Another key was having Ferrari's Formula One team build the cockpit using the same grade of materials and the same construction used for the company's race cars.
The resulting carbon fiber cockpit weighs just 154 pounds, 66 pounds less than in the Enzo's.
Another way Ferrari limited LaFerrari's weight was by eliminating its seat structures, a solution first tried with the Millechili research car. The driver and passenger of LaFerrari sit on upholstery that is fixed to the carbon fiber cockpit. Instead of moving the seat, the driver adjusts the pedals and steering wheel. This solution also let Ferrari shorten the passenger compartment because there was no need to make room for seats moving farther back on rails.
"Between the elimination of traditional seats and a smaller passenger compartment, we saved another 110 pounds," Fedeli said.
The single-minded focus on weight also led Ferrari to use lighter body paint, which saved 15.4 pounds, and superthin carbon fiber body panels, which cut another 22 pounds.
Along with finding ways to limit weight, Ferrari engineers looked to optimize the HY-KERS system, which uses two electric motors developed by Magneti Marelli. One motor powers the wheels while the other powers the car's ancillary systems.
"Every time you accelerate, the electric motor's 120 kilowatts [equivalent to 163 hp] work together with the 800 hp from the 6.3-liter V-12 engine. The result is an acceleration boost never before seen in a road car," Fedeli said.
Ferrari said the high torque levels available at low revolutions from the electric motor enabled the engineers to optimize the internal combustion engine's performance at higher revs. The LaFerrari redlines at 9,250 rpm. Total torque generated by the engine and the electric motor exceeds 664 pounds-feet. By comparison, the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta delivers 509 pounds-feet.
While LaFerrari replaces the Enzo, its performance benchmark was the F12 Berlinetta, which debuted last year and raised the bar considerably from the Enzo. For instance, the F12 Berlinetta needed just 1 minute and 23 seconds to complete a lap at the Fiorano test track, which was 3 seconds quicker than the Enzo.
With help from the HY-KERS system, LaFerrari's lap time at Fiorano was 1 minute and 20 seconds, making it 3 seconds quicker than the F12. LaFerrari also needs less than 3 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph, less than 7 seconds to go from 0 to 124 mph and 15 seconds to go from 0 to 186 mph.
Fedeli said that although performance statistics are important, he is most proud of the "emotion and feeling" that LaFerrari drivers experience behind the wheel.