DIDN’T SEE (OR HEAR) IT COMING

When I first learned Ferrari was offering a plug-in hybrid supercar with hypercar aspirations, I didn’t think much of it. In some ways the SF90 Stradale is yet another update of the F8 Tributo platform, which dates to the decade-plus-old 458 Italia—and truthfully there’s some circa-2004 F430 marrow and sinew found within the new car’s anatomy. I assumed it would be nothing more than a heavier iteration of the same Maranello-flavored, mid-engine V-8 supercar with too much power for anybody’s good. Boy, was I wrong.

There’s a comprehensively reworked version of Ferrari’s twin-turbo V-8 behind the passenger compartment. Displacement is up from 3.9 to 4.0 liters, and power rises from 711 to 769 horsepower, along with 590 lb-ft of torque. This engine is mounted remarkably low to the pavement: The tops of the rear tires sit above the cylinder heads. This is possible because Ferrari reduced the engine’s overall height by 12 percent, and because there’s a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted 15mm lower than the F8’s seven-speed. Also, there’s no reverse gear, so the smaller, more compact gearbox weighs less.

Between the engine and the gearbox lies a compact “pizza motor” (what non-Italians might call a “pancake motor”) good for 157 hp and 196