Ferrari’s Halo 6 - Redefining Performance for a Decade

There is no feeling in the world quite like owning a Ferrari. Even with brands like McLaren, Porsche, and Lamborghini, Ferrari seems to create an aura, a feeling that is unmatched by any of its rivals. And if owning a Ferrari isn’t special enough, being selected to own one of their elite, rare, and exclusive hypercars. Well, there is no better feeling.

Each of these legendary hypercars defined a decade, bringing about a new revolution for the Prancing Horse brand. Each set a new bar that its subsequent predecessor needed to overcome. Let’s dive in and deep-dive into each of Maranello’s Masterpieces.

Ferrari 288 GTO – How a failure in racing began a legendary line up

Introduced in 1984, the 288 GTO was the second car introduced by Ferrari to carry the legendary GTO name. Built to compete in the infamous Group B racing series, Ferrari needed to produce at least 300 road cars.

So they took the body and chassis from the 308 and replaced its 3.0L naturally aspirated V8 with an all-new 2.8L twin-turbocharged V8 derived from Formula 1. They also fettled with the bodywork, with larger bulges, flared wheel arches and even a spoiler. The chassis was also upgraded and eventually, the 288 GTO was ready.

Sadly by the time this 394 horsepower, 189mph rocket ship went on sale, the Group B series closed. This meant Ferrari only built 272 GTOs, the rarest of any of its halo cars. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a total loss, as Ferrari had broken ground with this incredible car.

For starters the 288 GTO became the first official Ferrari road car to be turbocharged, something the manufacturer has since used readily. And perhaps most importantly, with its 189mph top speed, it was the fastest car in the world. With this achievement, Ferrari laid the groundwork for what we consider to be theirs elite.

Ferrari F40 – Rawness to 200mph and Beyond

Introduced in 1987, the F40 was a celebration of Ferrari’s 40th anniversary and Enzo Ferrari’s final stamp of approval. In fact, the only reason this legend exists is because Enzo wanted his final approved car to be, quite literally, the best.

Especially considering at the time, Porsche had brought out the 197mph tech fest, the 959, which had subsequently taken the record from the 288 GTO as being the world’s fastest car. So wanting to give the boys down in Stuttgart he gave a request to the Evoluzione racing team. Build a car to be “very fast, sporting in the extreme and spartan.”

So the team took the 2.9l twin-turbo V8 from the 288 GTO and enlarged it with bigger turbos and a larger intercooler. A new revolutionary Carbon Fibre body was constructed that not only strengthened the car but made it light. The interior was minimalist, with virtually no creature comforts and string for door handles.

This was because Enzo had felt that the most recent outings from Ferrari like the Mondial and Testarossa were “becoming too plush and comfortable.” He wanted to get Ferrari back to its roots offering nothing but sheer performance.

And the final result, the F40 did just that. For starters, due to its cave-like interior and carbon-fibre bodyshell, the car was incredibly light, weighing in at just 1.1 tonnes. A perfect contrast to the luxurious and technical 959. But despite this the enlarged turbo V8 pumped out 471 horsepower and 426 lb-ft of torque.

The result of all this was the first official road car to crack the 200 mph barrier, with a top speed of 201 mph. The 1 being an indication to Porsche to “know their place.” It wasn’t just the fact the F40 achieved this, it was the idea it broke this barrier using the most basic of principles. And it was that basicness that made it so great.

Ferrari have never before or since created such a raw car and the 1311 customers that did receive one indulged in the feeling of driving a “true Ferrari” once more. Certainly, it met Enzo’s approval before his passing. Many consider the F40 Ferrari’s greatest car. Ferrari too felt this as with such a high bar, the question comes how do you surpass it.

Ferrari F50 – V12 F1 Power for the Road

The simple answer is to bring all your know-how from racing into a road car. In 1995 came the F50, a halo car directly inspired by Formula 1. The idea was that to surpass the bar set by the F40, Ferrari wanted to use all their experience and championships in F1 to create an even more vivacious and visceral experience.

So they took the 3.5L V12 out of the 641 1990 F1 car that had taken Alain Prost to victory in 91 and uprated it to 4.7L. Once again they mastered carbon fibre to create a body that sliced through the air, was strong and made the car light. Once again a minimalist approach was taken to the interior with virtually no creature comforts or power steering.

Though with that monstrous V12, the F50 weighed 1.4 tonnes, 300 kilos more than the F40. But with 512 horsepower this screaming banshee achieved 202mph, faster than the old F40. However the F50 came shortly after the McLaren F1, the 240mph marvel that to this day people consider the world’s greatest supercar.

Compared to the F40, the initial response for the F50 wasn’t super positive and certainly, it didn’t break ground like its predecessor. As a result, only 349 were ever built. But it still provided a raw and visceral drive and certainly soundtrack-wise, blew its predecessor in the middle of last week.

In fact, the F50 set two staples for Ferrari. It brought influence from F1 into a road car which would forever become a mantra for Ferrari moving forward. But perhaps soulfully it was the first halo car to utilise Ferrari’s beloved, sonorous and iconic V12. Something so cherished, Ferrari would continue to use it in their most elite.

Ferrari (F60) Enzo – A Technological F1 inspired Tribute to the Founder

So with its predecessors being called F40 and F50, you would imagine the successor to be named F60. Certainly, that’s what most designated this car which was designed to celebrate Ferrari’s racing history using the latest of technology garnered in F1. In fact, the recent success with the great Michael Schumacher is what convinced Ferrari to greenlight the F60.

As before, Ferrari went with a minimalist approach to the interior, but unlike its predecessors, the F60 featured ground-breaking aerodynamics and the latest in tech. These included a brand-new Six-speed Graziano single-clutch gearbox and an all-new 6.0L V12.

The results were astonishing. 650 horsepower, 217 mph, an incredible amount of grip and precision thanks to involvement by Schumacher and a soundtrack that makes Volcano explosions seem subtle. Ferrari truly believed at the time that they had created, their peak, their Magnum Opus.

And just to make it clear, they officially named the F60 after the founder of the company, Enzo. 399 Enzos were eventually completed and each owner was specifically chosen by Ferrari, who they considered worthy. They even built an additional Enzo just for the Pope.

The Enzo was a true game-changer. Sure, the F50 brought F1 power to the road through its V12. But the Enzo did more, it brought 60 years of racing experience, current dominating tech and an even more bespoke engine to the road. It was head and shoulders above its rivals. With such a high bar, and a car being named after the company’s legendary founder, is there any way to surpass this peak?

Ferrari (F70) LaFerrari – Using Hybrid Tech to create “The Ferrari”

The simple answer: by creating “The Ferrari.” Launched in 2013, the Ferrari F70, affectionately known as LaFerrari, redefined performance with its innovative hybrid powertrain. Ferrari wanted to push the boundaries of traditional limits and so made the brave decision to turn to electrification, which they’d been using in F1.

So alongside the Enzo-derived 6.3L 789 horsepower naturally-aspirated V12 LaFerrari featured a revolutionary electric motor, making it Ferrari’s first official hybrid. However, unlike its chief rivals the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 that utilised traditional switchable electric motors, the LaFerrari used a revolutionary KERS system in F1.

This system collected recovered energy from braking and transformed it into electrical energy that was stored in the Battery. So the electric motor provided an additional 161 horsepower without the conventional need for charging up. Combined this Italian beauty produced a whopping 950 horsepower making it the most powerful car in Ferrari’s history.

0-62mph took 2.8 seconds and the top speed was 220mph, which to this day makes it Ferrari’s fastest-ever road car. And thanks to advancements in F1 including an active rear spoiler/air brake and other aerodynamic advances, the F70 could corner even more effectively than it could power through the air. All while the driver indulges in the most sonorous soundtrack imaginable.

There’s a reason why petrolheads all over the world have dubbed the LaFerrari, the P1 and the 918 as the Hypercar Holy Trinity. Through all of them, the future of the speed machine looked bright. That hybridisation would increase the speed and experience for hypercars rather than reduce it as many previously believed.

But the fact that LaFerrari went about it in a completely different to its rivals certainly made it stand out. 499 truly exquisite machines. Truly it is “the Ferrari” the actual Magnum Opus, the peak Prancing Horse? Where do you go from here?

Ferrari F80 – Taking Hybrid Performance to the Next Level

So after naming its predecessor as “The Ferrari,” and its pre-predecessor as “Enzo”, Ferrari quickly learned there were no more specialist names. So instead, they went back to form and simply referred to their upcoming 2025 hypercar as the F80. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less impactful.

Like LaFerrari, the F80 is a hybrid but from there on the two cars have nothing in common. The F80 features a far more traditional hybrid setup, but instead of one electric motor, it features three. Two on the front axle and one aiding the engine and together making 310 horsepower.

This also makes it the only Halo Ferrari to be all-wheel drive, though, like its predecessor, the electric motors can’t run by themselves. It also features the most advanced aero ever fitted to a Ferrari. In particular, the F40-inspired rear wing that adjusts accordingly depending on the speed. And there is a lot of speed.

The previous three Halo Ferraris used Naturally Aspirated V12s, the two before that had twin-turbo V8s. The F80 though uses a revolutionary brand 2.9L twin-turbo V6 that pumps out 890 horsepower. Combined creates 1200 horsepower, the most powerful Ferrari in history. The result is 0-62mph in an eye-boggling 2.1 seconds and a limited top speed of 217mph.

Ferrari claims this is the fastest car around Fiorano with a time of 1:15.9 seconds. Though initial reception has been mixed, there’s no denying this car brings about new revolutions for the Prancing Horse brand. Certainly, the 799 F80s that will be built shows us that the future at Maranello is bright.

Conclusion

Ferrari’s Halo Six arguably are the most important and greatest cars in the companies near 80 year long history of road car production. And each is connected through a unique and interesting part held by its predecessor.

Had Ferrari not built the 288 for a liquidated race series, the F40 wouldn’t exist. Subsequently, without that bar set by the F40, the F50 wouldn’t have utilised an F1-derived engine and subsequently the F1 tech used in the Enzo wouldn’t have existed. And without passion to drive to tech, the LaFerrari and F80 wouldn’t be the revolutions they are.

Ferrari’s Halo cars are more than just revolutions for the prancing horse brand. Combined, they tell a story. A story of how Enzo’s dream to stay on top drives each to surpass its predecessor and subsequently rivals. There’s a reason owning a Ferrari is more special than any of its rivals. These six legends are proof as to why.

F1rstMotors: “Halo” Ferrari comparison

Model	288 GTO	F40	F50	Enzo (F60)	LaFerrari (F70)	F80
Year of Release	1984	1987	1995	2002	2013	2025
Engine	2.9L Twin-Turbo V8	2.9L Twin-Turbo V8	4.7L V12	6.0L V12	6.3L V12 with KERS Motor	2.9l Twin–Turbo V6 with Three Electric Motors
Horsepower	394 hp	471 hp	512 hp	650hp	950hp	1200hp
Torque	336 lb-ft	426 lb-ft	347 lb-ft	485 lb-ft	516 lb-ft	750 lb–ft
0–62mph (100km/h)	5.0 seconds	4.2 seconds	4.0 seconds	3.4 seconds	2.9 seconds	2.1 seconds
Top Speed	189mph	201mph	202 mph	217mph	220mph	217mph
Weight	1.2 Tonnes	1.1 tonnes	1.4 tonnes	1.5 tonnes	1.6 tonnes	1.5 tonnes
Power to Weight	340 hp per tonne	424 hp per tonne	365 hp per tonne	439 hp per tonne	601 hp per tonne	786 hp per tonne
Gearbox	5-speed manual	5-speed manual	6-speed manual	6-speed ISR	7-speed Dual Clutch	8-speed Dual Clutch
Driven Wheels	Rear Wheel Drive	Rear Wheel Drive	Rear Wheel Drive	Rear Wheel Drive	Rear Wheel Drive	All Wheel Drive
Amount Produced	272	1311	349	400	499	799
Rivals	Porsche 911 (930) Turbo	Porsche 959, Lamborghini Countach Anniversary	Porsche 911 GT1, McLaren F1	Porsche Carrera GT, Pagani Zonda F	Porsche 918, McLaren P1	McLaren W1, Bugatti Tourbillon

Source: Top Gear