The hybrid hypercar trio are almost identically powerful, desirable, and fast, but there’s one line that makes me want the LaFerrari over the McLaren P1 and the Porsche 918 Spyder.
Chris Harris drove all three cars together on track recently and his reflection on the LaFerrari stuck with me. The quote comes right at the 50 minute mark in his ridiculously long video:
The Ferrari! The Ferrari, to me, the Ferrari almost feels like driving an old racing car. Because it’s got so much power, and it’s up on its toes, and it’s light and nimble. They’ve taken the latest technology and created a driving experience like a 1959 Lister!
Harris is no stranger to vintage racing, and so I trust him to know what he’s talking about in terms of classic car feel.
Watch any video of the car (either from Harris or from the LaFerrari’s typical hoon owners) and you’ll see how old-school the car looks in motion, despite its avante garde design.
The technical specs of the car also backs this all up—the LaFerrari might use very advanced hybrid electric drive, but the paired internal combustion engine is a huge gas-burning V12, about as classic a sports car powerplant can get.
A new machine, with modern safety and modern tire-shredding performance, having the same kind of elevated, wild feel from classic cars. Is this not perfection?
Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.