- The 2024 Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale has set a new lap record for production cars at Ferrari’s private Fiorano Circuit.
- Ferrari test driver Raffaele de Simone piloted the new XX car to a 1:17.3, making it 1.4 seconds faster than the regular SF90 Stradale with the Assetto Fiorano package.
- While previous offerings from the Ferrari XX program have been track-only cars, the SF90 XX is the first street-legal XX car.
There are plug-in hybrids and there are plug-in hybrids. One is what you might think of as a generic economy car, while the other is a 1016-hp powertrain comprised of a twin-turbo V-8 and three electric motors. The 2024 SF90 XX Stradale is the second. It’s also just set a new lap record for production cars around Ferrari’s private Fiorano test track.
On October 16, 2023, Ferrari in-house test driver Raffaele de Simone urged the new XX car to a 1:17.3 time around the circuit. That makes the SF90 XX Stradale 1.4 seconds faster around the same circuit than the Assetto Fiorano package–equipped SF90 Stradale, which previously held the record. Officially, de Simone ran a 1:17.309, but Ferrari only reports lap times to the tenth, so the old record was 1:18.7 and the new record stands at 1:17.0. Both cars wore a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires for their record-setting laps.
Previous generations of XX cars from Ferrari such as the Enzo-based FXX and the LaFerrari-based FXX-K were track-only cars for Ferrari’s most exclusive customer base. This year’s introduction of the SF90 XX Stradale and SF90 XX Spider fundamentally change the program, as they are the first street-legal XX cars.
Unfortunately, even for fans of the brand with very deep pockets, the XX Programme is still reserved for the manufacturer’s selected elite. Only 799 SF90 Stradale coupes and 599 SF90 Spider convertibles will be produced, and all are already spoken for. Fortunately, we were able to get behind the wheel of one ourselves, and Ferrari let us loose on the Fiorano Circuit to do some thrashing of our own.
Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
