New 2024 Ferrari hypercar spied: radical aero philosophy for LaFerrari successor
Testing is well underway for Ferrari’s next flagship hypercar, which could be the first without a V12 engine since the F40
Ferrari’s transition towards electrified supercars is gathering serious momentum, with the SF90 Stradale worming its way into our affections at evo and the 296 GTB proving stunningly fast and involving from the outset. Now, it’s the turn of a brand new hybrid hypercar – codenamed F250 – to lay down a marker for the future of Ferrari road cars.
These spy shots provide a glimpse at the new model, which will succeed the LaFerrari in pioneering the firm’s latest and most advanced powertrain and chassis technology. As these pictures of a development prototype indicate, it will also arrive with a more extreme aero philosophy comprising an enormous rear wing and fixed aero extensions, following the SF90 XX Stradale in a departure from Ferrari’s long-held preference for cleaner body shapes with active aero elements.
The bodywork of this test mule is an amalgamation of bespoke parts that don’t appear to be production ready, but it’s clear that the F250 will adopt a bold and complex aerodynamic approach. The overall shape is an evolution of the LaFerrari’s narrow cockpit design, which reduces the car’s frontal area and provides cleaner airflow to that huge rear wing. The F250 also appears to adopt a similar S-duct design to the 488 Pista to channel air through the nose, with deep channels cut into the doors that lead into side vents ahead of the rear wheels.
In tandem with the rear spoiler, the F250’s diffuser works the air with vast venturi tunnels to accelerate the flow beneath the car and generate downforce. The high voltage sticker at the back of this prototype confirms that, as expected, Ferrari’s next hypercar will be electrified, carrying the torch from the LaFerrari – albeit this time without a searing naturally-aspirated V12.
At Ferrari’s Capital Markets Day presentation last year, the brand confirmed that its forthcoming hybrid cars will use either V6 or V8 combustion engines, with V12s reserved for pure-ICE models. As Ferrari tends towards stronger levels of electrification with more powerful motors and larger battery packs, it’s harder to ignore the packaging and weight penalties of a big-capacity V12, and one of its smaller, power-dense turbocharged units is likely to feature in the F250.
TrustpilotThe SF90 XX already outguns the LaFerrari by combining a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 with a trio of electric motors for a peak output of 1015bhp, and the F250 will undoubtedly go further – either with this powertrain in a higher state of tune, or one derived from the 296 GTB’s electrically-assisted V6. The 296 already generates 818bhp, and adding a pair of electric motors to the front axle – as in the SF90 – would offer four-wheel drive and well beyond 1000bhp, while also marrying up with Ferrari’s V6-powered WEC and Formula 1 race cars. Time will tell which path Ferrari has chosen.
