Dino 246 GT
You don’t buy a Ferrari expecting the latest in green technology, but there are signs of environmentally friendly evolution in Maranello.
Not only did Ferrari’s chief executive, Amedeo Felisa, spoke to the British press, he has had several things to say such as that V-6 cars could be in the company’s future and asked about the possibility of V-6-powered Ferraris by Autocar, Mr. Felisa said, “If I had to answer the question a year ago I would have said no, but attitudes are changing and we build cars for customers.” He has said to Autocar in the U.K. saying in regards to the hybridized 599 that the automaker has been testing for quite some time:
“The technology is not ready. The suppliers are not ready. Everything is underdeveloped. There is a lot of work to so. It is not for tomorrow. We haven’t decided when [it will be introduced]. It will be around 2015, but not before five years.”
Luca di Montezemolo, the company’s chairman, also announced recently that it was bringing a hybrid version of the 599 GTB to the 80th Geneva International Motor Show, which runs from March 4-14, 2010. He described the hybrid as “a great path towards the future.”
A Ferrari 599 hybrid model has been in testing for about one year. The vehicle is showing a 25 percent reduction in fuel consumption but that comes with an increase in weight. While a Ferrari hybrid is going to have a smaller impact on the environment, at its core it is still a Ferrari, and Ferraris are known for their performance. This increase in weight may be a deal breaker for Ferrari enthusiasts.
Amedeo Felisa explains that the Italian supercar manufacturer has no plans to introduce electric cars, saying:
“If you look at global warming, the right solution is not full electric. It’s more a marketing solution than a real one. Sound, in the form of a rich exhaust roar, is important to Ferrari,” he said, and the company “will not make engine sounds with speakers.”
The V-6 car, anathema to purists, is probably not imminent – Mr. Felisa said, “In 20 years, who can say?” – but a Ferrari hybrid is definitely coming, though there’s no assurance it will ever see production.
Matteo Sardi, Ferrari North America spokesman, said: “It is going to be a prototype, and it will appear in Geneva. We absolutely think ahead of everybody in technology research, and a hybrid is in line with that.”
The last time Ferrari built a V6 (also used in Fiats and Lancias) was with the Dino 246 (pictured above) that went out of production in over a quarter century ago. The Dino is, however, fondly remembered as a classic, despite its relatively small engine.
The hybrid has long been rumored, especially since the company patented a “four-wheel-drive system with hybrid propulsion a year ago. In that concept, the gas engine and electric motor drive the front or rear wheels separately. In practice, according to Motor Authority, that could enable the driver to switch between rear-and four-wheel-drive, and enable brief spurts of battery-only power. And that, the site said, “will vastly improve Ferrari’s carbon footprint and position in the eyes of environmentalists.”
What do you think of a Ferrari hybrid or a Ferrari with a V-6 engine?
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Source: wheels.blogs.nytimes.com, green.autoblog.com, autoblog.com and mnn.com
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- Ferrari 599 GTB hybrid to be displayed in Geneva
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- Another Rumor About a Ferrari Hybrid
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