Ferrari previews Enzo successor's V12 HY-KERS powertrain

Go back just a few years ago, and you'd easily conclude that Ferrari and hybrids would go together about as well as ice cream and pickles. But a lot's changed since then, and Ferrari is making no secret of the fact that it's developing hybrid powertrains of its own.

The first system it developed is the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a type of regenerative braking device developed with its sister company, Magneti Marelli, for use in Formula One. That lead to a similar system installed in an experimental version of the 599 called the HY-KERS concept displayed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. More recently reports surfaced that Ferrari had patented a more conventional hybrid powertrain system, leading to speculation that the KERS type had been abandoned for road-car use – most poignantly in the upcoming successor to the Enzo. But while Ferrari apparently pursues development of that more conventional hybrid system, it appears that its next mid-engined V12 hypercar will adopt an evolution of the HY-KERS system displayed on that green 599 two years back.

A revised HY-KERS system has just been announced by Ferrari at the Beijing Auto Show, where the Prancing Horse also marked the Asian debut of its new F12 Berlinetta. Ferrari says the new system – installed on a V12 engine mounted amidship – is more effective than the one that preceded it, bringing emissions down to 40 percent of what a conventional engine with the same output would produce (compared to a 30 percent reduction from the previous incarnation), all while bringing engineers closer to their target of producing one kilowatt of energy for every kilogram of weight the system adds.

As for the F12, Ferrari has revealed that its latest supercar set a lap time at Fiorano of one minute, 23 seconds, making it the company's quickest road car yet: a full second quicker than the 599 GTO it replaces, and about two seconds quicker than the Enzo, the 458 Italia and the 430 Scuderia. With that kind of progress, we can count on the new hybrid V12 hypercar to set an even quicker time still.

Source and Video:
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/23/f...rtrain-w-vide/

 

One beastly powertrain that's for sure

 

very interested in seeing the final output and other info

 

I can't wait to see the final outcome. Gotta love engineering like this

 

I know Ferrari is not obsessed with top speed but I still think they will going for the Veyron record with the F70. They dont want anyone to beat them at anything

 

i dont think ferrari will bother much with Buggati's throne since KERs is more about acceleration than top speed as you've hinted at
but it will need to defend itself well against the likes of Koeningsegg and Noble
and perhaps McLaren if they decide to make a flagship F1 successor

 

I thinkt he McLaren F1 replacement is going to be one bad *** machine. They had an insane top speed record with the F1 so I think McLaren will go for it and that will prompt Ferrari to go for it. Back in the day the F1 was beyond anything Ferrari had on the road

 

KERS ftw....basically like a turbo boost.....

 

Gonna be sick for sure!! But yeah, I think the top speed fad is kind of put aside and topped by the "Eco" side of things now...