Ferrari V12s Will Use Hybrids But Not Turbos

Ferrari J50 (Credit: © Ferrari )

Sergio Marchionne doesn’t just work hard at trying to fix Fiat Chrysler up with other automakers, he also is CEO of Ferrari. The exotic automaker spun off FCA a little while back, and is doing quite well, surprising nobody.

Anyway, after Marchionne threw out marrying FCA and Volkswagen together, then retracted that craziness, he made a bold declaration about Ferrari: no future V12 models will use forced induction.

The fact he’s dedicated to continue making V12s is more impressive than whether or not they’ll be naturally aspirated. It seems everyone’s downsizing engines these days, cutting cylinders while slimming down displacement.

We all know cramming more air into cylinders, or forcing induction, with a turbo, supercharger or nitrous is “cheating.”

Instead of doing that, Marchionne admitted future Ferrari V12s will be hybrids, because that’s not cheating in any way. Mating the engine to an electric motor with immediate peak torque delivery is completely not cheating. Yeah.

We can expect to see the first non-limited-run hybrid Ferrari in about two years, according to The Drive, which spoke with Marchionne in Geneva.

Don’t worry, if you want a turbocharged Ferrari, the company will keep pairing snails with V8s, so there’s that. Just don’t hold your breath for a manual transmission on any new Ferrari.