911 Turbo S. The sedan features BMW’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine. It initially made 510 hp and 479 lb-ft of twist from the factory, but an assortment of aftermarket upgrades increased the output to 750 hp and 663 lb-ft of torque. The BMW routes power to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The Ferrari won all three races, with the first being the closest. The SF90 crossed the finish line ahead of the M3 by a bumper, winning the next two races by much wider margins. The Ferrari also beat the BMW in the two rolling races. While the M3 produces enormous power, completing the quarter-mile in 10.1 seconds, the Ferrari just makes more. It finished the race in 9.8 seconds.
Italy’s hybrid supercar also won the brake test, stopping at a shorter distance even though the two weigh about the same. Ferrari’s brakes provided superior braking performance, which one would expect from a six-figure, 1,000-hp hypercar.
And we’ll get a more potent version that should debut later this year. Our spy photographers recently captured a hotter version of the SF90. The photos captured the car with major aerodynamic upgrades, including a new massive rear wing and a prominent front lip. It could be called the SF90 LM and feature a host of track-focused upgrades.
