- Ferrari has unveiled a more extreme edition of its SF90 supercar—the SF90 XX—intended to blur the lines between a racing car and a grand tourer.
- More horsepower has been squeezed from the car’s plug-in-hybrid powertrain, and Ferrari claims a zero-to-62-mph time that’s 0.2 second quicker than the SF90’s, which would put it below the 2.0-second mark to 60 mph.
- Both a Stradale coupe and a Spider convertible will be built, but in limited numbers; both body styles are already sold out.
Against the backdrop of the famed Pista di Fiorano racetrack, Ferrari has launched its latest performance icon, the SF90 XX, which invokes the double-X moniker that’s typically applied to the brand’s most high-performing track-only models. Lighter, more powerful, and with revised aerodynamics, the special-edition SF90 is the first XX variant that’s street legal and sits at the extreme edge between a racing car and a roadgoing Ferrari sports car.
A Higher Level of Performance
The SF90 XX models are powered by the same plug-in-hybrid powertrain as the standard model, which comprises a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and three electric motors. But for the SF90 XX, Ferrari engineers have tweaked the twin-turbo V-8 engine to squeeze more power out of it. The V-8’s inlet and exhaust ports have been polished, new pistons have been swapped in, and the compression ratio has increased. Peak power is 786 horsepower, an increase of 17 hp. Combined with a new Extra Boost feature for the electric motors, total system output is 1016 horsepower, a gain of 30 hp.
Extra Boost is limited to the Qualify drive mode and works to quickly get the car back up to speed upon exiting a corner. The feature is actuated when the driver floors the throttle and can be used up to 30 times before the battery is depleted. When not in Qualify mode, the SF90 XX should still be able to drive for about nine miles on battery power alone.
Changes have been made to the car’s eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox too. New shift logic is borrowed from the Daytona SP3, and gearchanges are accompanied by a snarling exhaust note with a lift-off overrun at higher RPM. The raspier sound, which is piped into the cabin via a redesigned tube connecting the intake to the cabin, gives the SF90 XX the auditory experience of a race car—and we’re here to tell you that it is both loud and goosebump-inducing.
Ferrari’s official claim is a zero-to-62-mph time of 2.3 seconds, which is 0.2 second quicker than the SF90. When we tested the standard SF90 Stradale back in 2021, we recorded a blistering and record-breaking 2.0-second time, which would put the XX’s time into the 1s.
Downforce Is Supreme
Beyond the giant fixed rear wing, Ferrari has redesigned much of the SF90’s aero elements to increase downforce. The company claims the SF90 XX can create a maximum of 1168 pounds of downforce at 155 mph, which is a huge leap compared with the 860 pounds of the SF90 Stradale. The XX retains the active rear spoiler from the SF90, which has been redesigned to work with the fixed wing and switches between low-drag and high-downforce positions.
The hood is punctuated by two nostrils that serve as an exhaust for the air passing through the front radiators. The hot air flows from these ducts are directed up and over the roof of the car while cooler air is directed around the cockpit to the large side apertures that serve to cool the V-8. In addition, the radiators used to cool the electrical components are flipped upside down in the SF90 XX to allow for a flusher underbody.
Ferrari has also enhanced the SF90 XX’s electronic systems in the name of better performance and lap times. A new chassis-control system, borrowed from the 296 GTB, uses three yaw sensors to better triangulate the car’s real-time dynamics to maximize braking performance.
Looks Like a Longtail
The more complex engineering has spurred several changes to the car’s design. Integrating the large fixed rear wing, for example, meant altering the rear end of the SF90 XX, which has been elongated to give it a sort of longtail silhouette. The new outlets on the hood are beautified with a contrasting paint color, and the fender-mounted air inlets serve as inspiration for the interior door-panel design.
Speaking of the interior, Ferrari has stripped out carpeting and created new monocoque bucket seats made from carbon fiber to save weight. Although they appear to be fixed, the seats are adjustable, relying on cleverly integrated elastic trim materials to maintain the fixed-back look.
The center console also sports less material, and rather than leather or plastic it’s covered in a lovely matte-finished carbon fiber. The eight-speed transmission’s chrome gear selector has been moved forward on the center console, and the power window switches have been relocated further back.
Only 799 SF90 XX Stradale coupes and only 599 SF90 XX Spiders will be made, and all are already spoken for. The coupe’s price is about $844,000 at current exchange rates. The Spider costs even more at around $932,000. Ferrari wouldn’t say how many of each would wind up in North America, but one thing is for certain: these will be collectible no matter where they end up.
Managing Editor, Buyer’s Guide
Drew Dorian is a lifelong car enthusiast who has also held a wide variety of consumer-focused positions throughout his career, ranging from financial counselor to auto salesperson. He has dreamed of becoming a Car and Driver editor since he was 11 years old—a dream that was realized when he joined the staff in April 2016. He’s a born-and-raised Michigander and learned to drive on a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. His automotive interests run the gamut from convertibles and camper vans to sports cars and luxury SUVs.