Autoblog

Report: Ferrari Enzo successor will be a hybrid

Zach Bowman — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:23:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Europe, Technology, Ferrari, Luxury

Ferrari 599 HY-KERS - Click above for high-res image gallery

Sorry, Ferrari purists, but even the mighty Prancing Horse isn't immune to the need to increase fuel economy. According to Autoweek, Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has confirmed that the successor to the Enzo throne will come equipped with a hybrid drivetrain. According to Montezemolo, the electrified supercar will borrow heavily from the company's 599 HY-KERS concept that debuted at this year's Geneva Motor Show. That vehicle used hybrid tech derived from the kinetic energy recovery system that Ferrari experimented with on its F1 vehicles.

Previously, Ferrari has said that the incorporation of a battery pack and an electric motor would allow the company to continue to offer high-cylinder-count engines while offsetting fuel consumption and emissions. The company has also made it clear that it intends to begin moving toward smaller models to further reduce weight.

The news came as Montezemolo announced that he has no intention of moving from his post at Ferrari to greener pastures in the Italian government. The chairman said that he fully intends to stay at the company long enough to help craft the vehicles in the next product cycle, each of which will follow in the footsteps of the Enzo successor.

Gallery: Ferrari 599 HY-KERS

[Source: Autoweek]

Report: Ferrari Enzo successor will be a hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari Boss Felisa: "Hybrid means we can protect the V12"

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 21 May 2010 14:27:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Ferrari

Ferrari 599 HY-KERS - Click above for high-res image gallery

In the Eighties, you wanted your MTV. Now that you're a little older and a lot richer, you want your naturally aspirated V12 Italian cars, and both Ferrari and Lamborghini plan to deliver. The raging bulls at Sant' Agata are incorporating more lightweight materials into their cars in order to get over emissions hurdles, but Ferrari has different plans, likely including a road-going iteration of its kinetic energy recovery system, as seen fitted to its 599 HY-KERS concept car at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.

According to Autocar's quote from Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa, "Hybrid means we can protect the V12," suggesting Ferrari believes its unassisted 12-cylinder will live on. Autocar's theory is that the next Enzo could see its V12 paired with an electric motor to keep the government watchdogs happy. Of course, this contradicts Autocar's Ferrari piece from about ten days ago when, after speaking with Felisa, it wrote, "Felisa also hinted that the new Ferrari Enzo will be powered by a direct-injection twin-turbo V8 when it is launched in 2012."

It could be that Ferrari will use a naturally aspirated V12, only not in the Enzo - the F40 was a V8 while the Testarossa/512 received the big-engine treatment. Frankly, we're all for a hybrid Enzo, though. Provided they can keep the weight down, a silent supercar at low speeds with 600-plus horses that could bolt at a half-second's notice would make the most awesome getaway car ever.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Ferrari 599 HY-KERS

Live Photos: Noah Joseph / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Autocar]

Ferrari Boss Felisa: "Hybrid means we can protect the V12" originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 May 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari 'forced' to add hybrid, emissions concerns not 'real'

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Government/Legal, Ferrari, Luxury, Racing

Ferrari 599 HY-KERS - Click above for high-res image gallery

By now, you've likely seen the various hybrid vehicles shown off by Ferrari, both for racing and for street-legal models in concept form. Purists might be more than a bit put off by the idea of a supposedly eco-friendly vehicle wearing the famed Prancing Horse badge, and it seems that Ferrari head Amadeo Felisa commiserates with them.

Speaking to Autocar at the recent Beijing Motor Show, Felisa had some rather interesting remarks on the future of his company, notably regarding the powerplants needed to meet future emissions and fuel mileage requirements. Says Felisa:

Our customers are looking for the essence of Ferrari - the emotion, the performance, the technology and so on. The way in which we fix emissions is not their problem but ours. If we are not able to fix it, only then will it become a problem for them.

That's rational, we'd say. But here's the point where Felisa's comments seem sure to garner a few raised eyebrows amongst the environmental set:

[Hybrids will come in] 2015, if we are forced to by the [government] regulations. The issue of emissions for Ferrari is more a political one than real one. Lowering emissions of every Ferrari will not save the planet, but it will cost us a lot of money... In the next five to 10 years, hybrid technology will develop and maybe something else will come up. Maybe it'll be hydrogen, but for our cars only hybrid is ready.

So, hydrogen isn't ready for Ferrari (or vice versa) and the only reason the sportscar manufacturer is even looking at hybrids is because the various governments of the world are making them. Oh yeah, and nothing with more than two doors. At least that much we can all agree upon.

Gallery: Ferrari 599 HY-KERS

[Source: Autocar]

Ferrari 'forced' to add hybrid, emissions concerns not 'real' originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 May 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maserati to follow Ferrari down path of hybrid sportscars?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Maserati, Rumormill, Luxury

What's the world coming to when two of Italy's most storied supercar manufacturers - we're talking Ferrari and Lamborghini here, in case you couldn't tell - are planning to launch hybrid automobiles? Well, actually that'd be three of Italy's most storied automakers, now that rumors of just such a Maserati are making the rounds on the Interwebs.

We'd agree with the boys at Inside Line when they suggest that Maserati will likely borrow hybrid technology from fellow Fiat-owned Ferrari, especially since the two business units already share a number of drivetrain components. If that's the case, the three-pointed Trident brand could potentially get a version of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS for short) that Ferrari showed off on its 599 HY-KERS earlier this week at the Geneva Motor Show.

Word has it that Maserati is also joining Ferrari in its quest to shed a few unwanted pounds on its automobiles, which will have dual benefits for both brands - namely, improvements in both performance and fuel efficiency. Now there's a win-win scenario if we've ever heard one.

[Source: Inside Line]

Maserati to follow Ferrari down path of hybrid sportscars? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Preview: Ferrari to show off 599 Hybrid, production model planned

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari

Ferrari 599XX - Click above for a high-res image gallery

News of an impending hybrid from Ferrari is nothing new, but now we appear to have an actual date when the Italian supercar manufacturer plans to show such a vehicle in an official setting. And it's coming soon, during the first week of March at the Geneva Motor Show, says Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo.

The announcement came during the unveiling of Ferrari's new F10 Formula One car, which seems appropriate as it was during the 2009 F1 season when Ferrari first began using its Kinetic Energy Recovery System - a kind of hybrid technology that captures energy normally lost to braking in a flywheel - in actual competition... with mixed results, of course.

We can't say for sure what kind of hybrid setup Ferrari will show off in its 599 super hybrid, but something similar in principle to the race-bred KERS seems like a distinct possibility, and we know the automaker has been dabbling in all-wheel-drive hybrids as well. In any case, Ferrari promises a production hybrid vehicle in the near future. Stay tuned.

Gallery: Ferrari 599XX

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

Geneva Preview: Ferrari to show off 599 Hybrid, production model planned originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: FIA President Jean Todt to push forward with green F1 technology

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, BMW, Ferrari, Racing

Says Jean Todt, newly-appointed president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), "I am convinced that we absolutely must reflect the environment with new technologies." With that statement, it would appear that at least some of the direction of former FIA president Max Mosley will stay intact.

Mosley had championed a number of green efforts at the top run of the motorsports ladder, not the least of which were hybrid drivetrains in the form of the controversial Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Though most teams dropped their KERS units in 2009 and none plan to use them in 2010, the technology will likely make the transition to road use within the next few years, probably starting with BMW and Ferrari.

Other changes designed to make F1 racing more accessible to new teams may include spending caps and budget restraints, though it would seem that may clash with the desire to be more environmentally friendly. We'll be watching.

[Source: Inside Line | Photo: Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty]

Report: FIA President Jean Todt to push forward with green F1 technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari reportedly confirms all-wheel drive hybrid system

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Ferrari, Rumormill

Ferrari 612 replacement test mule - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's long been suspected that Ferrari was hard at work developing a hybrid powertrain for its line of supercars and grand touring machines, especially since a series of patents were unearthed proving that the Italian automaker had at least sketched plans for such a system. Still, Ferrari had never confirmed such rumors.

That is until now, at least according to Autocar. An unnamed source tells the British magazine that the hybrid drivetrain will debut on the next-gen 612 (could the recently-spotted long-wheelbase 612 be a hybrid mule?) with a pair of torque-laden electric motors that will be connected to the front wheels. Ferrari's traditional V12 or possibly a turbocharged V8 engine would send power to the GT car's rear wheels.

As befitting an automobile wearing the coveted Prancing Horse badge, Ferrari is said to be using the system to benefit handling and not to improve fuel efficiency. Whatever the case, we'll surely know more by 2014 or so when Ferrari is actually expected to have the hybrid ready for production.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti replacement mule

[Source: Autocar]

Ferrari reportedly confirms all-wheel drive hybrid system originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari CEO outlines green plan, hybrid concept could debut at LA show

Noah Joseph — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Green, Supercars, Ferrari, Electric

Ferrari F430 Spider Bio-Fuel at NAIAS 2008 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

While 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]

Ferrari CEO outlines green plan, hybrid concept could debut at LA show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patent search confirms Ferrari working on all-wheel drive hybrid

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Green, Supercars, Ferrari

Ferrari all-wheel-drive hybrid patent images - Click above for an image gallery

We've known for quite some time that Ferrari was working on a hybrid sportscar, so it's not too surprising to see these patents for a new all-wheel-drive vehicle with hybrid propulsion filed by Ferrari back in February. The Italian automaker's documents suggest that this particular design is intended to "improve the drivability of a sports car in conditions of poor grip," not necessarily to improve the vehicle's overall environmental friendliness.

Ferrari outlines four possible ways it could introduce its hybrid technology and illustrates the design with six individual diagrams, which you can see below. In each of these possible designs, one set of wheels would be powered by the car's internal combustion engine through a locking differential, while the other set of wheels would be motivated by either a single electric motor or by two smaller in-wheel electric motors.

Ferrari believes a system such as this could provide the advantages of all-wheel drive while keeping the weight low and allowing the driver to choose standard rear-wheel drive when desirable. Of course, depending on the on-board batteries and electronics used in such a system, the car could potentially be powered solely on electricity under certain circumstances, reducing fuel consumption and lowering overall emissions. Click here to see the actual patent filing and check out the images in our gallery below.

Gallery: Ferrari all-wheel-drive hybrid patent images

[Source: European Patent Office via Autocar]

Patent search confirms Ferrari working on all-wheel drive hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 May 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confirmed: Ferrari testing hybrid powertrain in 599 prototype

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:39:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Green, Supercars, Ferrari

Click above for high-res gallery of the Ferrari 599XX

One of the stated reasons that automakers send prototype race cars around tracks at high rates of speed is to further the development of new technology for their road-going automobiles. There's no higher form of automotive motorsport than Formula 1, so it stands to reason that fuel-saving advancements like the kinetic energy recovery hybrid systems that F1 is currently in the midst of implementing will someday make it to production cars. According to Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the Italian automaker is already testing its KERS system in a prototype based on the 599 chassis.

There's some speculation that the ~~Dale Earnhardt edition~~ 599XX at the Geneva Motor Show may have some form of the KERS system installed, but that's not confirmed. With this technology, energy that would otherwise be lost to braking can be stored and reused the next time the vehicle accelerates, thereby boosting both performance and efficiency, and that's something we can all get behind.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Ferrari 599xx

[Source: Motor Authority]

Confirmed: Ferrari testing hybrid powertrain in 599 prototype originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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