Ferrari defends turbo

Ferrari has defended its move to turbocharging and says it has the answers to keep its signature V12 even in the face of tightening global emissions regulations.

The Prancing Horse has long touted the advantages of its naturally aspirated V8 and V12 engines, but the facelifted California T emerged last year as the first force-fed Ferrari since the 1980s F40, powered by a downsized twin-turbo V8.

That trend continues with the 488 GTB – essentially a facelifted version of the 458 Italia Coupe, although Ferrari says every part but its roof is different – which swaps a 4.5-litre atmo V8 for a 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8.

Like the California T, the 488 GTB is more powerful, quicker and faster than its predecessor, yet more efficient.

Now delivering 492kW of power at 8000rpm and 760Nm of torque at 3000rpm (up 74kW and 220Nm), Ferrari claims the 488 GTB V8 sets a new specific power output (of just over 100kW per litre) for a road-going Ferrari, and sees it sprint to 100km/h in three seconds flat, making it as quick as the old 458 Speciale.

At the same time, thanks in part to idle-stop tech, fuel consumption reduces to 11.4L/100km and CO2 emissions to 260g/km, marking a small step in Ferrari's goal to improve its fleet-average efficiency by 20 per cent by 2021, from 270g/km in 2014.

However, Ferrari also makes much of the new 488 GTB engine's sound and response – two things not traditionally associated with turbo engines – claiming a throttle response time of just 0.8 seconds at 2000rpm in third gear.

"This 3902cc power unit is the Prancing Horse's most high performance engine ever with zero turbo lag and a unique, seductive sound track," says Ferrari.

The red-blooded Italian supercar maker says friction-reducing ball bearing-mounted turbo shafts, low-density titanium-alloy compressor wheels and twin-scroll technology "contribute to the class-leading response time and zero turbo lag".

Asked at the Geneva show exactly how Ferrari measures turbo lag, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa said it was "the time needed for the engine to go from settle condition to 80 per cent of torque".

Ferrari said last year that it will apply turbo technology to all of its V8 engines and electrification to its V12s in the search for greater efficiency, but Felisa would not say which model was next in line for the turbo treatment.

"Turbo is the best efficient solution for the future," he said. "The solution depends on the car – wait and see. We have to go to turbo because of the efficiency."

Felisa ruled out turbocharged 12-cylinder V12 turbo engines, pointing out that force-feeding its existing 544kW 6.3-litre V12 in the F12 Berlinetta "does not make sense".

“To move a 12-cylinder to a turbo is something we can do, but that means we are more than 1000 horsepower on the cars... that means stupid.”

He indicated that improving the technical efficiency of the V12 via hybridisation “is what we are trying to do”.

“Twelve cylinders for me is one of the best Ferrari engines. In some ways V12 is an iconic engine for Ferrari. We have to defend that."

Asked if Ferrari would fit V8 and V12 engines in the same model, Felisa indicated just such a move could occur by the end of this year.

It has been reported that Ferrari is also investigating the move to electric turbocharging and it's possible next year's facelifted FF could emerge with an e-turbocharged 520kW V8 and/or an electrically-assisted V12.

Next year Ferrari is also expected to announce a revised F12 with even more power and, in 2017, an all-new California. The Italian supercar maker has conceded that some models may be powered by a downsized turbo V6 by 2020, leading to speculation the latter could appear with a base model powered by a 370kW 2.9-litre V6, perhaps with twin e-turbo tech.

European manufacturers will be required to meet a fleet-average CO2 figure of 95g/km by about 2020, but it's not yet clear what targets low-volume car makers like Ferrari will be forced to meet.

Either way, Felisa believes his engineers will find ways to keep the V12 in production until at least that time.

“2020 means six years. We have time to find new solutions.”

The CEO of Ferrari parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Sergio Marchionne was optimistic the Prancing Horse's V8 and V12 models will meet future emissions mandates.

"Historically Ferrari is understood by the regulators to be a small-volume manufacturer... so Ferrari will not be subject to the same regulations as FCA. It will stand on its own.

"My expectation is the V12 will continue to form part of the range, based on what I know today. [But] the V12 won't be a significant part of the driver of [sales] volume for Ferrari."

Marchionne would not be drawn on the possibility of additional models such as a convertible version of Ferrari's limited-edition LaFerrari hybrid hypercar flagship, but said: "The structure of the [Ferrari model] portfolio itself won't change. The cars will change, but the structure won't."

On the controversial subject of Ferrari production, which was believed to be a sticking point between him and former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, Marchionne said Ferrari would always ensure that customer demand exceeds supply, effectively guaranteeing that waiting lists of up to two years will continue.

Before his departure, di Montezemolo last year said Ferrari would cap annual production at about 7000 cars to maintain exclusivity, but Marchionne later said Ferrari could sell up to 15,000 cars a year thanks to the growth in emerging markets like China.

Marchionne has previously denied reports he wants to increase production to 10,000 per annum and sidestepped questions about exact sales forecasts in Geneva yesterday, when he said Ferrari will build "One car less than the market will take".