Leaked Patents Reveal Ferrari's 4x4 Hybrid Plans

Ferrari's 4x4 hybrid plans leak

By Zack Newmark
May 22, 2009 11:00 PM
Filed Under: European, Ferrari, Hybrid, Leaks

Ferrari has applied for a patent to cover their own version of a hybrid platform, reports Autocar. In their application, they have introduced six different layout options. Each of these has one common thread: an electric motor powers two wheels, with the combustion engine powering the other two.

Actually, that is not entirely accurate. In some situations, Ferrari plans to use two electric motors placed inside the wheels, with the engine powering the other two. According to the magazine, Ferrari's hybrid is not meant to improve fuel economy, but rather to further refine handling.

The magazine quoted the application as saying, "The aim of the present invention is to provide a four-wheel-drive vehicle with hybrid propulsion…and being at the same time easy and inexpensive to produce."

"The four-wheel drive that can be engaged enables the driver of the automobile to decide whether to use the rear drive or the four-wheel drive; in this way, the driver can use the rear drive in optimal conditions of adherence and can use the four- wheel drive in poor conditions of adherence," according to the application. This system is supposed to be lighter weight, without degrading all-out performance full-time.

Autocar speculates that Ferrari would use the system in tandem with a start/stop, almost guaranteeing an improvement in fuel economy. However, installing this system could have the unintended consequence of eliminating a Ferrari hallmark: the roaring sound of the engine heard when a driver takes off from a standstill. One way around this might be to install a start/stop that the driver can switch on when there is nobody around to impress.

Source: autocar

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Comments

termigni

May 22, 2009 11:15 PM

wow awesome!

cyclist848

May 23, 2009 12:10 AM

what is happening to the auto industry? :(

afterace2

May 23, 2009 3:02 AM

please, no, PLEASE...

zeitgeist_md

May 23, 2009 3:11 AM

Ferrari, the innovator, needs to always ahead of her major competitors.

zongcs

May 23, 2009 4:49 AM

worse

joshg_5

May 23, 2009 5:24 AM

This is shear stupidity...

The only way this would be "good" would be if Ferrari somehow incorporated the technology into F1. With a high regard for weight of course, that would be REALLY cool

HUMM3R

May 23, 2009 7:53 AM

fail..... all this green clean BS is ruining cars. first pontiac is abolished now ferrari doing this? we need cars that are just pure cars! petrol burning heaven!

zdenda20

May 23, 2009 8:28 AM

if u buy a ferrari, u dont care about start/stop. U buy it to enjoy it, not to drive it at 2km/h in order to save a liter of fuel

moon-fades

May 23, 2009 10:37 AM

Agree.. not even (usually) to save the planet!!

moon-fades

May 23, 2009 10:34 AM

The green ideas are attacking even the super cars?! I think that's really bad thing. Anyway, who can see that the car makers is going to innovate everything and anything even with the global financial crisis?! who can believe that Ferrari plans to produce a four wheel drive system?! I guess we live in a strange era!!

HEMI426

May 23, 2009 3:32 PM

The pictures don't look very professional. Just because lamborghini has 4x4 doesn't mean that ferrari has to have it to. It's lamborghini that should look at ferrari and give their cars rearwheeldrive, it's stupid that because they are owned by audi their cars should have 4x4, 4x4 is not made for a real sport/supercar!

steelerfan2009

May 23, 2009 7:37 PM

they had all wheel drive way before they were part of audi.

alessandro

May 23, 2009 3:52 PM

This is quit schematic they are shown here! Hahahaaa!

Vlad

May 23, 2009 8:10 PM

Next to follow, Ecomotorists employed by Ferrari to showcase their 'HighBreed' technology ;-)

911fnatic

May 23, 2009 8:21 PM

"first pontiac is abolished...", good riddance lol.

I don't see the problem with Ferrari in making it cheaper for supercar owners to run their cars? They will still maintain the same performance, no doubt. I'm sure there will come a time in the future when petrol/diesel cars will be banned due to there being far more efficient alternatives. Ferrari are just staying ahead of the game. Some of these new electric sports cars have proven to be pretty damn quick as well. But I agree, the Co2 contribution from public transport and generation of electricity is far greater than that of cars, why must they spoil the petrolheads' fun :(.

Edited by user on May 23, 2009 at 8:23 PM

MutantSushi

May 23, 2009 11:35 PM

To the quality of the drawings: That is how patents look. They are not production blue-prints, they only need to demonstrate an idea to the patent office.

I don't know why people are flipping out about "green destroying supercars". The article clearly said the system was not about increasing fuel economy, but that Ferarri appparently feels forgoing an all wheel drive mechanical transmission linkage (friction, weight) and replacing it with an electrical generator linked to the engine provides BETTER PERFORMANCE.

Nothing suggests the engine will be smaller in any way (as per 'eco focused' hybrids), since the concept clearly states the rear-wheel-drive mode will be fully driven by the motor and otherwise drive like a RWD Ferrari. The concept is all about NOT having to suffer the penalties of AWD systems for when you prefer the RWD, but HAVING IT AVAILABLE when road conditions call for AWD. In other words, the best of both worlds.

People's opposition to efficiency for the sake of opposing it baffles me. Do you actually enjoy going to the petrol station? If not, reducing the number of times you have to go there (from lower fuel consumption) is the way to go.

genie

May 24, 2009 6:10 AM

Thank you, thats exactly right.

MutantSushi

May 23, 2009 11:43 PM

The headline is misleading: This is not a "leak", all patents are publicly available once filed.

The source (autocar) also is clearer in stating a stop-start system which could reduce pollutants by not having the engine need to run under 10 miles/hour IS NOWHERE MENTIONED in the patent - it's only autocar's writer's logical supposition that such a system would easily be integrated into a hybrid drive-train.

Edited by user on May 23, 2009 at 11:43 PM

EmptySet

May 24, 2009 3:21 PM

a kind of treachery?

Kakaofos

May 26, 2009 9:12 AM

Ferrari is a speed and passion, not configuration of platform. Innovations nobody gone bad. Forza Ferrari!!!

error32

May 26, 2009 10:15 AM

it's likely they are not sure such hybird ferrari will be accepted, so, leak something out. and they really want make money on it, that's where the handing refining comes. just say "yes", and don't buy it.

schefar

May 26, 2009 3:17 PM

Ohh Noo!

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