Ferrari SF90 XX brings race tech to the road

Ferrari is taking its XX program to the streets with the launch of the most hardcore version of the SF90 to date. Previous cars bestowed with double X badging have been built exclusively for circuit use, but the new SF90 XX Stradale and Spider will be road legal.

True to racing tradition the SF90 has undergone a diet, been given a power hike, and had its aerodynamics tweaked to maximize performance.

Starting with the powertrain, Ferrari has extracted an additional 30 horses out of the twin-turbo, four-liter V-8 by polishing inlet and exhaust ducts, uprating the pistons, and machining the combustion chamber. Removing the secondary air system sheds almost eight pounds, while cooling is also improved. There’s a revised “hot tube” system that pipes genuine engine sound into the cabin, plus tweaked software for the engine and gearbox that increases shift speed and further enhances the aural excitement.

The car’s three electric motors supplement internal combustion with an extra 233 horsepower, bringing the grand total to 1030 hp. In the most extreme Qualifying driving mode the SF90 XX will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 2.3 seconds, reach 120 mph in 6.5 seconds, and top out just shy of 200 mph.

That slightly lower top speed is down to the car’s aero setup, which delivers twice as much downforce as a regular SF90 Stradale. Much of that is thanks to the gigantic fixed rear wing which adds almost 700 lbs at 155 mph. A bigger front splitter increases the force over the front axle by 99 lbs at the same speed, while new ‘S’ ducts in the hood also improve downforce by 20 percent over the standard street car.

The braking system features bigger rear discs and a new ABS EVO controller which first appeared in the 296 GTB. Essentially this means the car can brake later, which combined with the advanced aero, and a ten percent increase in roll stiffness, makes the XX significantly swifter around a track. The interior is also suitably racy with bare carbon race seats and a stripped back central tunnel among other weight-saving features.

Ferrari is set to build 799 SF90 XXs as Stradale coupes and 599 as Spiders with retractable hard tops, priced at $844,000 and $932,000 respectively and they’re all sold already.