The times, they are a changin’, and even Ferrari is being dragged into the hybrid scene. During the debut of Ferrari’s 2010 F10 Formula 1 car, CEO Luca de Montezemolo revealed that a production-ready hybrid version of the 599 would be coming to Geneva. Today we have a preview image of the car leaked to the Web.
The 599 Hybrid is still cloaked in mystery, but previous rumors of the car’s Geneva Motor Show debut broke last December, following confirmation last June that a hybrid was in testing. The details dropped then indicate the 599 will keep its V12 engine, and add a road-going version of the KERS system Ferrari developed–and has now dropped–for F1. It’s not clear if the 599 will employ the all-wheel-drive system leaked last summer, but it seems likely.
The benefit is expected to be a 30-percent improvement in fuel economy, from a miserable (but understandable, given the 450 kW output) 27 l/100km to a slightly more tolerable 17 l/100km. Considering the average Ferrari only sees a few thousand kilometers per year, however, this is more an exercise in high-tech engineering than in fuel savings.
Also announced this week 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 homologated to any major safety standards, it is reserved for off-highway use only.
