Four years seem a short time to design an immortal car, but when the pencils are those of Flavio Manzoni and his team then anything becomes possible. The Ferrari F80 expresses the concept of versatility at its best: it is, at the same time, a car, a super technological product and a cult object for enthusiasts all over the world who look to Ferrari as a reference. “I believe it is one of the Ferraris that best expresses the concept of form embracing function: there is no style here, but everything functional seeks beauty”, explains Flavio Manzoni.
Cutting-edge aeronautics
“This time we went further: we overstepped our codes and created something unique that went beyond the typical aesthetic canons of cars and referred to futurism, speed, elegance. To enable this transition, we moved away from the classic human traits to approach those of the most cutting-edge aeronautics”. In short, it’s hard not to be impressed by this car, if only because of the weight of the legacy it carries.
Aerodynamics and lightness
At the heart of the project is lightness and aerodynamics to transform air flows into weights that crush the Rossa to the ground when it is hurtling along at 350 km/h. Different materials were used for each compartment: the frame and roof are made of carbon fibre and composite materials, while the front and rear subframes are made of aluminium and secured with titanium screws. The body is made of carbon fibre, while the bonnet features an S-Duct, a fixed element that integrates the two front wings. The interplay between the dark composite material and the colour of the bodywork enhances the shapes and visually lightens the lower part, giving the model a distinct vitality even when it is stationary.
A front less romantic but more sophisticated
The front end picks up on the black visor containing the headlights whose début was on the 12Cilindri: “It is a characteristic feature of our new models”, explains Manzoni. “We wanted to avoid the typical anthropomorphic effect whereby the headlights look like eyes, the grille like a mouth. The effect is perhaps less romantic but more sophisticated and the result is more modern, futuristic and simple”.
A sculpture in motion
A single taut line crosses the side, encircles the windows and ends straight at the rear that features a truncated tail topped by a spoiler. There are two possible configurations: in the first the wing is closed, almost resting on the tail, in the second it is raised. “We decided not to adopt the fixed wing, like on the F40 or F50. I think the result is very elegant, not overdone”. The NACA-style side opening, a reference to the F40, defines one of the most original styling themes of the side.
A single-seater for two
For the interior, the design team started with an extreme idea. “We wanted a single-seater for its unique style and very special technical qualities. Commercial reasons, however, stopped us. So how could we get a two-seater?” smiles Manzoni, as he points to the cockpit. “The miracle happened by staggering the two seats: we saved 50 millimetres in width by reducing the front section”. There are two seats, but the main focus is one: the driver around whom the cockpit develops and towards whom all controls in the cabin face directly.
(Full article in A&D no. 270)
