We’ve scooped these close-up spyshots of the new Ferrari F142 – the new junior Ferrari V8 which will replace the F430 in the range in autumn 2009. This engineering mule, sporting the newcomer’s hardware under bastardised current-gen 430 bodywork, was on winter test in the snows of Sweden.
These spyshots have just landed on our wires and confirm that the F142 will stick closely with the formula set by its predecessors. The Ferrari V8 has swollen over the years, from F355, to F360 to F430 – and the new junior supercar will again have a V8 slung amidships, driving the rear wheels. But this new Ferrari will be a techfest unlike any other…
Ferrari’s new V8: clothes by Modena, heart by Silicone Valley?
Not quite, but Maranello is throwing its entire technical might at the new 2010 model. We’re not clear yet on the exact engine details, but some observers speculate the flat-plane crank eight will swell to 4.5 litres prompting rumours of an F450 badge. Others insist that Ferrari will downsize and engineering chiefs have openly told us that smaller, turbocharged engines are showroom-bound.
We do know that direct injection will be fitted and Ferrari is working closely with supplier Bosch on the set-up. The new California coupe-convertible had the same fuel system and it’s one way the company can lower emissions and consumption while maintaining the power characteristics of the screaming V8.
We’ll update this story as we harvest more facts from our circle of confidants, but power is set to top 500bhp, driving the rear wheels through a version of the seven-speed twin-clutch box that impressed us so much on the California. We’ve been predicting the end of manual-boxed Ferraris for some time…
A cleaner Ferrari? Sounds like the Mille Chili concept!
Bullseye. This car won’t be as radical as some of the thinking in the eco Ferrari Mille Chili concept, but it’s certainly stepping in that direction. Expect more lightweight materials to feature in the 142 road car and we’d predict that light weight, slippery aero and those engine/transmission mods will account for a decent 25% cut in emissions from today’s 345g/km of CO2.
That seventh gear is likely to be an overdrive, to make this scarlet Ferrari a definite shade of green, while active aero flaps will ease air-cleaving and – inevitably – Ferrari is working on a roadgoing link for the F1 KERS system of energy recuperation, albeit not for a few years.
Let’s hope that Ferrari is doing enough keep its road cars relevant in this new straitened world. More, perhaps, than BMW whose high-performance X5 M is caught behind the 142 in our first spyshot!
