Named in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Scuderia Ferrari racing team, the SF90 Stradale represents a profound philosophical and technological leap for the Italian marque. It is not merely a successor to a previous model, but an entirely new echelon of series-production vehicle—one that brings hypercar performance into a more accessible, albeit still exclusive, production run.
Powertrain Architecture: V8 Meets Tri-Motor Hybrid
The internal combustion element of the SF90 is derived from the award-winning F154 twin-turbocharged V8 engine family. Bored out to 4.0 liters and comprehensively redesigned with new intake and exhaust routing, a narrower cylinder head, and a higher 350-bar direct injection system, the engine alone produces 769 horsepower.
However, the internal combustion engine only tells part of the story. The SF90 utilizes three distinct electric motors. The primary motor, known as the MGUK (Motor Generator Unit, Kinetic) in a nod to Formula 1 terminology, is sandwiched between the engine and the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The remaining two motors are located on the front axle, constituting the RAC-e (Regulator of Advanced Cornering Setup) system.
RAC-e and Dynamic Vectoring
The implementation of twin electric motors on the front axle effectively makes the SF90 Stradale the first mid-engine Ferrari sports car with all-wheel drive. More importantly, these front motors operate independently of each other. This allows for instantaneous, highly precise torque vectoring across the front axle. When cornering hard, the outer front wheel can be driven with more torque to pull the car into the apex, drastically reducing understeer and effectively shrinking the perceived wheelbase of the vehicle.
Additionally, like other modern hybrid architectures, the front motors are entirely responsible for the vehicle's reverse gear, allowing the transmission to be lighter and more compact by omitting a mechanical reverse.
Aerodynamics and the Shut-off Gurney
Managing the thermal loads of a 1000 CV powertrain while generating sufficient downforce requires radical aerodynamic solutions. The SF90 features a patented "shut-off Gurney" at the rear. Instead of a traditional rising rear wing, a suspended wing element spans the rear of the car. At high speeds, an actuator lowers the lower section of this wing to close the air gap, creating a massive wedge that generates 390 kg of downforce at 250 km/h.
The underbody is equally complex, featuring vortex generators that channel air past the exhaust system and into a massive rear diffuser, stabilizing the rear end under heavy braking.
The eManettino and Driving Experience
The traditional steering wheel-mounted Manettino switch is now supplemented by an "eManettino" to control the power delivery of the hybrid system. The driver can select between eDrive (pure electric operation using the front motors only), Hybrid (default efficiency mode), Performance (keeps the ICE running constantly to maintain battery charge), and Qualify (allows maximum power deployment from both the ICE and electric motors for blistering lap times).
The Ferrari SF90 Stradale proves that extreme hybridization does not dilute the emotional engagement of a Maranello product; rather, it weaponizes electricity to expand the dynamic envelope beyond the physical limits of a traditional rear-wheel-drive platform.