Ferrari’s XX badge has been around since the Enzo-based FXX was unveiled in 2005, but always reserved for extreme track-only specials. Now it’s coming to the street for the first time with the launch of the SF90 XX Stradale and Spider.
Notable for being the first Ferrari road cars since the F50 in 1995 to feature a prominent motorsport-style fixed rear wing, the XX twins deliver huge improvements in downforce. Air passing under the car, through ducts in the hood and over the new rear wing – plus the existing active wing, which is still present – provide a total of 1,169 lbs (530 kg) of downforce at 155 mph (240 kmh), up from 860 lbs (390 kg) at the same speed in the regular SF90 Stradale.
It’s not only the bolt-on aero aids that give the XX a different look. The headlights have a lower upper profile, says Ferrari, the rear bodywork is extended in the style of ‘long tail’ racer (bet McLaren will love that), and the twin squircle rear light units are swapped for a horizontal light bar. Well, what else did you expect from a new car in 2023?
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While downforce has increased greatly, overall weight has only fallen by 22 lbs (10 kg) to 3,439 lbs (1,560 kg) in the coupe versus the stock SF in its lightest Assetto Fiorano specification. The savings that have been made come mostly from the engine (7.7 lbs / 3.5 kg) and the novel carbon sports seats. Though they look like fixed-back buckets, elastic trim hides the separation of the two halves, a feature that should make them far comfortable for road use and more suitable for a wider selection of drivers. They also weigh 1.9 lbs (1.3 kg) less than the single-piece seats available in the SF90.
Naturally, the 4.0-liter, triple-motor hybrid V8 powertrain came in for some attention, receiving a 30 hp (30 PS) boost that takes total output from 986 hp (1,000 PS) to 1,016 hp (1,030 PS). The combustion engine gains polished inlet and exhaust tracts, plus a compression hike courtesy of new pistons and tweaked combustion chamber shape, helping improve it from 769 hp (780 PS) to 786 hp (797 PS). And the two front motors and single rear unit now make 230 hp (230 PS), rather than 217 hp (220 PS).
Ferrari hasn’t released a Fiorano lap time yet, opting to save that presumably landmark news for later. But it does say that both versions of the SF90 XX can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.3 seconds, compared with 2.5 seconds for a plain SF, and top out at 199 mph (320 km/h). Those numbers don’t tell the whole story, however. The 3,660 lbs (1,660 kg) Spider’s 221 lbs (100 kg) weight penalty means it takes 6.7 seconds to reach 124 mph (200 km/h), two tenths slower than the XX Stradale. There’s no difference when it comes to electric driving range, though. Both XX cars share the same 7.9 kWh battery and 16-mile (25 km) EV range as the regular SF.
The 799 Stradales are priced at €770,000 ($842k) and the 599 Spiders, €850,000 ($929k), but don’t bother calling your dealer, because they’ve already been snapped up.
