Implausible though it may sound, Ferrari is serious about hybrids. So serious in fact that Luca di Montezemolo, its president, says every Ferrari will be available with hybrid power within four years, cutting the company’s overall emissions by 35% in the process.
The Ferrari 599 hybrid is the first step down this road, and while it will take a further three years to make it to the showrooms, it’s likely to be worth the wait. Its electric motor puts out 100bhp, boosting outright power to 720bhp from the standard car’s 620bhp, yet because its lithium batteries are flat and slung beneath the floor of the car, space inside the cockpit and boot remains unaffected.
Ferrari is not giving performance figures but, even with the batteries’ weight taken into account, the extra power and, in particular, torque of the hybrid system should cut the 0-60mph time to little more than three seconds and raise the top speed past 210mph.
