Vancouver Sun

LaFerrari FXX K boasts a whopping 1,035 horsepower

Meaner, faster and louder track- only super- Ferrari could cost about $ 3.5 million

- TOMMASO EBHARDT

Ferrari is giving a group of its customers the chance to try out a 1,035- horsepower hybrid prototype car that was unveiled in Abu Dhabi, U. A. E., at its annual event celebratin­g the end of the global auto- racing season on Wednesday.

The FXX K, based on the Italian supercar manufactur­er’s $ 1.4- million LaFerrari hybrid, combines a 860- horsepower V- 12 engine with an electric one providing an additional 190 horsepower, the Maranello, Italy- based company said in a statement.

Ferrari will build just a few dozen of the model, which may cost about $ 3.5 million apiece. The FXX K will be reserved for a limited number of customers who will use the car only on tracks in private sessions or at events organized by the manufactur­er.

The program allows Ferrari to test some extreme features that may be used in vehicles eventually built commercial­ly without having to meet road- certificat­ion or racing regulation­s. The FXX K will never be used in competitio­n.

Ferrari, which has restricted production to about 7,000 cars a year to preserve the brand’s exclusivit­y, plans to boost profit with more expensive and limitedrel­ease models and additional services as chairman Sergio Marchionne separates the business from Fiat Chrysler. The FXX K is the first Ferrari model unveiled since Marchionne, who runs Fiat Chrysler, took the post at the supercar producer in October following the departure of Luca Cordero di Montezemol­o as chairman.

The London- based parent company plans to spin off Ferrari next year to help raise about $ 5 billion to counter mounting debt, giving investors a chance to buy into one of the auto industry’s the most storied names.

The prototype debuted on the Abu Dhabi circuit Wednesday as Ferrari gathered customers and fans in the Persian Gulf emirate for the end- of- season celebratio­n, which it’s staging outside Europe for the first time. The automaker plans to show more than 200 exotic and limited- series models, including 74 challenge cars and 17 Formula One single- seaters.

 ?? PHOTOS: FERRARI ?? The FXX K is the first Ferrari model unveiled since Sergio Marchionne took his post as the supercar producer’s chairman in October.
PHOTOS: FERRARI The FXX K is the first Ferrari model unveiled since Sergio Marchionne took his post as the supercar producer’s chairman in October.
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