Engineers and designers at Ferrari combined all the latest innovations and advancements used on the company’s cars that compete in Formula 1, GT3, GTE, and Challenge to come up with the Ferrari FXX-K Evo. The car is built around the powerplant in the La Ferrari, a 6.3-liter V12 and a hybrid motor that together generate 1,035-hp and 664-lb-ft of torque and a seven-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission.
One goal for the new car was to reduce its curb weight. So the design team drew on the company’s experience with Formula 1 cars and used its carbon-fiber technology on the new car. The result? The FXX-K weighs less than the previous version of the FXX-K despite now carrying a fixed rear wing.
The new car also carries an evolved version of the company’s aero package consisting of a twin-profile rear spoiler, two side wings, and a central fin. The body and the aero package went through a year of CFS studies. As a result, the car generates 1,410 lb of downforce at 124 mph, and 1,826 at the car’s red-line speed. All of this downforce gives the car a decided advantage in lateral acceleration for cornering and stability.
The FXX-K Evo’s downforce level is boosted by a twin-profile fixed wing in the back. This new addition was developed to work with the active rear spoiler. In fact, the pressure fields developed by the two downforce-generating systems support and amplify each other. To guarantee good downforce and drag results, the mobile spoiler’s control logics and range of movement were also reviewed and reprogrammed.
Two side fins and a central fin support the twin-profile rear. The central fin plays a dual role: It acts as a vertical fin, boosting stability at low yaw angles, while also supporting the action of the three delta (triangular) vortex generators. The vortex generators clean the flow field striking the wing of the effects of the wake of the hot air flow from the radiators which vents onto the bonnet. They also create a downwash component in the flow which boosts the twin-profile’s downforce capacity. The result is a 10% increase in downforce developed by the rear components.
The rear bumpers were also modified with the bypass vent from the rear wheel arch being made larger, hollowing out the volume behind the wheels to ensure the wake from the wheels is efficiently channeled. The result is that the flow to the rear diffuser is protected and losses are reduced so that downforce has been boosted by 5%.
The significant increase in rear downforce meant the engineers had to take another look at the front bumpers and underbody to guarantee a balanced distribution of downforce.
The sides of the front bumpers had the surfaces beneath the headlights hollowed out. This made space for a couple of horizontal fins or winglets divided by a vertical turning vane and an additional intake ahead of the front wheels. This contributes 10% of the overall downforce increase and makes good use of the know-how acquired in the GT programs, in which 2016 rules permitted extensive study of the interaction between horizontal (flicks) and vertical (dive plane) flow management components.
Ground effect was also boosted by adding vortex generators on the undertray. This capitalized on the accelerations created by the rear system and the front underbody, generating 30% of the newly added downforce.
The FXX-K Evo’s boosted performance also demanded new front brake air intakes which, although no wider (to avoid increasing drag), are more efficient thanks to a complete redesign of the intake itself. The suspension was also adapted to the car’s new aerodynamic efficiency figures.
The car will only be raced in a handful of special events, and if you haven’t already been invited, it’s unlikely you’ll get a chance to get behind the wheel of this new Italian supercar.
