New Ferrari 488 Track Edition Could Feature Hybrid Powertrain
Is this the next step for the brand’s Speciale models?
Buzz about the new Ferrari 488 variant has been steady since April, and now, we may have learned a bit of info before the boys at Maranello intended us to. After seeing the prototype whirl around the Nurburgring, YouTuber Automotive Mike captured the car in the flesh. After hearing rumors about a potential hybrid-propulsion system, we're interested in seeing what might come of the brand's dedicated concept.
According to the video's description, Mike and his crew spotted the 488 track special months prior in August, a case where he reportedly overheard Ferrari technicians talking about the car's Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). That equipment comes straight from racing, and it transfers wasted energy into more power for the car to utilize through electric motors.
This came after Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne said every car the company builds after 2019 will feature some sort of hybrid system, making for a collectively sound guess at what's to come.
As you can see in the video, this hotted-up Ferrari sports more intakes in the front and wider ones in the back. That should help keep the larger brakes and upgraded engine cool, a major focus when on-track.
Details are scarce, but we know that something is in the shadows of Ferrari's skunkworks. It's not unlikely that the car could reach over 700 horsepower, and according to Autocar, it could hit sixty miles per hour in just 2.7 seconds. If it can manage to lose weight while picking up the rumored hybrid system, the revised model could become the automaker's most capable car yet.
