What Is Ferrari Testing With This Weird 488/SF90 Hybrid Mule?

A curious Ferrari prototype has been spied testing in Italy and includes a mish-mash of parts from the 488 GTB as well as the SF90 Stradale.

These images from spy photographer Walter Vayr show that the prototype’s front fascia has been lifted from an SF90 Stradale. This is most obvious with the SF90 headlights. However, while the front end is from the automaker’s flagship hybrid model, the rest of the vehicle is clearly based on the 488 GTB.

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For example, the sides of the prototype, including the doors, are identical to those of the 488. The rear end has also been lifted from the 488 GTB, including the circular taillights and the rear diffuser.

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Making the prototype all the more intriguing is the fact that the rear wheel arches are much larger than a 488. There are also enlarged air intakes just behind the doors. A bunch of blue cables are also visible, as are high voltage stickers, revealing that this prototype has some form of hybrid powertrain.

Just what is Ferrari testing here? Without having the opportunity to hear what this prototype sounded like, it is hard to say. The most likely answer is that this prototype has the same hybrid powertrain as other prototypes recently spied testing near Maranello and is being used solely to develop this powertrain. If that’s the case, don’t expect to see Ferrari release a new mid-engined model combining the looks of the 488 GTB and the SF90 Stradale.

Ferrari is known to be developing a hybrid V6 for some of its future models. Specifics about the powertrain are limited but it will probably be a 2.9-liter unit like the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio or a 3.0-liter mill like Maserati’s new twin-turbocharged V6.