While the intertubes are abuzz with Lamborghini's announcement of a comprehensive carbon emissions reduction plan, arch-rival Ferrari is keen to show it's keeping pace as the company's CEO has reportedly indicated the direction Maranello is heading with regards to its greenification.

Two approaches that Ferrari chief executive Amadeo Felisa confirmed the company is looking into include turbocharging and E85 bio-ethanol. Regarding the former, Felisa assures that the weight of Ferrari's technical know-how will be thrown into ensuring that turbocharged engines retain Ferrari's trademark high-revving feel, while he revealed that the ECU on the company's latest model, the California, is already ready to burn E85. Beyond turbos and corn-fuel, Felisa also revealed that they're working on a hybrid concept, likely to incorporate the F1-derived KERS regenerative braking system, to debut at an upcoming auto show in the United States following the Frankfurt show in September where Ferrari is expected to debut the replacement for the F430 line. Sources suggest Los Angeles as a strong possibility for the hybrid Ferrari's debut.


[Source: Car and Driver]

We've known for quite some time that Ferrari was working on a hybrid sportscar, so it's not too surprising to see these patents for a new four-wheel-drive vehicle with hybrid propulsion filed by Ferrari back in February. The Italian automaker's documents suggest that this particular design is intended to "improve the drivability of a sports car in conditions of poor grip," not necessarily to improve the vehicle's overall environmental friendliness.

Ferrari outlines four possible ways it could introduce its hybrid technology and illustrates the design with six individual diagrams, which you can see below. In each of these possible designs, one set of wheels would be powered by the car's internal combustion engine through a locking differential, while the other set of wheels would be motivated by either a single electric motor or by two smaller in-wheel electric motors.

Ferrari believes a system such as this could provide the advantages of all-wheel drive while keeping the weight low and allowing the driver to choose standard rear-wheel drive when desirable. Of course, depending on the on-board batteries used in such a system, the car could potentially be powered solely on electricity under certain circumstances, reducing fuel consumption and lowering overall emissions. Click here to see the actual patent filing and check out the images in our gallery below.


[Source: European Patent Office via Autocar]

Ferrari has just unleashed some fresh details about its ridiculously powerful 599XX prototype, and there's nary a hint of hybrid terminology. The Italian supercar manufacturer only says that its track car puts out 700 horsepower at a stratospheric 9,000 RPM. Regardless, the internet rumormill still suggests that the car's future development will include road-going versions of the kinetic energy recovery system that Ferrari is currently running in the Formula 1 racing series – without much success up to this point, we may add.

Even in lieu of hybrid componentry, Ferrari is still seeking to improve the efficiency of its future supercars through the use of lightweight materials like carbon fiber. This composite material is used extensively on the 599XX prototype, including for its outer body panels, engine intake plenums and brake pads. Also new is an adjustable "ActiflowT" system that can vary downforce and drag, which could be a boon for both performance and efficiency. See the full press release after the break.



[Source: Ferrari]

One of the stated reasons that automakers send prototype race cars around tracks at high rates of speed is to further the development of new technology for their road-going automobiles. There's no higher form of automotive motorsport than Formula 1, so it stands to reason that fuel-saving advancements like the kinetic energy recovery hybrid systems that F1 is currently in the midst of implementing will someday make it into production cars. According to Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the Italian automaker is in fact testing its KERS system in a prototype based on the 599 chassis.

There's some speculation that the Dale Earnhardt edition 599XX at the Geneva Motor Show may have some form of the KERS system installed, but that's not confirmed. With this technology, energy that would otherwise be lost to braking can be stored and reused the next time the vehicle accelerates, thereby boosting both performance and efficiency, and that's something we can all get behind.


[Source: Motor Authority]

In the past year, Italian high performance icon Ferrari has increasingly showed signs of succumbing to the pressures of the modern world of transportation. At the Detroit Auto Show in January, the Ferrari displayed what was labeled as an E85-fueled F430 Spyder and last year showed a mock up of a lightweight concept dubbed MilleChile. Speaking to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo once again proclaimed the company's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption.

Montezemolo declared that a road-going hybrid Ferrari would be on the market by 2015 and the company intended to reduce CO₂ emissions by 40 percent by 2012. Bringing technology from race programs to the road is nothing new for Ferrari. This is a company that truly lives the motto "Racing improves the breed." From advanced variable intake systems to automated manual transmissions, Ferrari road cars feed the Formula One program with cash and feed off the advancements. The latest is the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) being developed for the F1 cars. KERS is a regenerative braking system and it's not known is if Ferrari is planning to use a flywheel-based system or electrical energy storage. Either, way Montezemolo has committed to maintaining the character of Ferrari while making the cars cleaner at the same time.


[Source: AFP via Sydney Morning Herald]

News comes from Maranello this morning that Ferrari has announced a new concept which promises to take the iconic Italian automaker down greener pastures. The FXX Millechili is supposed to be eco-friendly. No word yet on what exactly that means, but I am sure that as soon as more is known about the concept vehicle, we will let you know.

Perhaps you remember the name Millechili from a previous concept. Way back in '05 the concept was one of four winners of the Ferrari's New Concepts of the Myth Contest. Click here for a bit of history on that. Ferrari has not made any official pictures of their new concept available as of yet, but perhaps it will bear a resemblance to the '05 version pictured above.

The best news to fans of the marque is likely to be that the performance credentials of the vehicle are said to be intact. Wild guesses regarding the technology or performance figures are, of course, welcome. Ethanol? Hybrid?

[Source: Ferrari via car Magazine Online via Hugg, thanks Linton!]