The gearbox has also been substantially improved, said Fulgenzi, building on the software found in the 296 GTB for faster shifts both up and down the ‘box.
Mated to the rear electric motor, it drives through an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, the behaviour of which is partly informed by Ferrari’s Slip Slide Control system, now at version 9.0.
However, the big development in terms of software is the inclusion of the Ferrari Integrated Vehicle Estimator (Five) introduced on the F80.
This system, currently reserved for cars only with four-figure power outputs, is able to calculate true speed and vehicle yaw with a very high degree of accuracy. Along with data from sensors dotted about the car, Five creates a ‘digital twin’ of the vehicle’s dynamics in real time and uses this as the basis of a model that predicts what will happen next.
This prediction determines the behaviour of the ABS, stability control, traction control and torque-vectoring functions to maximise speed and stability.
The gathering of data, the generation of the twin model, the subsequent prediction and finally the actioning of the 849 Testarossa’s various chassis systems unfolds in a timeframe of single-digit milliseconds. The effect from the driver’s perspective is a reduction in steering inputs – that is, enhanced economy of movement – and quicker lap times.