First Impressions - 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari

What's in a name?

Rather than use a continuation of 'F' names like F70 or F150 (wait, scratch that last one) or even Enzo II, Ferrari's successor to the vaunted Enzo supercar goes by the name LaFerrari. As quoted by Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo on the car's unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, "[The LaFerrari] is the highest expression of excellence of our company: technological innovation, performance, futuristic style, driving pleasure. It is an extraordinary car, destined to our collectors. A car with technical solutions, which in the future will be integrated in our range and which are the benchmark for the entire sector. "LaFerrari" represents the best planning and building capacities in our Company, including those acquired in Formula One, knowledge, unique in the world."


Ok then.

Instead of debating how Ferrari could produce a car with even higher performance than the founder's namesake Enzo, let's just be glad that they did. No doubt progress has been made since the Enzo turned the world upside down with its record breaking performance numbers at the beginning of the last decade. That car served a direct link to Ferrari's longstanding Formula 1 effort and the styling echoed this. It wasn't pretty in the way the earlier F50 (or even the 360 Modena) was curvy but it's styling was purposeful and followed the "function over form" technique that Ferrari is a master of. LaFerrari builds on this but adds a hint of purposeful beauty in its lines. Where the Formula 1 link was obvious looking at the Enzo head-on, LaFerrari isn't so obvious, yet every curve and kink in its skin was designed and styled to move air in a very efficient way. The pointy front gives way to a series of active-aero elements sprinkled around the car that are computer actuated to respond to aerodynamic needs on the fly.  The whole looks-like-a-fighter-jet thing may be a bit overdone, but it is entirely appropriate here. Every vent, slat, wing and inlet does something to the airflow to either create downforce, direct it for cooling or make it retreat hastily from the body work. In fact, LaFerrari (which means "the Ferrari", go figure) runs in two modes: High Downforce or Low Downforce according to the driver's wishes.  Despite being the first product designed entirely in house (Pininfarina had nothing to do with its design), Ferrari can be proud of the fact that LaFerrari looks like a proper Prancing Horse. I think this will age as well as others that have come before it.

Enough with the exterior lines of the car, you may be saying, what powers this thing? Despite the ongoing transition to smaller powerplants in the name of increasing efficiency and lessening the amount of carbons in the atmosphere, Ferrari, like Lamborghini with its Aventador, has bucked the trend and stuck with an enhanced version of the V12 powering the F12 Berlinetta. Displacing the same 6.3 liters, LaFerrari's version is strengthened to the tune of 789hp at 9250 (!) rpm and 516lb-ft of torque at 6750 rpm. That's a good 59hp more than the F12 generates and this is due to a lighter crankshaft and variable length intake runners. Here's where the whole 'green' thing comes in. Ferrari is keen to acknowledge the need to be more environmentally conscious with its lineup and though they could've left the V12 alone and called it a day, they decided to blend its F1 racing technology with the V12 to create a 'mild' hybrid. But trust me, a Prius this ain't.

If you've ever watched F1 racing you may have heard the term 'KERS' being thrown around. KERS stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System and consists of an onboard battery that captures kinetic energy from the intense braking heat generated by F1 race cars. This energy is then channeled back to the drivetrain  for an extra boost of power for a limited time. In LaFerrari, the system is called HY-KERS (the HY standing for HYbrid which LaFerrari is in essence) and operates in essentially the same way, except power is channeled through two electric motors (one to run the car's ancillary equipment, the other specifically for drive power) attached to a seven speed dual clutch transmission to the tune of 161hp. So the combined power rating for the drivetrain is an exceptionally heady 950hp and 660lb-ft of torque. This enough to power LaFerrari to a top speed of 217mph and a 0-60mph time of under 3 seconds (take that Bugatti).


When the time comes to haul down all that speed, massive carbon ceramic brakes measuring 15.7 inches in front and 15.0 inches at the rear can bring LaFerrari down from speed in a time that rivals the Bugatti Veyron (60mph-0 times under 100ft can be expected). Magnetic dampers are fitted at the four corners as are Pirelli P Zero tires and an E-diff to put the massive power to the pavement through the rear wheels.

Unlike more greener machines though (including McLaren's new P1), LaFerrari can't travel on electric power alone. The HY-KERS system acts like a turbocharger to enhance the V12's power at any given time and also helps it to run cleaner and more efficiently. Remember, this is still a hypercar so neutering it in the name of efficiency was not an option for Ferrari. Like a hypercar however, LaFerrari is extremely lightweight, construction consisting ot several types of carbon fiber sewn to make the tub and aluminum for the chassis and suspension. As a result, LaFerrari is expected to weigh in at less than 3000lbs with structural rigidity that bests the Enzo's by almost 30%. The cockpit is handsome in that same function over form way, the driver sitting behind a 12.3 inch multi-function screen and seats that, well, aren't really seats. They're more like padded forms molded out of the carbon fiber rear bulkhead and yes, they're molded to specification on order.


Not that you may ever get your chance. Production is limited to just 499 at an expected price of around USD1.2 million. So if you have the means, best phone up Maranello. Right. Now.

While the name may take some getting used to (Enzo certainly was when it debuted), LaFerrari is again expected to turn the world upside down, except it has competition from newcomer McLaren with its equally-hybrid P1, the new Lamborghini Veneno and the already-established Bugatti Veyron. Who ever said that cars of the future will only get lamer needs a check to the family jewels.


The future is now people.

Images courtesy of Ferrari

First Impressions - Lamborghini Urus Concept

2013 Lamboghini Urus Concept

Say what? Lamborghini is doing what?

Indeed they are. And come on, it's not like they haven't done it before. If you were a child of the 70s/80s, then you would remember the LM002, the V12-powered Italian Hummer of SUVs that Lamborghini produced between 1986 and 1993. While that monster was more about brute force and less about luxury, it was brash and exotic in that traditional Lamborghini in-your-face logic. But Lamborghini isn't a traditional builder of SUVs. They build sports cars: exotic, wild, fast and brash super cars. So what are they doing unveiling a new concept that forms the basis for a third vehicle line after the Aventador and Gallardo? Let's not forget that Porsche was also seen as a maker of pure sports cars and what began with the 911 Carrera, branched out into the Boxter/Cayman line with the occasional GT and super exotic (Carrera GT). But like every business,automakers are sensitive to the ups and downs of a world economy and it impacts exotic sports car makers particularly hard since their annual sales rarely top 5000 units. When demand drops, small outfits such as these don't have the leverage of multiple vehicle lines to cut or fall back on like larger full line automakers. Porsche recognized this in the late 90s and thus forged an agreement with Volkswagen to jointly develop an SUV that would serve both automakers purposes. Thus was born the Cayenne (and VW Touareg), the polar opposite of Porsche's sports cars. Of course the Porsche faithful cried fouled and decried Porsche for even thinking of developing a near 5000lb monstrosity that would possibly dilute and sully the Porsche name. The fact is, Porsche had little choice. If it was to survive, Porsche needed to be flexible and enter markets that would have previously been considered unthinkable. A decade later, the Cayenne has been an instrumental success for Porsche, providing the capital to bolster Porsche and fund further development of their sports cars. Porsche has thus gone further, since becoming part of Volkswagen's vast empire, developing a 4 door Panamera super sedan which is currently rivaling the Cayenne as Porsche's most profitable vehicle line.

2008 Lamborghini Estoque Concept

And now we have Lamborghini. They first hinted at adding a third vehicle line when they unveiled the Estoque concept car in 2008 at the Paris Motor Show. It was quite possible (despite being surprising) for Lamborghini to head in this direction as a platform (underpinning the Panamera) was readily available. However, to take advantage of the current crossover craze, Lamborghini decided against doing a 4 door sports car (although the idea isn't entirely dead) and against doing a direct descendant of the LM002 in favor of a more conventional (in every loose sense of the word) 4 door, 4 seat design take on the BMW X6 M. Based on a next generation Porsche Cayenne/Audi Q7 platform, the Urus (named from a breed of Spanish bulls renowned for their strength) is billed to be the quickest and best handling soft-roader ever built; a tall order when its competition includes the aforementioned X6 M, Mercedes ML63 and the Urus' own kissing cousin, the Cayenne Turbo.

However, with the performance of the Aventador and Gallardo already kicking ass and taking names, anything less for the Urus just would not do for Lamborghini. Looking at the Urus concept, it could not be mistaken for anything else but a Lambo. Initially there was skepticism that the edgy design of the Aventador would not translate well to a tall, high riding crossover. By lowering the roof, designing a raked, uprising beltline and aggressively flaring the wheel arches, the design team succeeded in producing a look that is very much a Lamborghini, albeit one that weighs over 4500lbs. The sharply sloped nose and massive air intakes hint at the power that may lie beneath the hood. Lamborghini has yet to officially say what may power the Urus but looking at the sloping hoodline, coupled with Lamborghini's desire to make the Urus as efficient as possible, any chance of a V12 engine has been ruled out. A version of the Gallardo's V10 was initially suggested and, even with forced induction, that seems skeptical and at odds with making the Urus efficient. Besides, there doesn't seem to be enough space to house more than eight cylinders. Fortunately, Lamborghini does have an enormous parts bin to rummage through and one good possibility would be a version of Audi's just introduced twin-turbo 4.0 V8, already seeing service in the Bentley Continental and various top rung Audi sedans. The design of the chassis however, means that the engine will sit uncomfortably far ahead of the front axle.

2013 Lamborghini Urus Concept (quite dashing no?)

Managing weight will be a key factor in Lamborghini's quest to make he Urus the best handling crossover and as such, the concept previews the use of as much lightweight, composite material as possible throughout the chassis and interior. The aim is to shave at least 250lbs from the entire vehicle while opting for as close to a 50-50 front-rear weight balance as possible. Mounted on monster 23 inch wheels fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Zero 305/35 ZR23 tires, the Urus also has an adjustable suspension and active aerodynamics and a rear-biased AWD system to counteract whatever nose-heavy physics that may come into play. Despite all this technology, Lamborghini promises the Urus will be extremely user friendly as carting around families will be one of its mission goals. Well, families that have around USD230,000 dollars just lying around (and perhaps a Gallardo occupying garage space).

2013 Lamborghini Urus Concept

Production of the Urus has yet to be green-lighted as of this writing, but it is clear that Lamborghini has set a course for continued profitability, following the path that Porsche had taken a decade earlier. Would the Estoque have been a better vehicle to produce? Perhaps, but given the success of the growing crossover market with entries from seemingly every automaker (and the unforeseen success of BMW's X6), Lamborghini has hedged its bets on doing the unexpected and as it sees, the best alternative for staying in business. If the Urus gets production approval, we won't expect to see a production model until 2015 at the earliest.

 So there you have it, Lamborghini is getting into the SUV/crossover business. Hey, at least it looks a heck of a lot better than Bentley's take on a crossover, the EXP-9F. Which do you think looks better? Have at it in the comments.

2013 Bentley EXP-9F Concept