Continuing to push the envelope.
The Ferrari LaFerrari is a technical masterpiece of automotive beauty and history that pushes the boundaries of perceivable performance. It’s hard to imagine that any kind of vehicle can perform just as well, let alone one with an open-top cockpit. Well, the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta does just that.
The new Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta is more than just the coupe version with the top chopped off. Designers and engineers took many steps to ensure that the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta provided the same amount of performance as the coupe while also achieving the same drag coefficient with the side windows up and the top off. Much of the original design is the same such as the line that separates the cockpit from the body to create two floating rear pillars.
To achieve this feat, the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta features radiators that are angled in a way that sends heat beneath the car instead of above and thus into the cockpit. With the hot air flowing beneath the body, newly-designed vortex generators were used to maintain a low pressure to keep the super car stuck to the pavement at speed.
Passengers can also have a normal conversation even at high speeds in the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta thanks to the new L-shaped flaps on the upper corners of the windshield and the new wind-stop. When the top is removed, these flaps create a vortex of air that is channeled towards the rear header rail, where it is sent upwards to reduce drag. The wind-stop system angles air entering the interior in such a way that it slows down before exiting behind both seats for a quiet, calm ride.
Aerodynamics were only part of the high-performance equation in the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta. The super car has a reinforced lower section to compensate for the open-top design. This allows the LaFerrari Aperta to have the same torsional rigidity as the Coupe. Due to the open-top setup, the doors sit at a different angle when fully opened although the same butterfly style is retained. This also required designers and engineers to change the front flanks and fenders with a new carbon fiber insert and aerodynamic vent.
From there, the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta uses the same powertrain as the coupe. The 6.3-liter V-12 engine that revs to the stars and is the most powerful naturally-aspirated production engine in a road-going Ferrari is used alongside the 120 kW electric motor as part of the innovative HY-KERS system. Just like the coupe, top speed is all the way back at 220 mph while acceleration to 62 mph takes less than 3.0 seconds and 124 mph takes under 7.0 seconds to reach.
Performance may be the name of the game with the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, btu the open-air experience is even more enjoyable thanks to the special interior. Here, model-specific highlights such as new leather and Starlite Alcantara upholstery and details that match the Aperta-exclusive exterior livery and graphic accents.
Only 209 examples of the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta are destined for production, with each of them already being sold out.
Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta Specifications
Engine:
Displacement: 6.3 liters
Number of Cylinders: V-12
Aspiration: Naturally-Aspirated
Maximum Horsepower: 789 at 9,000 RPM
Maximum Torque: 520 lb-ft. at 6,750 PRM
Electric Motor Output: 120kW
Combined Output: 950 bhp, 664 lb-ft.
Performance:
Acceleration 0-62 mph: Less than 3.0 seconds
Acceleration 0-124 mph: Less than 7.0 seconds
Acceleration 0-186 mph: 15.0 seconds
Top Speed: Over 220 mph / 350 km/h
Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta Gallery
Source: Ferrari
When it comes to open-top high-performance vehicles, is the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta the best of the best?
