Ferrari LaFerrari successor arrives next year as flagship hypercar
The F250 will be Ferrari's first hypercar in 10 years
Maranello’s next-gen ‘F250’ flagship gets aero-optimised bodywork and is likely to swap V12 power for hybrid V6
Ferrari will follow the generation-defining LaFerrari with a new flagship hybrid hypercar, codenamed 'F250', which will lead the brand into its electrified future.
Spotted testing in heavy camouflage on public roads in Italy for the first time – having previously been seen in a LaFerrari body in 2020 – the F250 breaks cover 10 years after the launch of the mild-hybrid V12-powered LaFerrari and is expected to cost upwards of £2 million.
A 10-year gap between flagship Ferraris is not uncommon. “It is true that almost every 10 years, we bring one out,” Ferrari chief technology officer Michael Leiters previously told Autocar. “It’s also true that Ferrari only does one when new technology is available. So we have to understand what is the technology we want to be on new supercars.”
Still in early testing phases, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport and Lotus Evija rival is quite far off from a debut. Leaked documents suggest the coupé could launch in October next year, followed by the track-focussed XX in 2026 and a spider variant in 2027. It is most likely to be produced in limited numbers, like the car it succeeds, of which just 500 were made.
As our spy pictures show, it sports an aerodynamically sculpted body with a heavily scooped front bumper, recessed bonnet (like that of the iconic F50), and a substantial rear spoiler that runs the width of the car's rear.
The images also show the car using wheels fitted with five nuts (whereas the LaFerrari used a single locking cap), reshaped front and rear LEDs reminiscent of those on the Ferrari 296 GTB, twin exhausts outlets and six visible cooling ducts to feed the mid-mounted engine.
Details of that powertrain remain scarce. However, with Ferrari accelerating its move towards hybridised drive, it is expected to be powered by an evolution of the 3.0-litre mild-hybrid V6 in the 296 GTB – a car we awarded five stars to when we road tested it. This would mark the first time that a V12 engine has not been used in a range-topping Ferrari.
Pointers to the form this could take may have been shown by Ferrari’s Vision Gran Turismo concept. Revealed in November to preview the firm's future sports car design, it used a "more extreme" version of the 296's twin-turbocharged six-pot.
That powertrain develops a total of 1338bhp - 1016bhp from the engine alone and an additional 322bhp from three electric motors, one on the rear axle and one on each of the front wheels. It also produced 664lb ft at 5500rpm.
Inside, our F250 spy pictures show a familiar setting, including what appears to be a dashboard-mounted touchscreen and a squared-off steering wheel like that of the LaFerrari.