.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Ferrari has issued invitations to the unveiling of a mystery car referred to as the '149M Project' on February 12 in what would be the lead-up to the Geneva motor show in March.
The so-called secret project is believed to the the update for the Ferrari California -- which had an original codename of F149 in initial development leading up to its debut at the 2008 Paris motor show.
The California is going on for six years old and due for a refresh, and a test mule was spotted several times late last year.
The Italian supercar maker has not released any other details, but the spy shots indicate the car is expected to be an update rather than a complete makeover.
However there could be an engine change from the front mid-mounted 338kW/485Nm 4.3-litre V8 that powers the current California, with some suggestions the new car could carry a version of the 390kW/700kW 3.8-litre V8 used in the Maserati Quattroporte -- gaining some 52kW and 215Nm in the process.
It could also get the benefit of Ferrari's F1-style KERS system, that captures brake energy for storage in a lithium-ion battery that powers two electric motors -- one for cabin features, and the other to tip in another 75kW of power to the engine outputs.
Exterior changes are hinted at in the spy photos, most noticeably the tapered headlights that are spreading across the Ferrari family as one of the design strategies that improve airflow.
This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott
Comments