2020 Ferrari SF90 Stradale revealed

This milestone from Maranello also expands the company's line-up in an unexpected direction. Senior Ferrari executives call it a "range supercar".

Powered by a twin turbo 4.0-litre V8 and three electric motors, the SF90 Stradale can lap the company's Fiorano test track almost a second quicker than the LaFerrari supercar. While able to whip the previous road car lap record holder, the SF90 Stradale won't be bound to a strict LaFerrari-like production limit. Only 500 of the coupe version of that car, introduced in 2013, were made.

Instead the SF90 Stradale will become the new pinnacle of the regular Ferrari line-up. Production will reflect demand and, according to Ferrari marketing chief Enrico Galliera, there are already thousands of customers.

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The media unveiling of the SF90 Stradale - the name memorialises the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Scuderia Ferrari race team by Enzo Ferrari - was immediately followed by a spectacular presentation to around 2000 invited guests from around the world, 25 of them Australian. "Most of them are already owners," was Galliera's roundabout reply when asked how many SF90 Stradales Ferrari expects to sell.

And these customers don't yet know how much they'll be paying for the car. What is certain is that it will wear a $1 million-plus pricetag in Australia. Production will begin late this year, with deliveries following in the first half of 2020.

The SF90 Stradale will be, at least for a time, the fiercest Ferrari to wear number plates. The hybrid drivetrain's max power number is 736kW, or a neat and tidy 1000 metric horsepower.

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The engine is a development of the 3.9-litre version of the F154 family. An increase in cylinder bore to 88mm accounts for the capacity increase. The cylinder heads and both intake and exhaust systems were completely redesigned.

Maximum power from the new 4.0-litre engine is 574kW at 7500rpm. All this is delivered to the rear wheels via an all-new eight-speed double-clutch gearbox. Current Ferraris have seven-speed transmissions.

One of the SF90 Stradale's electric motors is sandwiched between the engine and gearbox. The other two are connected to each of the front wheels. In total they can contribute an extra 162kW, the maximum power the car's centrally-mounted battery pack can deliver, to the total hybrid system output.

This layout makes the SF90 Stradale, technically speaking, an axle-split plug-in hybrid. What this means, in practical terms, is that the Ferrari has all-wheel-drive - another first for one of the brand's mid-engine sports cars - and is also able to function as a pure electric vehicle.

The Ferrari's performance - 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds and 0-200km/h in 6.7 seconds are the claims - would be impossible to achieve without the electrified all-wheel-drive system. The ability of the electrified front axle to independently control the torque delivered to each of the front wheels also brings potential handling advantages.

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Twisting the manettino on the SF90 Stradale's redesigned steering wheel from max-attack Qualify mode to eDrive turns the car into a front-drive EV, capable of up to 25km on a fully charged battery at speeds up to 135km/h.

VIEW THE GALLERY ABOVE FOR MORE IMAGES OF THE SF90 STRADALE

Not only the steering wheel is new. With the interior of the SF90 Stradale, Ferrari at last is able to match the level of tech offered by mass-market makers. The instruments are displayed on a wide and slightly curved screen that rivals Audi's Virtual Cockpit for clarity and class. There's even a head-up display.

But the best feature of all inside the new SF90 Stradale is one that nods at the past instead of gazing into the future. Between the seats is a piece of polished aluminium carefully styled to evoke the look of an old-style gated manual shift pattern. This is home to the car's forward, reverse and manual-mode buttons.