The carparazzi spied two examples of the F250 with the final body and less camouflage than before, signaling the imminent premiere of the LaFerrari successor. Equipped with five-lug wheels rather than center-lock units, the most extreme Ferrari meant for public roads further boasts performance tires from Michelin.
Covered in high-voltage stickers, the prototypes also feature humongous carbon-ceramic brakes, a double S-duct setup, doors that appear to open vertically rather than butterfly doors, a single oval-shaped exhaust, plus a massive aerodynamic diffuser. The slim headlights are joined by an extendable rear wing featuring small end plates, and there doesn't appear to be a rear window.
Said wing has two main roles, namely more downforce when cornering and more stability at high speeds. The dual S-duct system up front, meanwhile, generates downforce with a minimal penalty in terms of drag. The S-duct was first used on a road-going Ferrari with the 488 Pista, accounting for increases of 18% in overall downforce and 2% in overall drag when compared to the much tamer Ferrari 488 GTB.
Both prototypes further show extensive mesh grilles in the front bumper. Bang in the center, you'll notice a square thingy, which is the radar sensor for the adaptive cruise control system. At the very top of the windshield, the forward-facing camera is for automated emergency braking.
Similar to the LaFerrari, whose project name is F150, the highly anticipated F250 features a single wiper that rests on the passenger side of the windshield. Flatter than its forerunner, the F250 will offend quite a few enthusiasts with its twin-turbocharged V6 engine in lieu of the naturally aspirated V12 we all know and love.
Photo: Baldauf
Lovingly dubbed piccolo V12 by those in the know, said 3.0-liter unit has many advantages over the 6.5-liter behemoth in the Daytona SP3 and other contemporary models. First and foremost, its 120-degree V angle lowers the center of gravity and frees up space in the engine compartment by enabling a hot-vee setup.
Turbocharging means quite a bit more low-down torque from the so-called F163, which is currently exclusive to the 296 series in the road-going lineup. The Le Mans-winning 499P is the most notable racing application. Good for 700 cavalli vapore (690 mechanical horsepower) in the 296 Challenge, the six-pot lump makes way more sense in combination with electric assistance.
The 296 GTB and GTS use a YASA-supplied electric motor, which results in a combined output of 830 cv (819 hp) at full chatter. While not on par with the 963 cv (950 hp) of the LaFerrari and the 1,030 cv (1,016 hp) of the SF90 XX, this engine allowed the Prancing Horse to integrate more aero trickery into the yet-unnamed F250 than in any other production Fezza before it.
If the Italian automaker made a case for a three-motor setup à la the SF90 XX rather than a single rear-mounted electric motor in the 296's case, then look forward to more than 1,000 metric ponies from this fellow. Although there's no visible charging port on these prototypes, plug-in hybrid appears to be the only viable solution for a high-output application.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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