PROVENANCE
Current Owner (acquired new in 2015)

THIS CAR
When the next century of automobile history is finally written, Ferrari’s LaFerrari hypercar may stand out as both a pinnacle of achievement for the internal combustion engine and a revolutionary breakthrough in the development of electric-drive performance vehicles.

Incorporating a unique pairing of Ferrari’s legendary V-12 gas engine with a piggyback electric drive, the LaFerrari flattened the torque curve and eliminated the spool-up time of conventional sports cars to produce a next-generation coupe that rewrote the book on terrestrial transportation.

Applying Formula 1 and GT race technology, the LaFerrari’s mid-engine, 6.3-liter, 800 hp V-12 utilizes a variable-length intake runner that tunes combustion based upon engine speed. Its stout 13.5:1 compression ratio is managed by a jointly developed Ferrari/Bosch electronic engine control system.

Augmenting the V-12’s output is the hybrid technology Ferrari calls HY-KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). A 163 hp electric motor works in conjunction with the naturally aspirated V-12 to add torque where required in the power band, with as much as 663 lbs./ft. at peak transmitted to the seven-speed paddle-shift transaxle. With this system, throttle response and immediate torque output have been drastically improved over the reigning Ferrari supercar, the Enzo.

For efficiency, KERS uses the energy from braking and traction-assist to recharge a set of 120 proprietary lightweight lithium-ion batteries carried low in the LaFerrari’s chassis. Ferrari estimates that for every 1.2" the center of gravity is lowered, the equivalent of 50 hp is gained in terms of racetrack lap times, thus making battery design and placement critical.

The volumetric, combustion, and dynamic efficiencies achieved allow the engine to spin to an incredible 9,250 rpm redline and a stated total of 963 hp, making it the most powerful engine ever put into a road-going Ferrari.

As one might expect, performance is blistering. In an April 2015 road test by Car and Driver magazine, the LaFerrari reached 150 mph in 9.8 seconds, making it the quickest car to that speed that they’d ever tested. Ferrari claims 0–62 mph elapsed times of less than three seconds, and 0–186 mph in 15 seconds. Claimed top speed is in excess of 218 mph.

Ferrari broke with tradition on the coachwork of the LaFerrari, bypassing longtime collaborator Pininfarina to produce a sublime in-house design. With its new carbon fiber monocoque body, the firm established a forward-looking template for its next generation of cars. The lightweight chassis was constructed by hand-applying four different grades of cloth that were then vacuum baked in the autoclave alongside the F1 cars in Maranello. Kevlar shielding was used in the floor pan to protect the car from road debris damage.

To further lower the center of gravity, the seat shell was formed directly into the monocoque and fitted with custom padding. The pedal box and steering wheel are fully adjustable for driver comfort. A 12" digital dash display can be switched from a traditional gauge layout to a competition format, with onboard race telemetry software for logging track performance. Extended paddle-shifters and a squared-off, F1-style steering wheel complete the purposeful cabin. The overall experience is nothing short of having a Formula 1 race car to enjoy on the road.

Cockpit refinements also include Bluetooth audio streaming, a rear parking sensor and camera, and driver, passenger, and side airbags.

Brembo anti-lock carbon ceramic disc brakes outfit the car, engineered to be lighter, shed heat faster, and fully integrate with dynamic controls and regenerative systems. Front 19" and rear 20" forged alloy wheels wear Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires developed specifically for the LaFerrari.

A third-generation E-Diff electric rear differential works in conjunction with a CST stability and traction control for manual, wet, sport, or race settings. Interfacing with the dynamic controls is an active aerodynamics feature that constantly adjusts front and rear spoilers, diffusers, and underbody guide vanes to optimum configuration for accelerating, cornering, or hard braking.

According to Ferrari, engineers aimed “to deliver the highest degree of aerodynamic efficiency ever achieved with any road car, with a coefficient of nearly 3, thanks to technical solutions honed with CFD analysis and fine-tuned in the F1 Wind Tunnel.”

A production run of 499 cars sold out almost immediately upon announcement of the project, with one final car produced by the factory as a fundraiser for the earthquakes experienced in central Italy in August 2016. Only 120 units would be introduced to the US market.

Purchasing a new LaFerrari was reserved for patient and loyal Ferrari clientele, and involved an application process and a substantial down-payment schedule. The car offered here was applied for in October 2013, flown from Italy, and delivered new through Continental AutoSports of Hinsdale, Illinois, on January 2015. It immediately joined an important collection of Ferraris from a discerning enthusiast and has been housed in a private climate-controlled facility with a full collections staff.

Delivered in the menacing color scheme of Triple Black, the car came optioned with carbon fiber roof, lower spoilers, outer mirrors, and wheel caps. Inside, the headrests wear optional Ferrari emblem stitching and other special features. According to the car’s original window sticker the options alone totaled over $80,000.

The car now shows a scant 1,014 miles at the time of cataloguing and is up-to-date on all maintenance and recall bulletins. It comes complete with its Ferrari Classiche-issued “yellow book” Attestation for Special Series Vehicles, along with its window sticker, books, and manuals. Also included with the car are its full complement of accessories, including tool kit, gloves, battery charger, wheel socket, tire inflator, tire repair sealant, telemetry fob, and instructions.

The LaFerrari is as much a triumphant supercar as an engineering achievement, with the applied hybrid technologies serving as both a thesis and road map for the future of Ferrari’s sports cars. As Ferrari states, the LaFerrari “boasts the most extreme performance ever achieved by a Ferrari production car and features the most advanced and innovative technical solutions which will, in the future, filter down to the rest of the Ferrari range.”

With no heir apparent on the horizon, the LaFerrari remains Ferrari’s greatest technological achievement to date. Demand for the car has only been piqued now that its performance potential has gone from promise to pavement, and the world realizes what a truly significant and special car has been owned and experienced by only a select few.

This example offers a rare opportunity to acquire a one-owner, low-mileage, extravagantly optioned example of a LaFerrari, the car that has distilled the raw essence of Ferrari’s legendary Formula 1 race cars into a revolutionary, limited-edition hypercar for the street.