Speculation about the 2013 Ferrari output abounds. The luxury carmaker is keeping a tight secret of the successor to the limited-run Enzo hypercar as a marketing tool. As anticipation builds, we will have to wait until the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, to be held next March, to see the new car unveiled. The new model is rumored to be ready to become the fastest Ferrari ever with a twist; it is a hybrid.
During the 2012 edition of the Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo told Automotive News Europe that before the end of this year, potential costumers will have the chance to see the new Enzo Ferrari, and added that the company wants to “surprise people not just in terms of price but also with the car itself”. The Enzo replacement, dubbed F70 will satisfy everyone’s political correctness and will allow the lucky drivers to have their cake and eat it too. The new hybrid has a combustion engine that links to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. On the backside of the transmission, we’ll find a high-power traction motor, which adds power to the engine. Attached to it there will be an auxiliary generator that charges the batteries as needed. On top of the transmission we’ll see the hybrid power unit with two inverters and a smart cooling system.
The external dimensions of the new prototype seem wider than its predecessor. The wheels are modeled after the FF wheel, and it is rumored that the new model will be able to generate power up to 920 hp. The great strength comes from a combination of a gasoline engine and two electric motors, one mounted to the gearbox driving the rear wheels, and the other used for auxiliary power systems like steering and climate control batteries with all the electronics that control them.
The gas engine capacity of 6.3 liter V12 cylinder configuration is capable of reaching 800 hp, with the other 120 hp coming from the electric machine. With the help of a body weight of roughly 2,500 pounds, the F70 can reach acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds, beating Bugatti for the top position as the world’s fastest standard production car. Also as can be expected with an Enzo, there is ample F1 technology under the surface.
The car will be available in just a few months, and car enthusiasts are already whetting their green appetites for the novelty of owning a gas saving Ferrari. Apparently green is the new red, and Ferrari plans to continue to implement the F1 derived HY-KERS hybrid technology in future models in order to comply with strict emission standards both in the US and in Europe. ■
