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
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