Codenamed F173, the SF90 will soon receive an extreme sibling that’s internally referred to as the F173VS for Versione Speciale. According to carparazzo Varryx, who spied three prototypes near the Prancing Horse of Maranello’s factory, at least four prototypes have been completed so far.
As you can tell from the opening photo, the most obvious change over the SF90 is the S-duct hood inspired by the 488 Pista. Derived from the world of motorsports, this aerodynamic solution was introduced in F1 in 2008.
The nose duct is designed to channel incoming air from the front bumper upwards through the frunk lid, acting on the momentum variation to generate downforce. The inlet on the lower part of the bumper exploits high total pressure while the lower wing profile feeds the S-duct, which results in extra suction acting on the central section of the underbody.
Two small openings located just below the headlights are featured, along with more aero trickery on the sides of the front bumper. Out back, there’s not much to differentiate the Versione Speciale from the standard variant although rumor has it that a rear wing is on the menu.
Expected to launch by the end of 2023, the F173VS will have to improve on the standard variant’s cornering feel. “Is it enjoyable? I’m not quite sure,” said Chris Harris in his review of the SF90 Stradale for Top Gear. It’s easy to understand why the steering and handling aren’t up there with recent supercars from the best name in the business. More specifically, two motors up front work independently to provide torque vectoring for the front axle.
Electric power steering and brake-by-wire technology don’t help either, but criticism can only go so far. Increasingly more high-tier automakers are embracing electrification, and the near future will be hard to digest for internal combustion diehards. On that note, making small adjustments to the way the car feels in the twisties should help the F173VS redeem the F173.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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