YouTuber Matt Farah Tests the Ferrari SF90 Stradale

SF90 is the most powerful Ferrari road car ever, featuring 986 hybrid horsepower.

When Ferrari introduced LaFerrari, it seemed likely that it would be the most powerful road machine from Maranello for quite some time, offering 949 hybrid horsepower. LaFerrari was one of the brand’s halo cars, following in the footsteps of the F40, the F50 and the Enzo in offering show-stopping performance that was unrivaled even within the company. However, when the SF90 Stradale was introduced, it offered everything needed to beat the LaFerrari, serving as the most powerful and best performing Ferrari road car ever.

Most importantly, the SF90 Stradale isn’t a limited edition car like the LaFerrari, so it will be much easier for very wealthy enthusiasts to acquire. The crew from The Smoking Tire YouTube channel recently had the chance to spend a few hours with the SF90 and they jumped on it, exercising the incredible hybrid hypercar in the California canyons.

Ferrari SF90 Stradale Introduction

The video technically begins with host Matt Farah sitting in bed for a fairly ridiculous commercial for bedsheets. Fortunately, that doesn’t last long and the footage quickly moves along to the interior of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, where Farah walks us through the key features and components of the rolling work of art.

In addition to an array of lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum components, the SF90 Stradale features a twin turbocharged V8 and a trio of electric motors that yield a total system output of 986 horsepower. That makes this the most powerful road-going Ferrari ever, but thanks to the hybrid all-wheel-drive system, the SF90 can use all of that power. One of the motors drives the rear wheels in conjunction with the turbocharged V8 while a pair of electric motors up front provide constant torque vectoring all-wheel-drive. There is also an 8-speed dual clutch gearbox that lacks reverse, as the electric-driven front wheels handle all of the backing-up needs.

The Ferrari SF90 features active aero, which Farah likes, and touch buttons inside, which Farah hates. He goes so far as to state that the haptic steering wheel buttons may prevent him from buying one of these. That is the excuse that we should all use for not owning one of these cars, with the price starting at $507,000 and traveling up into the $700,000 range when all loaded-up like the car in the video.

Hitting the Road

When Farah first heads out in EV mode, he talks about the “Jetson’s noises” on startup and when he pulls out onto the road. He doesn’t last long in EV mode, quickly switching to the Qualifying drive mode, which offers the highest level of performance. He launches the car hard and it looks pretty insane, accelerating hard until he lifts, proclaiming “and that’s jail time”, referring to the speeds reached so quickly. He then points out that the SF90 is a 9-second quarter mile car, effortlessly sprinting to 60 from a stop in just 2.5 seconds.

As Farah cruises along the twisty canyon roads, he repeatedly calls the car “bananas”, pointing out that the car is “smooth, predictable and exactly the same all of the time”. He praises the track-ready suspension system, which does a great job of absorbing the bumps in the road while sticking to the surface like it is on rails. He goes on to say that it is “very, very easy to drive fast” and that there is no downside to the car, shy of the cost. His only real complaint is that he wishes that the gearbox wasn’t so smooth, but that is an extreme first world problem.

A New Driver

Next, Zack Klapman takes the wheels, once again discussing some of the specs that Farah did not. He talks about the unique aero properties and cooling features, including systems for the engine and Brembo brakes.

He also starts in EV mode, followed by some time in Hybrid mode, before getting into Performance mode. While in this mode, he calls it “an auditory experience”, also praising how well the suspension handles the rough road.

Ultimately, he has the same opinion as Farah, but that comes as little surprise, as there isn’t much to dislike about the Ferrar SF90 Stradale. In the end, Farah closes by calling the car way too fast, but he loves the showcasing of electric and gasoline integration in this stunning hypercar.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com