Ferrari experimenting with four-cylinder engines

Ferrari has submitted a new patent with the European Patent Office that suggests it is secretly developing a new family of four-cylinder petrol engines that come equipped with a state-of-the-art electric turbocharger.

According to the patent, discovered by Autoguide.com, instead of a traditional exhaust-gas driven turbocharger the Ferrari four incorporates neat exhaust ducts that drive a turbine to generate and store electricity.

That energy is then used to power both an electric motor that drives the wheels and an electric-driven compressor that forces air into the engine, boosting power like a traditional turbocharger.

As well as reducing lag compared to a traditional turbo, according to the Ferrari patent the Italian car-maker has developed a novel way of improving the exhaust sound.

The faster the compressor spins, says the Italian car-maker, the more high-pitched the exhaust note is.

The same compressor can also be finely adjusted at any given engine speed for a more pleasing exhaust sound.

The other advantage of being able to control and alter the exhaust pitch is that performance is unaffected by the generator's speed, says Ferrari.

The potential return to a four-cylinder engine could prove too much for some Ferrari aficionados, but back in the 1950s the humble piston count was used to power some of the marque's most famous F1 race cars of the period.

Another possibility is Ferrari will scale the technology for V6, V8 and V12 offerings, enabling the car-maker to pass forthcoming stringent emission regulations without relying on full-hybrid powertrains.