Gautam Sharma•26 Jun 2014
NEWS
Ferrari to adopt all-turbo/hybrid powertrains
Maranello carmaker has accepted the inevitable by moving away from traditional atmo enginesFerrari has long touted the merits of naturally aspirated engines – hardly surprising, since the California T (pictured) is the brand's first force-fed model since the 1980s F40 – but now the prancing horse has confirmed all its future powertrains will be either turbocharged or hybrids.
As part of the company's target to cut its fleet carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2021 – while simultaneously boosting performance to keep up with rival supercars – the Maranello carmaker will adopt turbocharging for its V8 engines and hybrid systems on its V12s, according to Ferrari Powertrain Director Vittorio Dini.
"Our average CO2 emissions are currently about 270 grams of CO2 per kilometre. We want to use all the available technologies to reduce emissions by 3 per cent each year, which means approximately a 20 per cent decrease by 2021," Dini told Automotive News Europe.
Although Ferrari has been saying for years that only a naturally aspirated engine could provide the throttle response and sonic signature synonymous with the brand, the company has now accepted the inevitable and followed the likes of McLaren, BMW M, Mercedes AMG and Audi RS by bolting turbos or supplementary electric motors to some of its powerplants.
In the case of the recently launched California T, it gained a power boost to 412kW (up 14 per cent) and torque hike to 755Nm (+56 per cent) by downsizing its V8 from 4.3 to 3.8 litres and strapping on a pair of turbos. More importantly, the new motor is claimed to cut fuel consumption by 15 per cent.
The California T is just the first phase of the V8 turbo rollout, with the 458 Italia's replacement set to follow suit.
"In the future, all of our V8s will use turbos," Dini told ANE.
However, the approach will be slightly different for the V12 models (currently comprising the FF and F12), which will adopt hybrid solutions, as per the low-volume LaFerrari.
The 499-unit-only LaFerrari derives propulsion from an atmo 6.3-litre V12 that thrashes out 588kW, and this is further boosted by an electric motor that ekes out an additional 120kW.
However, the really telling stat is that the LaFerrari emits 330g/km of CO2, while the Enzo that preceded it was a certified enviro-vandal with emissions of 545g/km.
Dini says the reason Ferrari is opting for hybrids over turbocharging for its V12 models is that no less than four turbos would be required to get the requisite outputs – and this wouldn't be feasible due to space constraints and excessive heat build-up in the engine bay,
As part of its five-year plan, Ferrari will continue to cap annual production around the 7000-unit mark, but it will launch a new model or edition every year up to 2018.
The prancing horse will also bolster its bottom line through its lucrative merchandising outlets and customising operations that include the Tailor-Made Program, Carrozzeria Scaglietti, One-to-One, and Special Projects divisions.
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Written byGautam Sharma
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