Ferrari to return to turbo engines

Formula One has moved into turbo charged engines – and so will Ferrari road cars, to help meet Europe's increasingly stricter emission and fuel consumption laws. Ferrari CEO Amadeo Felisa says half the company’s research and development funds are being spent on ensuring its cars are more fuel efficient and produce cleaner emissions. Since his appointment in 2008, speculation about turbocharged Ferraris has been increasing.

However, any move to cut fuel consumption and produce cleaner emissions cannot come at the expense of performance. Ferrari’s latest release, the LaFerrari flagship, manages to combine enormous performance and low emissions, thanks to a 708kW hybrid drivetrain.

With the Ferrari California’s replacement imminent, the roadster may well become the first modern day Ferrari to adopt a turbo. However, it’s not a first for Ferrari. Some of the brand’s most iconic classics have featured a turbo in the past – specifically the F40 and the 288 GTO.

Although reports suggest the California will keep its V8 engine despite gaining a turbo, future Ferraris may downsize to a V6 turbo to mirror new F1 regulations in 2014. The first candidate for such engine could be the replacement for the 458 Italia.

Turbocharged supercars have become commonplace in the past few years. The Ferrari 458’s closest competitor, the McLaren MP4-12C, sports a 3.8-litre V8 turbo. Despite a smaller engine capacity, the British rival out-guns the Ferrari in performance figures on paper. But 458 enthusiasts will point out that the turbo rival has a muted exhaust note, and may suffer turbo lag. It remains to be seen if Ferrari manages to neutralise both issues and convert turbo skeptics.

Ferrari currently builds turbo engines for its luxury brand, Maserati. These vary from 242kW 3.0-litre V6s to 390kW 3.8-litre V8s. Motor Trend reports that in the near future, all Ferraris will adopt that form of forced induction. However, despite increasing turbo development reports, the brand is keeping its cards close to its chest.