Bburago Signature Series Ferrari FXX-K
Kinetic Energy Meets Fiery Passion
OK, let’s get this out of the way right upfront: The Ferrari FXX-K doesn’t make much sense. Consider this: It’s a track-only supercar that is not legal on any public road in the world, but it’s also not legal for any racing series.
The FXX-K is based on the road-going LaFerrari, but its name is a direct descendant of the 2005–07 Enzo-based
FXX track special, with which it shares no components. Of course, that distinguishing letter “K” makes all the difference—in the form of a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that augments the traditional 848hp V-12 gasoline powerplant with an extra 187 electric horses.
The KERS employs twin electric motors, inverters, generators, and a lithium battery pack, which recovers kinetic energy under braking and stores it in the battery until needed during acceleration. This hybrid system is similar in design to those developed for Formula 1, but with a combined 1036hp, it is even more powerful than the F1 version! The entire system is controlled by a network of sensors integrated into the traction, stability, and antilock-braking systems. This serves two purposes: First, it optimizes performance in real time for the driver on track, and second, it records all that data for Ferrari engineers to use in vehicle development. It’s the most exclusive and expensive car Ferrari makes, but that’s not just because of the car itself. Just 40 examples were built, and they were offered by invitation only to a select list of “Client Test Drivers.” And because it can’t be driven on the road or in competition, the only opportunity those owners have to run their FXX-Ks is at special Ferrari-hosted track days around the globe. And that is where the paradoxical FXX-K starts to make a lot of sense for Ferrari. The FXX-K is literally a rolling test and development program, where the drivers pay— and pay handsomely to the tune of more than $3 million for a 2-year contract—for the privilege of doing Ferrari’s testing for them!
But the FXX-K isn’t just about power. Engineers also gave it some of Ferrari’s most advanced aerodynamics, generating more than 1500 pounds of downforce at speed through a collection of wings, splitters, and diffusers. These aero devices also make for a truly dramatic look, which is where Bburago comes in.
The car’s striking features are replicated in 1:18 in two color schemes, matching two of the actual FXX-Ks in the 40-car program. There is the black and yellow no. 44 of Texas entrepreneur John Taylor, and the red no. 88 of Chinese realestate tycoon Sam Li. Although nominally a heavily modified LaFerrari, the FXX-K is, to my eye, significantly better looking. The tarmac-hugging ground effects and more prominent scoops and wings look fuller and more complete than the street car’s— unusual in road-versus-race car comparisons. And Bburago captures all the complexities of the shape with admirable fidelity, and the car is covered in an absolutely beautiful finish. The FXX-K certainly presents better than its price tag would suggest.
The butterfly doors lever up and out; I really like their smooth travel, and the satisfying click when they close has an upscale feel to it. Peer beneath them and you see a race-oriented cockpit, with surfaces colored and textured to accurately depict carbon fiber. The deeply sculpted race seats have race-style harnesses. The drilled metal pedal set with its accelerator and brake pedals (plus a large dead pedal where the clutch pedal would be were it not made obsolete by the paddleshifted 7-speed) is a little blocky and not quite up to the level of the rest of the excellent interior. That is more than compensated for by the steering wheel and center stack, both of which feature delicate switchgear nicely picked out with paint—including a pair of “manettino” knobs for dialing up the suspension firmness, throttle response, electronic differential setting, and the regeneration/ boost settings of the KERS.
Compared to the complexity of the cockpit, the engine bay is almost tame by comparison. The