After three top models with a V12 engine, Ferrari is now cutting away half of the cylinders. Because it is 'better', says the explanation from Maranello.
Ferrari's new top model, the F80, has been equipped with a V6 engine, marking a farewell to the V12 engine that has otherwise been found in the three latest flagships from Maranello.
This decision has already caused quite a bit of debate as several Ferrari fans had expected another V12 engine. But at the factory, the choice fell on a much smaller engine.
In an interview with Auto Express, Ferrari's marketing manager Enrico Galliera has defended and explained why the big V12 engine is now gone.
– We asked ourselves whether we should use the most iconic engine (the V12, ed.) or the most powerful (the V6, ed.), and we decided to choose the latter.
– This is something we have always done with our supercars, namely to choose the technically best unloading at the time in question, says Galliera.
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However, the marketing chief's words stand in stark contrast to what Ferrari's design chief Flavio Manzoni thought and said at the end of last year.
At the time, he defended the decision to continue with a naturally aspirated V12 engine in the successor to the 812 Superfast. The car we now know as the 12Cilindri.
– A V8 turbo engine could improve performance. But from an emotional perspective, this is the best you can get.
In addition to the choice of a V6, Ferrari has also ruled out using a plug-in hybrid or all-electric powertrain in the F80.
After careful consideration, it was concluded that a V6 hybrid was and is the technically best solution for the F80.
It also indicates that Ferrari's first all-electric car, which is expected to hit the roads in 2025, is likely not to be a hypercar, but rather a more practical model.
Early tests of this car have been spotted with a modified Maserati Levante body and it looks like it will have a simulated V8 engine sound. Read more about it here.
Despite the decision to reduce the number of cylinders, it has not deterred buyers. All 799 examples of the F80 were sold out before its official presentation, despite a price tag of 3.6 million euros.
For those who would rather have a V12 engine out front, Ferrari still offers models such as the 12Cilindri and certain limited editions in the brand's Icona series on the program.
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