Better aerodynamics, tires with less rolling resistance, structures combining carbon-fiber with aluminum, carbon-fiber suspensions from F1, hybrids for the racetrack and street and turbo charging with direct injection and ion sensing for more efficient combustion. Those are some of the technologies Ferrari's looking at to make its cars more fuel efficient without sacrificing requisite performance. It's part of a white paper the company put out, which outlines the future tech in its street and F1 race cars. The company presented it in Maranello yesterday, as it rolled out the brilliantly confounding "FXX Millechili" concept in lightweight plastic and cardboard. And if you were expecting a Ferrari hybrid, you'll have to wait until Formula One follows through with a proposal to bring them to the track.
Excerpt from Ferrari's "Technological Innovation Workshop"
DOWNSIZING
The best way to improve fuel economy is downsizing, which means reducing throttling and
mechanical losses at the same time (and, if everything works properly, reducing power train
weight and volume too).
Ferrari is very active in this field, and is working on turbo charging with direct injection and
ion sensing. The advantage with regard to fuel economy / CO2 rating is 15 % for the same
level of performance. The challenge is to have a turbocharged GDI engine with a very wide
operating range, a strong feature of Ferrari's current NA engines.
ENERGY STORAGE AND HYBRIDS
Ferrari has been working closely with the FIA on the defi nition of the new F1 technical
regulations which will allow Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems as early as 2009.
This system is being developed at the time being for our F1 car, and should be track-tested
for the fi rst time in the next 6 months. The system will store kinetic energy during braking,
then use the stored energy in overtaking.
A very similar system, using the same type of components, is also being designed for a road
car. The development schedule should be similar, and we expect this system will provide a
boost for high performance launch or overtaking, with improved fuel mileage.
Preview of Ferrari's future technology [Motor Authority]
Related:
Paper-Doll Enzo : Ferrari Reveals Cardboard Concept [internal]