Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

In addition to unveiling the new 2010 Ferrari F10 Formula 1 car, CEO Luca di Montezemolo used last Thursday morning’s press conference to briefly announce a hybrid version of the company’s 599 GTB Fiorano that will be shown in March at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Though the car at the show will be a prototype, the hybrid 599 is in fact destined for production. The car will be based on technology developed by Ferrari’s F1 team. It is designed by Pininfarina. Rumors of a hybrid Ferrari based on the Ferrari 599 GTB, which debuted at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, have long been making the rounds.

“It has to be the avant-garde in automobile technology. We’re constructing cars with an enormous part of the innovative technology. We’ll present a 599 hybrid in Geneva, which will represent a great path towards the future,” Ferrari Luca di Montezemolo said in Maranello, Italy, at the presentation of the 2010 Formula One Ferrari.

Ferrari filings with the European Patent Office for a “4WD system with hybrid propulsion” were reported last June. Ferrari first disclosed its plan to launch a hybrid to British magazine Autocar also last June, though the company didn’t say when it would first be viewed by the public, but hinted at a release within a year.

The Italian enthusiast magazine Quattroruote first reported last December that the car would be unveiled to the public in Geneva.

At the announcement, which seems appropriate as it was during the 2009 F1 season when Ferrari first began using its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS)-a kind of mild hybrid system of sorts that captures energy normally lost to braking in a flywheel-was used in actual competition… with mixed results though.

The hybrid we expect will be fitted with a rear-mounted electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack and a street-going version of the KERS Ferrari developed for-but has since dropped from-its Formula 1 cars.

A KERS system recovers energy at one of the car’s axles, rather than in the brakes like most hybrids. As used in racing, it can actually be a performance enhancement, allowing drivers a temporary power boost for a burst of speed and also permits the 612 hp engine to shut down at stop signs.

The hybrid system will decrease overall fuel consumption from around 8.7 miles per gallon to 11.75 miles per gallon with the battery being recharged while the 599 is decelerating. That is about a 35 percent savings in fuel.

Ferrari has already produced a car that can run on biofuel. The ethanol-gulping F430 debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in January of 2008.

Also at the unveiling of the new F1 car event, di Montezemolo mentioned that the automaker will continue to adapt F1 technology for its street vehicles. Ferrari will also continue to look for ways to improve their car’s efficiency as part of the board’s plan to make the company more sustainable.

It was announced also last week that there is the driving debut of the Ferrari 599XX. Seven owners of the car will have them delivered to Spain’s Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, where they’ll get to drive them for the first time. Upon arriving at the track, the 599XXs will be fitted for their drivers, then the owners will be familiarized with the cars with the aid of individual Ferrari instructors before being let loose on the circuit. Because the 599XX is not approved for any major safety standards, it is reserved for off-highway use only.

What do you think about a Ferrari 599 Hybrid?

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Source: motorauthority.com, worldcarfans.com, blogs.edmunds.com, rumors.automobilemag.com, fwd.five.tv, seekingalpha.com, usnews.rankingsandreviews.com, luxist.com, news.cnet.com, motorcrave.com, and wot.motortrend.com

Ferrari Door Patent

Ferrari is working on a new hinge mechanism to improve entry and exit from its vehicles, according to a patent application the supercar company has submitted.

The patent’s diagrams reveal a door which extends into the front guards, creating a huge opening just behind the front wheel arches. To reduce the external space required when opening, the doors pivot upwards rather than swinging out.

The longer opening is designed to make getting in and out simpler for low-slung sports cars, Ferrari’s patent application states.

Occupants can place their feet right behind the front wheel, meaning less contortion and more leg ‘swing-out’ room.

The new design is adaptable to front, mid and rear-engined cars, with Ferrari’s hallmark long-bonneted styling well suited to the new system.

The patented applications states the hinges will be “easy and cost-effective to make” particularly when compared to gullwing doors, although in the world of supercars cost is less of a concern for customers.

A simpler build process would mean healthier profit margins for the Italian manufacturer.

Already spy shots of the 612 Scaglietti successor are starting to circulate with the shutlines of the proposed new door mechanism clearly absent.

Which new car, if any, will wear the new system in production remains to be seen.

What do you think about the new door opening system by Ferrari?

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Source: themotorreport.com.au

Ferrari engine patent

There are reports coming out that Ferrari has applied for a patent for a turbocharged powerplant. The carmaker has been working on the engine for a number of years and details have come from patent drawings for a hybrid 4×4 system were discovered.

The patent is for a turbocharged internal combustion unit with a V configuration, and even though the number of cylinders wasn’t specified, the renditions point to a V8. There are speculations suggesting that the automaker is also thinking about turbo V6 units. The powerplant uses two equally-sized turbos and is also the downsizing strategy of Ferrari which implies that it will employ smaller powerplants but with the same or more power than the existing naturally-ventilated powerplants. The V engine can fit two turbos better than a single one because they are more efficient by virtue of shorter pipe runs.

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Source: 4wheelsnews.com

Ferrari four-wheel-drive hybrid patent 1-images here and below

We’ve known for awhile that Ferrari was working on a hybrid sportscar, so it’s not much of a surprise to see these patents for a new four-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 reports four possible ways it could present its hybrid technology and shows 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 driven by either a single electric motor or by two smaller in-wheel electric motors.

Ferrari thinks a system such as this could provide the advantages of all-wheel drive while keeping the weight low and allowing the driver to pick standard rear-wheel drive when desirable. Of course, depending on the on-board batteries used in such a system, the car could potentially be powered completely on electricity under certain conditions, reducing fuel consumption and lowering overall emissions.

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Source:autobloggreen.com