Ferrari has a wonderful tradition of building limited-series sports cars that are blindingly fast and exquisitely designed—but that can be driven by mere mortals on everyday streets.
Think: 288 GTO, the F40, the F50, and the Enzo. The latest model, introduced in 2013, is the ultimate in accessible high-performance extravagance, at least according to its name. It’s simply called LaFerrari - opens in new window or tab..
Only 499 will ever get built, and one is available now on eBay for a cool $5 million. It has merely 202 miles on the odometer, and the seller states, “It’s the only LaFerrari for sale in North America.”
If you think the price is outrageous, a mark-up from the official $1.4 million sticker, then consider the unparalleled design and high-performance specifications. The mid-engine, rear-wheel drive car combines a 6.3-liter V12 790-horsepower gas-burner with a smooth electric boost of 161 more ponies from the electric motor. Yep, it’s a hybrid, with the F1-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System readily employed on LaFerrari. The power is delivered via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
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The driving position is very low slung. The cockpit, refreshingly, has few buttons. A full compliment of electronic stability, traction and differential controls give a nod to stability and control, and the low-mounted battery pack offers a low center of gravity. The car’s signature quality is its high power-to-weight ratio. The ultralight carbon-fiber body sits on Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires. The brakes are carbon-ceramic Brembo discs.
Translation for these metrics: LaFerrari provides the highest power output of any Ferrari while decreasing fuel consumption by 40 percent.
Ferrari states that the top speed exceeds 217 miles per hour, and zero-to-60 mph happens in about 2.5 seconds. When Car and Driver tested LaFerrari, it was the quickest acceleration to 150 miles per hour of any production car the publication has ever tested. The magazine said it was a full 1.5 seconds than the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 tested in 2008. Car and Driver also characterized the driving experience as playful and forgiving—yet the sound of the V12 in open throttle is explosive, practically violent.
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LaFerrari has more power and less weight than its main competitors, the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder. Those are both hybrids—well, actually plug-in hybrids, while LaFerrari is a conventional mild hybrid. Remarkably, a P1 was offered on eBay last week - opens in new window or tab..
Rumor has it that you can’t just walk into a Ferrari dealership to buy a LaFerrari, even if the car wasn’t sold out. The tale is that you must have bought a minimum of two previous Ferraris from a network dealer, and must have owned at least six Ferrari cars in the last decade. This could be urban legend, but it doesn’t matter—because spending $5 million on eBay will put you behind the wheel of Ferrari’s fastest - opens in new window or tab. in a matter of days, even if LaFerrari becomes your first car with a black prancing stallion adorned on the hood.
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About the author
Bradley Berman
Bradley Berman is a leading writer and researcher about electric cars and green transportation. He regularly contributes driving reviews and technology articles to The New York Times, Fortune, MIT Technology Review, Popular Mechanics, and other publications.
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