At the end of June, Robb Report attended the unveiling of Ferrari’s SF90 XX Stradale and SF90 XX Spider at the marque’s Fiorano test track. More recently, Ferrari’s global marketing director, Emanuele Carando, walked us around the coupe version during the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, as seen in the video below. The 1,016 hp hybrid coupe and convertible are the latest additions to the Prancing Horse’s innovative XX Program where, since 2005, track-savvy clients refine their skills with limited-edition releases while participating in a Ferrari test bed for continuing aerodynamic and power-train advances.
The plug-in-hybrid SF90 XX Stradale and Spider are a synthesis of models like the track-only, 1,035 hp FXX-K Evo and road racers like the 812 Competizione and, of course, the original SF90 Stradale, which debuted in 2019. These variants of the latter deliver their impressive output by means of a 786 hp twin-turbo V-8 and three electric motors—two at the front axle and one at the back combining for 230 hp—fed by a 7.9 kWh battery that allows for a range of 15.5 miles and a top speed of nearly 84 mph on electric power alone.
The 1,016 hp Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale.
Ferrari S.p.A.
With the internal-combustion engine engaged, the new versions of the SF90 have almost 30 hp of increased muscle compared to the base model, and can cover zero to 62 mph in 2.3 seconds before topping out at 199 mph. The acceleration specs are also owed to the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with gear mapping derived from that found in the $2.2 million Ferrari Daytona SP3.
As for the SF90 XX Stradale, the coupe is claimed to be among the most aero street cars that Maranello has created to date, one that Ferrari says is “comparable only to that of the LaFerrari.” To that point, the XX nomenclature translates to 1,168.4 pounds of downforce—primarily due to the fixed rear wing—at about 155 mph, twice the total downforce of the base model. And of that, 716.5 pounds are created at the front of the car, thanks in part to a pair of S-ducts on the hood and a more substantial front diffuser.
The track-focused cockpit is both athletic and elegant in style.
Ferrari S.p.A.
Its aerodynamic acumen is complemented by agility that benefits from torque vectoring and the introduction of the ABS EVO system found on the Ferrari 296 GTB, named Robb Report’s Best Sports Car in 2022. The technology works with sensors and, factoring in speed, delivers the most efficient braking at each of the wheels. And in Qualify, the most aggressive of the four drive modes—also including eDrive, Hybrid, and Performance—the car makes available an added kick of output when coming out of a turn (limited to 30 activations per charge). Complementing all of this are redesigned brakes from those of the original SF90 Stradale, featuring larger discs (390 mm) at the back.
With seats that have been created custom for these XX machines, each about three pounds lighter than the standard ones, the cockpit continues the motorsport-inspired ethos that defines the SF90 XX Stradale. It’s an interior emphasizing elegant athleticism reflective of the vehicle’s prowess as a track competitor equally at home on the highway.
The Ferrari SF90 XX Spider will comprise a production run of 599 examples.
Ferrari S.p.A.
That duality of purpose was the mission brief for the SF90 XX, of which 799 examples will be produced of the Stradale and 599 of the Spider. And while these are currently the only cars in the XX line that can legally be driven around town, most will almost certainly be devoted to use on racecourses the world over by owners in the XX Program. After all, who wouldn’t want to be what amounts to one of Ferrari’s unofficial test drivers, as the technical intel and customer feedback afforded during the exclusive, closed-circuit sessions will surely fuel development of the next benchmark XX model.