Many of our Instagram followers participated in our poll to pick their Ferrari of the Decade. To no one’s surprise, the innovative LaFerrari wins that title.
Photography: Tom Hooper, Justin Schmöller, Aro Collection
Looking back, the LaFerrari is arguably the most important Ferrari from the past decade. Introduced in 2013 alongside its biggest rivals, the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918, the LaFerrari boasts some of the most advanced technology that Ferrari has ever created – innovations that even today continue to filter down the rest of the range.
Formula 1 adopted the KERS system in 2009, so it came as no surprise the then-new Ferrari flagship car had to have a similar HY-KERS system. This system recovers energy under braking and stores it into a ‘reservoir’ for later use under acceleration. Combining an electric motor with 150 bhp with a traditional V12 with 800 bhp, the total output is 963 bhp – a number only recently beaten by another non-racing Ferrari, the SF90 Stradale launched in 2019.
The LaFerrari’s architecture represents the pinnacle of innovation, even by Ferrari’s legendary standards. The objective was to increase aerodynamic efficiency, deliver ideal weight distribution, lower the car’s centre of gravity as far as possible, and, most importantly of all, seamlessly integrate the new hybrid system .All of this and more has been achieved without impinging on cabin space, comfort or accessibility.
Along with the exterior, the interior introduced a few new components, too. Many of the car’s functions were integrated into its square steering wheel, making one-handed driving highly unlikely. The paddle shifts became longer and more refined and the dash featured a reconfigurable digital instrument panel with either a traditional layout or a competition-style display.
You can still check how the voting went in our story highlights on Instagram.
Written by Max Lammers.
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