2014 Ferrari LaFerrari

2014 Ferrari LaFerrari

The LaFerrari represents Ferrari’s most ambitious project yet to push the boundaries of technology on a road car, drawing together the finest expression of the marque’s technical capabilities in both GT and Formula 1 engineering. It boasts the most extreme performance ever achieved by a Ferrari production car and features the most advanced and innovative technical solutions which will, in the future, filter down to the rest of the Ferrari range. With production limited to just 499 examples, LaFerrari continues Ferrari’s tradition in building uncompromising performance cars for a small number of highly discerning clients.

The LaFerrari is the first ever car with hybrid technology to come out of Maranello. The 6262cc V12 produces 800 CV and the electric motor a further 12o kW (163 CV) for a total of over 960 CV. Thanks to the huge technological leap forward represented by the HY-KERS system, the LaFerrari is the most high performance and efficient Ferrari ever built.Making full use of Ferrari’s F1 expertise with KERS systems which has been further developed for application to road cars, the HY-KERS guarantees maximum integration between the V12 and the electric motor, seamlessly blending extreme performance with maximum efficiency. The high levels of torque available at low revs from the electric motor allowed the engineers to optimise the internal combustion engine’s performance at higher revs, thus providing unending power throughout the rev range and a maximum torque peak of over 900 Nm.

The LaFerrari’s architecture represents the pinnacle of innovation even by Ferrari’s legendary standards. The objective was to increase aerodynamic efficiency, deliver ideal weight distribution, lower the car’s centre of gravity as far as possible, and, most importantly of all, seamlessly integrate the new hybrid system. All of this and more has been achieved without impinging on cabin space, comfort or accessibility.

Compared to the last limited series special the bodywork is narrower and lower to achieve maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The centre of gravity was lowered by 35 mm by redesigning the layout and integration of all of the main components and the human-machine interface, resulting in superior handling and responsiveness. Completely revised weight distribution means that the masses are now inside the wheelbase, guaranteeing the LaFerrari a low polar moment of inertia, excellent stability and grip in all driving conditions with 59 per cent of the weight over the rear of the car.

One of the greatest challenges in designing the LaFerrari was incorporating the hybrid system. Despite having the same wheelbase and maximum overall length as the Enzo, the LaFerrari incorporates both the hybrid system and the F1 dual-clutch gearbox plus their cooling systems. In other words, thanks to some extremely meticulous and ingenious engineering and design work, the running gear of two cars is cleverly packaged in the same space as previously occupied by just one.

Drawing on the ergonomically efficient F1 driving position, in which the driver is lower in the car and more reclined, the LaFerrari’s cockpit features a greater inclination of the driver’s upper body, legs and arms. The LaFerrari thus becomes the meeting point between sports car and F1 single-seater. This was achieved by integrating a fixed, bespoke seat lower in the chassis to improve the driver’s sensitivity to the vehicle’s dynamic behaviour.

The pedal box is adjustable to ensure that the driver’s legs are at the correct angle to allow absolutely precise control of both brake and accelerator. Similarly the new, smaller steering wheel is adjustable for reach and in height. Thanks to the chassis design and door aperture, the car is easier to get in and out of without reducing cockpit space.

Aerodynamics play an essential role in the LaFerrari’s exceptional performance and are further example of the uncompromising carry-over of F1 technology to Ferrari’s production models. The engineers’ aim was to deliver the highest degree of aerodynamic efficiency ever achieved with any road car, with a coefficient of nearly 3, thanks to technical solutions honed with CFD analysis and fine-tuned in the F1 Wind Tunnel. Working closely with the aerodynamics department, Ferrari’s Styling Centre incorporated these advanced solutions into the car’s design and the result is the perfect balance of form and function, making the most efficient use of the air flows around and through the car’s body. What makes this design so innovative is its use of active aerodynamics conceived as a seamless integration of the car’s other dynamic control systems to deliver a genuine breakthrough in overall performance. The integration with the car’s controls and dynamic parameters ensures that the active aerodynamics adjust continually to hone both the downforce and its balance via the front and rear devices. In this way the LaFerrari combines the maximum downforce and minimum drag coefficient at every speed and in every driving condition.Thanks to its low height and reduced overall width, the LaFerrari has an extremely compact frontal section for low drag and the tapered, streamlined shape of the greenhouse optimises the air flow towards the rear cooling intakes.

The front wing was designed specifically to increase downforce by eliminating the negative effects of pitch sensitivity caused by the pronounced splitters. A broad central air vent on the front bonnet channels hot air away from the radiator. The front spoiler directs the external flow to the front of the outlet to improve its efficiency, thus creating compression on the front section of the bonnet which generates downforce. A central flap helps keep the airstream from the vent close to the bodywork to reduce the wake, while the rear radius of the vent reduces drag.

The LaFerrari perfectly melds cutting-edge formal and aesthetic research and aerodynamic functionality, a result achieved by the synergies - from the start of the model’s inception - between Ferrari’s Styling Centre, headed by design chief Flavio Manzoni, and the engineering and development departments.

The LaFerrari’s overall silhouette and proportions are the very natural product of its architecture and the layout of its hybrid running gear. The design is striking and innovative, yet its sleek profile remains true to Ferrari’s classic mid-rear longitudinal V12 sports car archetype: the cabin and engine compartment volumes are contained within the wheelbase to achieve the best possible balance of its masses. Impressively, the addition of the HY-KERS system has not resulted in an increase in dimensions, but a better balance between the car’s front and rear overhangs. Seen from the side the car has a sharp, downward-sloping nose and a very low bonnet which emphasises its muscular wheelarches.

over 350 km/h