Ferrari CEO outlines green plan, hybrid concept could debut at LA show
Ferrari F430 Spider Bio-Fuel at NAIAS 2008 – Click above for a high-res image galleryWhile the intertubes are abuzz with Lamborghini's announcement of a comprehensive carbon emissions reduction plan, arch-rival Ferrari is keen to show it's keeping pace as the company's CEO has reportedly indicated the direction Maranello is heading with regards to its greenification.
Two approaches which Ferrari chief executive Amadeo Felisa confirmed the company is looking into include turbocharging and E85 bio-ethanol. Regarding the former, Felisa assures that the weight of Ferrari's technical know-how will be thrown into ensuring that turbocharged engines retain Ferrari's trademark high-revving feel, while he revealed that the ECU on the company's latest model, the California, is already ready to burn E85. But beyond turbos and corn-fuel, Felisa also revealed that they're working on a hybrid concept, likely to incorporate the F1-derived KERS regenerative braking system, to debut at an upcoming auto show in the United States following the Frankfurt Motor Show in September where Ferrari is expected to debut the replacement for the F430 line. Sources suggest Los Angeles as a strong possibility for the hybrid Ferrari's debut.
Gallery: Detroit 2008: Ferrari F430 BioFuel
[Source: Car and Driver]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Cougs 3:13PM (6/08/2009)
Man, my Prius is so 2009....lemme upgrade it.
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Will 3:21PM (6/08/2009)
The photographer should have shook his keys at the girls in the car. Eleven shots and they did not even glance at the camera.
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paulmer 3:39PM (6/08/2009)
No.
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adam1drift 3:44PM (6/08/2009)
if they are going to do this... they need to make a whole new car with this technology... dont shove it into and ruin an F430 or any other ferrari..
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Redline 5:36PM (6/08/2009)
Please, no...
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Matthew 6:09PM (6/08/2009)
KERS in a street Ferrari? F1 tech making its way into street vehicles, just like nature intended. Seems only natural, and a novel selling point. "In this Ferrari F###, which has the KERS system with the instant boost button... just like the 2009 F1 team used!"
Not like a Ferrari ever needed such a gimmick to sell cars, though. Yet it makes me wonder if they will abandon the hybrid/KERS initiative after it is abandoned in F1 come 2010.
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dac 7:20PM (6/08/2009)
This is not so bad, people. A high revving twin turbo Ferrari V8 would make tons of power and sound amazing: a low V8 roar eventually eclipsed by the screaming turbos. On top of that, E85 has a higher octane rating than traditional gasoline, making it higher performance, especially in forced induction cars. Add a KERS like "Boost" button and that sounds like a pretty sweet Ferrari to me.
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Andre 7:21PM (6/08/2009)
Would not surprise me, California and especially Los Angeles, is starting to become the Hybrid capital or alternative fuel capital of the Automotive world.. I see alternative fuel test vehicles popping up left and right here...
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