Tag Archives: Ferrari

NEW CARS

Ferrari SC40: The Ghost of Maranello’s Greatest Hits

You can almost hear the whisper of twin turbos spooling through the decades — that unmistakable rasp that once defined the Ferrari F40. And now, nearly forty years after the world’s most unhinged Ferrari burst onto the scene, Maranello’s wizards have decided to play a familiar tune. Meet the Ferrari SC40, a one-off creation from the marque’s Special Projects division that dares to reinterpret one of the most sacred shapes in motoring history.

But don’t get sentimental just yet — this is no nostalgia act. Underneath those newly sculpted carbon-fibre panels, which nod ever so deliberately to the F40’s raw, functional beauty, sits the beating hybrid heart of the 296 GTB. That means a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 coupled with an electric motor, combining to produce a staggering 830 horsepower and 740 Nm of torque. So while the silhouette recalls 1987, the performance is firmly 21st century.

The Modern Classic That Isn’t

Ferrari insists the SC40 is not an F40 successor — though someone should probably tell that to the design team. Led by Flavio Manzoni, the Maranello stylists clearly spent late nights poring over photos of Enzo’s final masterpiece. The SC40 trades the F40’s pop-up headlights and gated shifter for a sleeker, more sculptural form, one shaped as much by computational fluid dynamics as by nostalgia.

There are familiar cues, of course: the vented rear engine cover, now with an integrated spoiler that evokes the F40’s iconic wing, and the sharp air intakes that seem to slice the air like a scalpel. Even the wheels are unique — a bespoke set that won’t appear on any other Ferrari. It’s all been built in partnership with one very fortunate customer, and like all great works of art, this one took two years to complete.

A Legacy Rewired

The F40 was Enzo Ferrari’s last “yes.” It was the moment when the old world of analog speed met the dawn of digital engineering — twin turbos, no ABS, and a chassis that wanted you dead just as much as it wanted you thrilled. The SC40, on the other hand, is that car’s futuristic echo: sculpted, electrified, and relentlessly fast.

For context, the original F40 packed a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V8 good for 478 horsepower, 577 Nm, and a top speed of 324 km/h — numbers that rewrote supercar history in 1987. The SC40, with nearly double the power and a plug-in hybrid system, would blow the doors off it in any measurable sense. But that’s missing the point. The SC40 isn’t about numbers; it’s about lineage, emotion, and a flicker of that mad spirit that Ferrari so rarely unleashes anymore.

Ferrari’s Future — or a Farewell?

Word from Maranello suggests this won’t be the last “retro-futurist” project from Ferrari’s FSP division. In fact, Lewis Hamilton — soon to join Ferrari’s Formula 1 team — is rumored to be eyeing an F44 project of his own. And here’s the kicker: it might come with a manual gearbox. Imagine that — a proper analog Ferrari with modern power. A true heir to the F40 throne, reborn for the TikTok generation.

The Ferrari SC40 is not a production car. It’s not for sale. It’s not even a statement, really. It’s a love letter — to Enzo, to the F40, to an era when Ferraris were wild, terrifying, and utterly beautiful. It’s proof that even in a hybrid age, Maranello still remembers what made the prancing horse gallop in the first place.

A modern remix of Ferrari’s greatest hit. Electrified, exclusive, and engineered for one lucky soul. The SC40 may not be an F40 reborn — but it’s the closest we’ll get until Ferrari decides to really go feral again.

Source: Ferrari

Auctions

Ferrari M6 Prototype: The Godfather of LaFerrari Hits the Auction Block

Just when you think Maranello has no more secrets to spill, another one of its crimson skeletons emerges from the factory vaults. A few months after a LaFerrari development mule built around a 458 Italia sold for a cool $1.215 million, another Frankenstein from Ferrari’s experimental lab has surfaced — and this one might be even juicier.

Meet the M6. Not the BMW kind. This is Ferrari’s own early hybrid test mule, a vital stepping stone in the creation of the LaFerrari — the brand’s first electrified hypercar and, arguably, the last true Maranello monster before the electrification era went full steam ahead.

Back to the Beginning: Early Hybrid Origins

The M6 started life as a humble 458 Italia, but it didn’t stay humble for long. Built between February and April 2012, it was one of the first prototypes to bridge Ferrari’s traditional ICE heritage with its then-radical hybrid ambitions.

Forget carbon fiber tubs and sci-fi aerodynamics — those came later. This prototype sits on an aluminum chassis straight out of the 458 parts bin. But under the bonnet lurks something far more exotic: the V12 that would go on to power the mighty LaFerrari. It’s like finding a test track mule wearing the wrong clothes but hiding the right heart.

Between May 2012 and May 2013, Ferrari’s engineers used this machine to thrash out the hypercar’s braking systems around Fiorano. It was also tasked with dialing in suspension geometry, steering feedback, and even tire behavior. Most notably, it was the first mule fitted with Ferrari’s cutting-edge electronic stability system — a system designed to handle the combined forces of a screaming V12 and electric torque.

A Rolling Laboratory in Disguise

Visually, the M6 looks like a slightly tweaked 458, though Ferrari’s engineers were anything but gentle with it. During its testing days, it wore temporary bumpers and a shooting brake-style rear decklid — not for beauty, but for airflow data and cooling tests. All of those quirky prototype parts are included in the sale, giving collectors a glimpse into Maranello’s mad-scientist phase.

The cabin tells the same story. It’s standard 458 Italia in layout, but dotted with warning stickers, exposed wiring, and a rather dramatic red kill switch — all screaming “do not touch unless you have a PhD in Ferrari development.”

From Test Mule to Collectible Unicorn

Ferrari sold the prototype to a collector in 2016, after its tour of duty at Fiorano was complete. Now, it’s coming up for auction through RM Sotheby’s Sealed platform, with bidding open until October 23.

It’s not road-legal, but it’s fully functional — meaning its next custodian can fire it up and feel the pulse of the LaFerrari’s DNA coursing through an aluminum skeleton. Before the handover, it will even undergo a full service back in Maranello, as if being knighted one last time by its makers.

RM Sotheby’s expects it to fetch between $1.05 million and $1.3 million, which is a small price to pay for a piece of Ferrari’s hybrid genesis. Because while the LaFerrari may have been the headline act, the M6 was the crucial sound check — the rough, raw prototype that helped redefine what a Ferrari could be.

For collectors, the M6 is more than a car — it’s a slice of Ferrari development history, preserved in aluminum and passion. It’s the missing link between the analog screamers of the past and the electrified beasts of the present.

In a world of sanitized supercars and digital filters, this mule remains gloriously imperfect. And that’s precisely what makes it so Ferrari.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

News

Ferrari’s First EV: The 1000-hp Elettrica Is a GT From the Future—Not a Supercar

Ferrari doesn’t do timid. When Maranello finally steps into something new, it usually does so with a confident, unmistakable stomp. Next year, that stomp will be electric.

Meet the Ferrari Elettrica—the company’s first-ever EV. It’s a four-door, four-seat grand tourer with around 1000 horsepower, four electric motors, a massive 122.0-kWh battery, and a chassis stuffed with enough tech to make the SF90 look old-school. And yet, Ferrari’s top brass insist it’s not a supercar.

“This is not a supercar,” says CEO Benedetto Vigna, “but a new type of GT—one that widens what it means to drive a Ferrari.”

That’s an unexpected statement from the house that built the LaFerrari and the F80 hypercar. But it’s a calculated one. The Elettrica is meant to bring new buyers into the fold—the ones who love the idea of a Ferrari but also need space for friends, luggage, and maybe a little less drama.

Electric, Yes. But Still Ferrari.

The Elettrica’s design story reads like a collaboration between Silicon Valley and Maranello, because, well—it is. Ferrari teamed up with Jony Ive’s LoveFrom design firm (yes, that Jony Ive of iPhone fame) to craft a shape that’s sleeker and more aerodynamic than any Ferrari GT before it. Expect something longer than an SF90, closer in footprint to the Purosangue SUV, but lower and more coupe-like.

Underneath sits a bespoke EV platform, not shared with any other Ferrari. It features short overhangs, an unusually compact wheelbase, and a battery layout that keeps 85 percent of its mass low and central. The 122-kWh pack uses cells from SK On and boasts an energy density of 195 Wh/kg—the highest of any production EV today. Ferrari claims a 329-mile range, though range clearly wasn’t the main goal here.

Four Motors, One Mission

Power comes from four electric motors—two in the front, two in the back—each spinning up to 25,000 rpm and built entirely in-house, casings and all. The rear motors produce 832 horsepower combined; the fronts add another 282, for a system output of roughly 986 horsepower.

Ferrari isn’t quoting a torque figure, probably because it would sound absurd. After gearbox multiplication, the Elettrica’s rear axle can deliver 5900 lb-ft of twist to the pavement. That’s more than enough for a 0–62 mph sprint in 2.5 seconds and a 192-mph top speed.

Just as impressive is how the Elettrica moves. With full torque vectoring on all four corners and a disconnectable front axle, it can shift seamlessly from AWD traction to pure RWD playfulness in half a second.

Suspension of Belief

If the Elettrica feels alive, thank its 48-volt active suspension system, a heavily evolved version of the setup in the Purosangue. Each corner features a motorized damper that continuously adjusts height and stiffness, reacting to road conditions 200 times per second. The result? No coil springs needed while driving—the dampers do all the work.

Combined with four-wheel steering and torque vectoring, Ferrari claims the Elettrica offers “control over vertical, longitudinal, and lateral forces in all conditions.” In simpler terms, it’s the first Ferrari that can literally think in 3D.

Sound You Can Feel

Ferrari’s biggest engineering flex might be the sound. Instead of pumping in fake noise, engineers fitted sensors that pick up the natural vibrations from the motors and drivetrain, then amplify them through the cabin—like an electric guitar pickup.

“The sound of our electric Ferrari is not fake. Not fake at all,” says product development boss Gianmaria Fulgenzi.

When you’re cruising, it’s silent. But when you’re on it, you’ll hear a tone that’s mechanical, alive, and distinctly Ferrari—just without the gasoline.

Why Now?

While rivals like Lamborghini and Bentley delay their EV programs, Ferrari believes the time is right. Vigna insists that innovation has always been the company’s heartbeat, quoting Enzo Ferrari himself:

“If we do not innovate, we do not deserve to be called a market leader.”

The Elettrica is Ferrari’s attempt to prove that electric propulsion doesn’t have to dilute the brand’s DNA—it can enhance it. And the company is already looking beyond: internal combustion will remain, but by 2030, Ferrari expects 20 percent of its sales to be electric.

A GT for the Next Generation

More than just a showcase of tech, the Elettrica represents a strategic shift. Ferrari knows its classic two-seat sports cars appeal to purists—but to survive and grow, it needs to attract new kinds of buyers. A versatile four-seat GT with world-class performance and zero tailpipe emissions is the perfect entry point.

“If we electrified a two-seater, the improvement would be modest,” Fulgenzi explains. “But a more versatile car like this? That’s where electric technology truly shines.”

Production won’t be limited. Pricing—still under wraps—will define exclusivity instead. Ferrari expects to begin client previews in early 2026, followed by the final reveal later that year.

Ferrari’s Elettrica isn’t trying to be the loudest, fastest, or most extreme car from Maranello. Instead, it’s aiming to redefine what Ferrari performance means in a silent, digital age.

With 1,000 horsepower, active suspension wizardry, and a soundtrack rooted in authenticity, the Elettrica is shaping up to be a GT that can shame supercars—and convert skeptics in the process.

Ferrari’s electric future, it seems, still runs on passion. Just not on petrol.

Source: Reuters; Photo: Ferrari