The SF90 Stradale is the most powerful road Ferrari to date, with 986 hp, and is the automaker's first series production plug-in hybrid. It is also Ferrari's first four-wheel-drive, two-seat sports car -- a necessary step for the hybrid powertrain to be fully exploited.
In addition, the SF90 Stradale is the first Ferrari with a brake-by-wire system, developed with Brembo. This enables braking torque to be split between the hydraulic system and the electric motors, allowing regenerative energy recovery.
The powertrain combines a 769-hp turbocharged V-8 gasoline engine with three electric motors that have a total output of 217 hp. One motor is at the rear between the engine and the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and there is one motor for each of the front wheels.
The V-8 has been completely redesigned using Ferrari's F154 eight-cylinder engine as a base. One of the biggest differences is that the SF90 Stradale has a new combustion chamber.
A selector mounted on the steering wheel enables the driver to choose from four power unit management modes: eDrive (electric only), hybrid (the standard one), performance (internal combustion engine always running) and qualify (maximum electric-power output).
Ferrari says eDrive is ideal when in a city center or any other situation in which the driver wishes to eliminate the sound of the engine.
The 270 additional kilograms required to incorporate the hybrid system into the car have been more than compensated by the increase in power. The SF90 Stradale has a top speed of more than 340 kph and accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in 2.5 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than the eight-cylinder, 710-hp F8 Tributo.
The SF90 is credited with a 1-minute, 19-second lap time at Ferrari's Fiorano test track, 3 seconds faster than the F8 Tributo.
The relatively small 7.9-kW battery means the top power output of 986 hp is only available "for a certain number of seconds, but enough for a lap on every race circuit," Ferrari Chief Technical Officer Michael Leiters said. The SF90's electric-only range is 25 km and the top speed in electric mode is 135 kph.