Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne has confirmed the company is fully committed to V12 engines.
Despite increasing environmental and legislative pressure, Marchionne told Autocar “We will always offer a V12.” The executive went on to rule out a smaller displacement turbocharged unit by saying the company’s engine boss told him it would be “absolutely nuts” to put a turbocharger on a V12 engine.
Instead, Marchionne says the company’s future V12 engine will be naturally aspirated and feature a hybrid system. However, he insists the hybrid system isn’t designed to improve fuel efficiency but rather to “improve the performance on the track.”
Ferrari isn’t a stranger to hybrid technology as the company introduced the 599 Hybrid concept in 2010 and then unveiled the LaFerrari and FXX K a few years later. More recent models such as the 812 Superfast are more eco-friendly than their predecessors thanks to improvements in engine technology as well as the addition of an engine start/stop system.
Ferrari’s status as an independent automaker is slated to help them in the future as the company’s Chief Technology Officer Michael Leiters explained the “small manufacturers’ agreement allows us to continue” to use V12 engines. However, he admitted future fuel-economy and emission requirements will be a challenge but the hybrid system will enable the company to hit the required targets.
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