Admittedly, the words "Ferrari" and "V6" don't really go hand-in-hand, unless we're talking about the old Dino sports cars or sick 3VZ-FE-swapped MR2s with body kits to make them look like F355s. But as every automaker's engines get smaller and turbo-y-er, Ferrari is said to be mulling V6 power as an option on their 458 Italia successor.
The UK's CAR magazine, your number one source for slightly-better-than-Australian-grade auto rumors, reports that Maranello's skunkworks division is apparently at work on a 2.9-liter twin turbo V6 with something like 500 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque.
After all, in this era where everyone has to downsize in the name of emissions and fuel economy, but hardly at the expense of horsepower, how can we expect Ferrari do any less?
CAR says that this possible V6 turbo engine will be for more affordable cars (relatively speaking, of course) in growth markets like China, and for making sure their cars comply with the rules they need to comply with. They also say that the 458 Italia's successor could be split into two models, one with a V8 and a smaller car with the V6. For funsies, they call it a 456. Heck, maybe it will even get a manual!
There might even be a case for reviving the good old manual gearbox which could, in the 456, be a DCT-derived seven-speeder similar to the cogworks installed in the base 911.
Imagine that: an entry-level, lighter, cheaper Ferrari V6, with a manual click-clack open gearbox and CO2 emissions potentially nudging under 200g/km. Makes you think, doesn't it?
I'd love to live in a world where that's a reality, but I'll believe it when I see it.
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