Ferrari 499P Hypercar Sounds Like a Spaceship on Sebring Pole Lap

Prepare for blast off with Ferrari’s hybrid V6 prototype that makes plenty of fun noises.

byJerry Perez|
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Antonio Fuoco manhandled the No. 50 Ferrari 499P Hypercar to pole position for this weekend's Sebring 1000 Miles, eclipsing the race-favorite Toyotas in the first outing for Maranello's new prototype. Watching the onboard camera for Fuoco's pole-setting lap shows just how fast the car is, but it also reveals something even more interesting: the sound.

Top-shelf WEC race cars have produced unique sounds for a while now, mostly due to their hybrid systems and complex drivetrain packaging. This Ferrari, however, sounds even more unique—it sounds more like a spaceship than it does a gasoline-powered race car. Under full acceleration, it's hard to even hear the gear shifts over the hybrid whirr—especially compared to, say, a turbo hybrid Formula 1 car.

Coasting or braking reveals a bit more of a familiar sound, with the combustion engine's decelerating and downshifting being audible. But once Fuoco steps on the throttle again, there is little to no rumble that would make you believe there's a purpose-built, twin-turbo V6 pumping out a combined 670 horsepower. Of those ponies, approximately 268 come from the electric motor alone.

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Fuoco managed a 1:45.067 lap around the Florida road course, followed by two Toyotas with a 1:45.281 and 1:45.548, respectively. The second Ferrari 499P will start from fourth place after setting a lap time of 1:45.874 during qualifying, while the Cadillac V-Series R rounds out the top five with a time of 1:46.082. The new Porsche 963s had to settle for sixth and seventh positions.

Watching onboards from Sebring is always a great reminder of the level of skill necessary to master the bumpy circuit, and Fuoco's lap is a perfect example of mastery. We recently highlighted a video from Fernando Alonso's pole-setting lap at the wheel of his Toyota prototype, and it's mind-blowing. For what it's worth, that car sounds better.

The Sebring 1000 Miles kicks off Saturday, March 18, at 10:10 a.m. ET.

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