Why Shortsighted Criticism of the Ferrari F80 Will Fade Over Time

Opinion: The Prancing Horse’s new halo automobile has stirred up the haters, however why when it’s essentially the most highly effective, technology-packed supercar it’s ever produced? 

When Ferrari’s flagship F80 first broke cowl, the automobile’s mind-blowing stats and the hype surrounding its launch had been off the charts. This was undoubtedly going to be the perfect Ferrari – EVER! 

However then, particularly after the automobile was seen and heard on observe on the Finali Mondial occasion at Imola, the narrative flipped. Social media and the automotive press received their claws out in equal measure, and began ripping into Maranello’s newest anniversary particular, for the way in which it sounded (too quiet), the way in which it seemed (boxy styling, a moustache on its nostril) and whether or not its $4 million price ticket lived as much as these heady earlier expectations.

Let’s handle the three foremost criticisms of the F80, and take a wider view…

1: The engine sound isn’t loud sufficient

The truth that Ferrari used a V6 engine for the extension of its ‘Large 5’ – the 288 GTO, F40, F50, Enzo, and LaFerrari – was at all times going to draw criticism, as a result of we’ve been spoiled by the sonorous V12s of the three most up-to-date fashions. That mentioned, the 288 GTO and F40 each function V8 turbos, which mirrored the Method 1 racing engine structure of the time, producing altogether completely different harmonics.

However isn’t this merely a case of Ferrari transferring with the occasions? Its Method 1 vehicles – the head of all motorsports – have been powered by V6 hybrid turbos since 2014. The F80 additionally makes use of the identical three-liter F163CF, twin-turbo, 120-degree V6 energy unit from the two-time Le Mans 24 Hours-winning 499P racing hypercar.

Ferrari was very eager to have fun this epic success, as previous to 2023 it hadn’t gained outright at Le Mans, the twice-around-the-clock French sportscar basic, since 1965! It’s a dream for a producer to win such a prestigious trial of pace and endurance, which dates again to 1923, beating the likes of Cadillac, Lamborghini, and Porsche on the One centesimal-anniversary race earlier than going back-to-back in 2024.

That race-proven V6 hybrid powerplant, boasting 1200 horsepower thanks to 3 extra electrical motors, is harnessed by 1050kg of downforce (at 250km/h) from its superior aerodynamics, making it essentially the most highly effective road-going Ferrari ever created. It boasts some very good gasoline injection know-how too, which suggests it could ship large efficiency numbers whereas complying with more and more tighter emission controls.

Just like the 499P Le Mans winner, the F80 packs all-wheel drive and takes onboard lots of the weight-saving classes realized from the racing automobile, whereas the form of each vehicles comes from the Ferrari Styling Middle. That delivers on its said goal of ‘excessive design language that accentuates a race-bred soul’.

And this road-modified inside combustion engine – which really produces north of 200bhp greater than the racer – revs to only over 9,000rpm, which isn’t unhealthy for a turbo-assisted engine, coupled with a sound-absorbing MGU-H and people quiet electrical motors. Exhausts can actually be tweaked to make them louder, however this can be a sound of the high-tech occasions in the event you like. It’s additionally value noting that Ferrari has filed a patent for an amplification system that might amplify the sound of an electrical motor and reroute it by means of the again of the automobile.

F1 followers have a protracted since stopped bleating about engine notes – even when they’d want V8s, V10s or V12s, there’s no going again now. Examine it to the Mercedes-AMG Challenge One, which has a V6 hybrid turbo engine derived from its F1 program, which exhibits how eager producers are to switch racing know-how into their highway vehicles.

2: It has a black moustache throughout its nostril

They are saying that magnificence is within the eye of the beholder: Throughout the highway automobile market proper now’s numerous ‘assertion’ front-end designs. And the F80 actually stands out on this regard. I don’t find out about you, however the carbon fiber black ‘moustache’ between the headlights actually provides it some front-facing angle! 

The nostril incorporates a entrance wing and a splitter, similar to the Le Mans racer, plus an F1-style S-duct, and a hidden triplane of aerodynamic units. That is very a lot a product of operate in addition to kind – and the styling does appear to be the wild-looking racing hypercars you’ll see within the World Endurance Championship. You’ll be able to argue this has a extra racecar-influenced design than any of the ‘Large 5’ that went earlier than.

If the F80 has a styling concern, it may be blamed on the path of journey for contemporary racing automobile design, with its boxy appears to be like. As talked about earlier, each the F80 and 499P are the merchandise of the Ferrari Styling Centre, headed by Flavio Manzoni, and this look displays the goal that Ferrari’s supercars ought to ‘symbolize the head of cutting-edge know-how and innovation of its period’ permitting them to change into ‘enshrined in standard tradition’.

And people stark, considerably brutalist strains which have resulted in a quest for radical design cues are fairly the distinction to the post-millennium fantastic thing about the Enzo, LaFerrari, F8, and the Daytona SP3.

The outcry jogs my memory of how the F50 was acquired 30 years in the past. It too was criticised for its aggressive styling – particularly with that enormous rear wing. However, let’s face it, maybe the F50’s foremost drawback was it got here so quickly after the manufacturing run of the fantastically proportioned F40 ended. Discuss a tricky act to observe!

But the F50’s rarity has proved to make it a fair smarter funding, which we’ll come to subsequent…

3: It’s manner too costly

Inform that to the 799 prospects who’ve every already reserved this automobile for $3.9 million. You’ll be able to argue that Lamborghini reset the bar right here with its $4 million 50^th anniversary Veneno – and that was launched over ten years in the past! Bugatti and Pagani have each launched some insane hypercars effectively past that determine.

Ferrari’s value level is, in fact, effectively in extra of its earlier halo automobile, the LaFerrari, which retailed across the $1.4 million mark – though the Aperta that adopted price $2 million. Positive, the F80 is successfully double that determine, however LaFerraris are reselling at $3-5 million available on the market proper now – with an instance of the even rarer Aperta at the moment listed at $5.8m.

And that’s the massive monetary level: the depreciation concern for Ferrari’s flagships have been eradicated over time. In keeping with duPont REGISTRY’s information, Enzos now price between $3-$4.5 million (not unhealthy contemplating its $650,000 launch value).

On common, F50s price round $5 million (one topped out at $5.5m at Sotheby’s Monterey this yr) which successfully provides a zero to the retail value in 1995. F40s (launched at $400k) have risen to round $2-4m – though, amazingly, one was listed in duPont REGISTRY journal for $250k in 1992, certainly one of many largest bargains ever given what’s occurred since?

Meantime, the 288 GTO – the basic mannequin which began all of it – has offered a large return on its 1984 launch RRP of $85k to value ranges of as much as $4.5m.

Under is a snapshot of the most recent market, together with the best transactions for every mannequin recorded this yr…

Again to the F80: Keep in mind, an terrible lot of cutting-edge know-how has gone into this automobile. It additionally boasts an energetic suspension system that’s far more superior than these of its earlier supercars, operated by 4 motors at every nook. These give it distinctive trip stability to go together with all that downforce, which incorporates the large moveable rear wing, and the Le Mans racer energy unit.

So, was Ferrari making an attempt to second guess the resale market, to make sure it didn’t starve itself of potential income by undervaluing this automobile? In keeping with duPont REGISTRY’s figures, a projected resale value level for an F80 shall be between $6-8 million, relying on market forces, so this excessive retail quantity ought to actually be justified sooner or later.

Additionally, over time, as soon as that tiresome pearl-clutching on social media has subsided, the outcry over its sound and nostril design will possible vanish too, because the F80 makes it Ferrari’s ‘Large Six’.

Picture Supply: Ferrari