Sports car manufacturer Ferrari S.p.A. will be releasing a limited edition hybrid electric «supercar,» the F70, which is also touted as the companys most powerful and most expensive model.
A report from Bloomberg Businessweek says the vehicle might surpass the $850,000 limited edition Enzo, the eighth most expensive Ferrari, in terms of price, and is seen as successor to the line.
The F70 is part of a wave of green «supercars» from high-end manufacturers including Germany’s Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen subsidiary Bentley and Japan’s Lexus and Acura.
The hybrid Ferrari will be powered by HY-KERS hybrid technology developed for the company’s Formula One team, where the electric motors deliver about an extra 100 horsepower to the wheels by operating through one of the gearbox’s two clutches. This enables transferring power instantaneously between the 12-cylinder engine and the electric motor.
Compared with conventional supercars, the F70 will be giving its drivers 40 percent savings in fuel economy, or an additional nine miles to the gallon.
The changes in propulsion, the report said, will actually allow the cars to go even faster without requiring a larger main engine with the added supplementary electric motors.
Fabio Barone, president of the Passione Rossa owners’ club, said the new supercar may have more than 900 hp.
Porsche recently finished a series of trials of the world’s first plug-in hybrid supercar, the 770-horsepower 918 Spyder, earlier this month. It has a fuel consumption of 78 miles per gallon. Production is scheduled for September 2013.
The carmaker is also set to roll out hybrid versions of its Panamera sedan and Cayenne sports-utility vehicle next year.
Meanwhile, Toyota subsidiary Lexus is leading all luxury-car makers with five hybrid vehicles, while Mercedes-Benz is selling a hybrid version of the S-Class and a diesel-electric version of the E-class.
BMW is set to release its plug-in hybrid, the i8, in 2014, while Bentley plans on making a plug-in hybrid version to its upcoming $200,000 to $250,000 sports utility vehicle.
A concept of the new version of Acura’s NSX shows that it will offer hybrid power with a V6 engine, and is expected to go on sale by 2015.
The Fiat subsidiary’s first hybrid vehicle will go on sale next year, with the U.S. being seen as its largest market. Like the Enzo, the F70 will only be produced in limited numbers, and the price has yet to be determined.
EcoSeed – N.P. Arboleda
