The Most Fuel-Efficient Super Sports Car You Can Buy In 2024

Summary

• Ferrari showcases the hybrid Stradale as a harmonious blend of electric and combustion power, leading to high efficiency and performance.
• The SF90 Stradale offers intense speed and innovative design, such as a futuristic interior and cutting-edge aerodynamics for maximum performance.
• Ferrari takes it a step further with the XX Stradale variant, boasting more power, faster acceleration, and added aerodynamics for the ultimate track experience.

Ferrari’s first electrified road-going model was the Ferrari LaFerrari, a 950-horsepower hybrid supercar that blew the competition out of the water. Whether you liked the vehicle’s nomenclature or not, you couldn’t deny that it was an engineering masterpiece. Ferrari proved through the LaFerrari that electrification and internal combustion weren’t enemies; that they could be used together to push the limits of sports car performance.

The Ferrari SF90 Stradale, released as part of the automaker’s 90th anniversary, is a celebration of the explosive dalliance between electrical power and internal combustion. Looking at the Stradale with conventional knowledge about motoring, you would probably guess that it is fast, which it is. However, few, even the knowledgeable among us, would assume it is the most fuel-efficient super sports car you can buy in 2024.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including CarBuzz and Car And Driver.

The Stradale Features A 4.0-Liter V-8 And Three Electric Motors

The Ferrari Stradale features a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, three electric motors, and a 7.9 kW battery that contribute a combined 986 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Across the Atlantic, that’s 1000 metric horsepower.

The Stradale Can Roll Around On Electric Juice For Nine Miles

The Stradale features three electric motors, two on the front axle and the other between the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and the engine. The motors draw energy from a battery lying behind the seats and across the chassis. It’s thanks to this electrical system that the Ferrari is so economical. In default mode, the Stradale barely makes a noise as it starts up, as if unaware that a fire-breathing V-8 straddles its chassis.

You can drive the Stradale silently in all-electric mode for around nine miles. However, if you accelerate too aggressively in all-electric mode, you awaken the sleeping V-8 behind you. The EPA estimates that the Stradale has a fuel efficiency of 51 MPGe when running on petrol and electricity, an impressive metric for any car, let alone a Prancing Horse.

Performance Specifications

(Specs: Ferrari)

AWD Disengages After 130 MPH

Though the Stradale was entirely new, its engine and chassis shared similarities with the F8 Tributo’s mill and frame. However, the Stradale’s aluminum and carbon chassis is 20 percent stiffer than the F8’s. Also, the SF90’s V-8 features new turbos, manifolds, cylinder head, crankshafts, and pistons. It’s also 55 pounds lighter and is mounted around 2 inches lower, dropping the SF90’s center of gravity.

The V-8 contributes 769 horsepower, and the electrical system adds 217 ponies. Thanks to the immediate torque delivered by the motors, the Stradale launches off the line like greased lightning. Ferrari says it hits 60 MPH in 2.5 seconds; a test by Car And Driver found that it does the deed in 2.0 seconds, 0.1 seconds faster than a Porsche 918 Spyder.

Keep your foot planted to the floor, and you’ll hit 124 MPH around five seconds later. In another blink of an eye, you’ll cross 130 MPH, turning your Stradale into a RWD vehicle. Past 130 MPH, the front motors disengage, redirecting their power to the rear axle. The SF-90 has no reverse gear: the front electric motors handle backward motion.

It Features A Functional Yet Stylish Exterior

The SF90’s Stradale’s exterior is unmistakably Ferrari, featuring similarities with predecessors like the 812 Superfast and the LaFerrari. Much of what you see on the outer shell of the SF90 is functional, not merely cosmetic.

The Massive Front Air Intake Feeds And Cools The Powertrain

Staring at you as you study the Stradale’s front fascia are triple-strake daytime running lights placed in the middle of U-shaped headlights. Below the lamps and above the floor is a massive air intake that feeds air to the radiators that cool the powertrain and funnels oxygen to the SF90’s twin-turbo V-8. From the side, the glasshouse doesn’t appear connected to the sheet metal, which swoops without much drama to the rear end.

At the rear, you find squared-off tail lights, dual exhaust outlets, and a massive rear diffuser. 20-inch forged alloys complete the SF90’s exterior design. The Stradale’s exterior is highly customizable, as Ferrari offers a variety of colors and wheel designs.

Ferrari’s Innovative Rear Spoiler Increases Drag During Braking

When moving at over 200 mph, you need plenty of stopping power to slow down. The Stradale has massive front and rear brakes that slow the supercar at an incredible rate. The brakes are assisted by an innovative rear spoiler that works with other aero bits to provide downforce. At high speed, the rear wing, which acts like F1’s Drag Reduction System, rises, revealing a low drag slot. Under braking, the wing lowers, closing the aperture, increasing drag, and reducing the vehicle’s speed.

An LCD Gauge That Doubles Up As The Infotainment System Dominates The Stradale’s Interior

For a car that costs as much as the Stradale does, you expect a luxurious interior. You don’t get Rolls Royce-level luxury – no umbrella embedded in the door, for instance – but you do get a fair share of Alcantara, leather, and carbon fiber.

The SF90 Features Few Analog Buttons

The SF90 is nearly all-digital, boasting a 16-inch screen that serves as the infotainment center and gauge cluster. It sits at the crest of a swoopy dashboard with small displays on either side of the cluster below the air vents. A touchpad installed on the right side of the helm controls the configurable screen. Completing the cybertronic cabin is a head-up display, which Ferrari claims reduces driver distraction by 36 percent.

The Hugely Configurable Stradale Has Little Cargo Space

Getting into and out of the low-slung Stradale can be an embarrassing affair, one of the unfortunate consequences of owning a Ferrari. The interior of your SF90 can be completely unique, given the sheer volume of interior customizations the Italian automaker offers. The seat design, material, and wrapping are customizable, as are the carpets and dashboard.

Space is limited inside the Stradale – the few places you can stow small items include the narrow glovebox and cramped center console storage. Furthermore, the hybrid system at the front limits space in the frunk, where non-hybrid rear mid-engined vehicles like the F8 Tributo offer decent cargo volume. You will struggle to fit a travel bag in the 2.6 cubic foot space under the Stradale’s hood.

A More Potent Version Dubbed The XX Debuted In 2023

After several years of perceived inactivity with the Stradale, Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari SF90 Stradale XX, a track-focused variant of the base car. Dispelling the notion that the SF90 had hit the limit of production car performance, the engineers at Maranello found ways to squeeze more performance from the Stradale package.

The XX Stradale’s Powertrain Produces 1,016 Horsepower

By increasing the efficiency of the Stradale’s hybrid powertrain, Ferrari cajoled 30 more horses from it. The Italian powerhouse also added a feature called Extra Boost that temporarily increases power output during corner exit. Ferrari claims that the XX can hit 60 MPH in 2.3 seconds; some reviewers believe it can complete the 60 MPH dash in under 2.0 seconds.

Performance Specifications

(Specs: Ferrari)

The SF90 XX Generates Heaps Of Downforce

To prevent the XX Stradale from lifting off, Ferrari imbued it with tons of downforce. The new, angular front fascia features two S-ducts, which add 20 percent downforce at the fore and nostrils that dispel air channeled through the front radiators. Other aero parts include a fixed rear wing, which helps deliver 1,168 pounds of downforce at 155 MPH, and a larger front air splitter.