The new Ferrari costs $3.9 Million, but you won't be able to buy one

Typically, there are rumors preceding a new Ferrari model, with a few months’ notice. Strategic communications go out to heavy customers, invites to events, all carefully timed before the release of a new model. Often, loyal customers receive an invitation to buy even before the car is officially launched.

First models of a new Ferrari usually sell for 130–150% of the purchase price, with special editions selling for twice the price. But there’s a category released only once a decade, selling at 3 to 5 times the cost. Every pre-purchase invitation in this category is accepted without hesitation, as it’s a rare moment for a Ferrari client, and the answer to such an invitation is always an enthusiastic "yes."

This is Ferrari's supercar category — the real supercars. Ferrari has built its reputation on exciting, unique cars, and its supercars are the most exclusive of all. Since the 1960s, these supercars are the most desirable, marking a leap forward every decade and featuring race-winning technology from Ferrari’s competition vehicles.

The lineup includes models like the 250 GTO from the early 1960s, which now sells for tens of millions of dollars, the F40 from the 1980s, the Enzo from 2002, and the LaFerrari from 2013. All were limited editions, ranging from 36 to 1,315 units, and each was based on a prominent racing platform.

This time, however, there’s been a two-year buildup of rumors about a new supercar. Now, after the 499’s second consecutive win at Le Mans, the new supercar, the F80, has arrived.

I mention the 499 for a reason: It’s a race car, not something you can buy and drive on public roads. Built for endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it has won twice and is loaded with technology borrowed from Ferrari’s Formula division, with a similar power configuration. Its engine is a V6 that produces nearly 700 hp, enhanced with an electric motor. There’s also an unrestricted version of the Le Mans category engine, producing 850 hp.

The F80 is the street version of the 499, the most powerful production car ever to come out of Maranello, with 1,200 hp and three engines. Ferrari opted for a configuration similar to a Formula 1 car, featuring a V6 with electric boost and added two more electric motors. Not a classic V12, the setup most associated with Ferrari, but there’s no shortage of power.

A 2,992 cc gasoline engine delivers 900 hp at 8,700 rpm and 85 kg·m torque at 5,550 rpm. The electric motors add a combined 300 hp, with two on the front axle and another nestled between the gasoline engine and the dual-clutch robotic automatic transmission. Unlike the 296, however, all this electric power isn’t for any symbolic plug-in hybrid capacity. In fact, the F80 can’t move an inch on electric power alone, even though it has a 2.28 kWh battery. The electric motors are solely for boosting performance, simulating an internal combustion engine response, enhancing low-end flexibility, and offering all-wheel drive for stability, with an emphasis on rear power delivery.

Traditionally, sports cars have a 2+2 seating configuration: Driver and passenger up front, with two minimized seats in the back. Here, Ferrari introduces a new layout: 1+1, with a driver-focused dashboard and a red racing seat, and a passenger seat with far less investment in comfort and environment.

However, unlike Ferrari's previous supercars, the F80 comes equipped with standard active safety systems, from autonomous emergency braking to adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams.

In addition to adaptive cruise control, the rear wing extends and adjusts angle based on speed, with a rear diffuser, front wing, and flat underbody together producing one ton of downforce at 250 km/h.

It also features Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, special Michelin tires (20-inch front, 21-inch rear), designed to provide tremendous grip at high speeds to fully exploit its performance potential.

It’s not a small car: 4.84 meters long, 2.06 meters wide, 1.14 meters high, and weighing 1,525 kg, relatively light for its power. But don’t count on the trunk, which at 35 liters is about half the size of the 63-liter fuel tank. The design recalls legendary Ferraris of the past, emphasizing aerodynamics.

Performance? 0–100 km/h in 2.1 seconds, like the Tesla Model S Plaid, but with much more flair. 0–200 km/h in 5.75 seconds, with the 0–300 km/h data undisclosed, leaving us to wait for the right moment to see if the new McLaren W1 is faster at that point. It also has a top speed of 350 km/h. Fuel consumption? "Still under review."

So, it has upward-opening butterfly doors but mainly focuses on transferring track technology to the road, with an emphasis on endurance and reliability. The price, by the way, includes a seven-year warranty and service. One service per year, with no mileage limit, though these cars typically don’t travel far.

The price is $3.9 million before options, and production is limited to 799 cars — all of which have already been sold.