Ferrari has revealed the track-only FXX K which will go on sale to a limited
number of clients and form part of Ferrari's exclusive driver development
program. It will be officially introduced at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi next
weekend.
The laboratory-car is based on Maranello's first hybrid model and will be used on the
world's tracks from next year onwards. The K in its moniker is a reference to
the "KERS" kinetic energy recovery system it adopts in maximizing its track
performance.
Unfettered by homologation and racing regulations, the FXX K will never be used
in competition. It was, in fact, developed to be completely uncompromising,
incorporating technological innovations that will guarantee an unprecedented
driving experience to the exclusive group of Client-Test Drivers with whom the
Prancing Horse will roll out a test program over the coming two years.
The Ferrari FXX K's powertrain has been further optimized: the electric motor
now delivers 187 horsepower (instead of 160) and the 6.3-liter V12 has been
boosted to 848 hp (up from 789) for a total output of 1,035 hp. This is an
increase from the 950 hp in the road-going
LaFerrari, but at 664 pound-feet, it's down in the torque department by 51
lb-ft.
The FXX K's 6,262 cc V12 features new camshafts and a modified valve train with
mechanical rather than hydraulic tappets. The intake manifolds have been
redesigned and given a special type of polishing treatment. The exhaust system
has been modified as its silencers have been eliminated.
The HY-KERS system has been evolved specifically for pure performance with the
result that the driver can control the function logics from the specific
4-setting Manettino on the center console: Qualify, for maximum performance
within a limited number of laps; Long Run to optimize performance consistency;
Manual Boost for instant maximum torque delivery; and Fast Charge, for a fast
recharge of the car's battery.
Ferrari hasn't revealed any performance data for the
McLaren P1 GTR rival, and we will
probably never know how it compares to the British-built track car, because
they'll both be by each company's client track program.
It is expected that only existing LaFerrari owners will be eligible to buy the
FXX K.
Active Aerodynamics in the Ferrari FXX K
The front of the 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari FXX K is dominated by a twin-profile
spoiler and a larger splitter, which is 30 mm lower, with a gap in its center.
This design is an application of the concepts developed to improve aero balance
in the GT category of the WEC, which Ferrari has won for three consecutive
years. Two pairs of vertical elements, an endplate and, externally, a dive
plane, together with vertical fins channel the air towards the car's flanks,
generating a longitudinal vortex that creates a localized depression. This in
turn sucks the wake from the wheels to the outside of the aerodynamic underbody.
Along with the side skirts that extend out from the sills, the vortex helps
isolate the airflow from the underbody to boost its efficiency.
The solutions on the rear of the car are highly sophisticated, too. The tail
section is now higher and the mobile spoiler extends further for a total
increase in extension of 60mm when fully deployed. A vertical fin and a small
wing each side of the tail act as guide vanes in the low drag configuration and
boost the spoiler's efficiency in the high downforce one. This system also
creates considerable downforce at the rear of the car, allowing the use of an
extreme diffusion volume for the rear diffuser which optimizes air extraction
from the underbody. The section of the flat underbody just ahead of the rear
wheels is also exploited to the full to generate downforce thanks to the reduced
pressure in the wheel arch guaranteed by the direct connection to the rear of
the car by a by-pass duct.
Ferrari claims this has helped improve downforce by 50 per cent compared to
LaFerrari, resulting in the FXX K producing 540 kg of downforce at 124 mph.
