This approach does bear fruit, once you have the confidence to employ it, and it makes what can otherwise feel like a slightly straight-laced chassis less naturally poised and more given to understeer in certain circumstances than, say, a 296 GTB or 488 Pista, more animated and engaging when cornering just-so. The SF90 XX’s extra downforce is apparent entering fast braking zones, too, and in keeping the rear axle stable through fourth-gear corners.  

The trouble is that it isn’t like a Ferrari to be so prescriptive about how and when it’s really prepared to handle. Typically, they feel agile, alive and engaging in so many different ways. 

The SF90 XX wants to set some ground rules. It can be rewarding when you play by them, and it’s always preposterously quick. But it’s an easy car to overdrive in slower corners, getting scruffy when you don’t quite give it the right input. In quicker ones, meanwhile, all of that mechanical and aerodynamic grip, allied to a slightly unpredictable front axle, still makes it a nerve-testing prospect – just as the regular SF90 can be.

On the road, some of those handling traits still apply, even though speeds are much lower and downforce won’t be playing a part. But on twisting roads, the XX likes to be braked deeper into a bend, where it turns more readily than if you don’t, and with instant electric boost available to supplement a cracking V8 soundtrack on corner exit. 

It rides well, too. The roads around Modena are almost as bad as the UK’s, and it’s surely one of the reasons Ferraris ride as compliantly as they do. Even an XX on 255/35 R30 front and 315/30 R20 rear tyres rolls over, rather than lumping into, bumps and ruts.

You can tell a little that some chassis stiffness has been given away in the conversion from coupé to convertibe. That’s inevitable in just about every drop-top except a carbonfibre-tubbed McLaren. But once you’ve stopped noticing a small shimmy of the rear view mirror over big lumps, you can forget it quite easily.

Wind buffeting in the XX Spider is only modest, too.