Onlookers green with envy. Waiting twitchingly for the traffic light to turn green. A briefcase full of greenbacks. Even British Racing Green, if you’re talking about a GT. You could find a few ways to associate Ferrari with the color green, but the environmental sense would be a bit of a stretch – historically speaking, at least. But the times, as one Mr. Zimmerman wrote, they are a-changing. Now even Maranello has been forced to get on board the “Heal the World” train. And this is the result.
Called the HY-KERS, what you’re looking at is a rolling test bed. It’s a hybrid, sure, but if you thought this was a haphazard application of a plug-and-play hybrid system, think again. The HY-KERS incorporates a roadgoing derivative of Ferrari’s Kinetic Energy Recovery System – fancy-talk for regenerative braking – from last year’s Formula One program.
Ferrari has worked diligently to optimize the benefits of the system to the 599‘s performance. The entire system weighs a modest 40 kilograms, partially offset by the obviation of the starter motor and conventional battery. Integrated into the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and mounted below the car’s center of gravity, the system returns over 100 horsepower, supplementing the V12 engine under hard acceleration and it can even operate under full electric power when puttering around town. Of course, a Ferrari never putters around anything, save for when it takes its owner for a round of golf at the local country club.
Posted in 2010 geneva motor show, 2010GenevaMotorShow, 599, 599 gtb, 599 gtb fiorano, 599Gtb, 599GtbFiorano, Ferrari, ferrari 599, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, ferrari 599 hy-kers, ferrari 599 hybrid, ferrari hy-kers, Ferrari599, Ferrari599GtbFiorano, Ferrari599Hy-kers, Ferrari599Hybrid, FerrariHy-kers, fiorano, geneva, geneva 2010, Geneva Motor Show, Geneva2010, GenevaMotorShow, hy kers, hybrid, HyKers, prancing horse, PrancingHorse | Comments Off
Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari, Luxury
UPDATE: We’ve removed the pics at the request of Ferrari, who say that the images were not authorized for release. No worries, the 599 Hybrid should officially debut in a couple days at the Geneva Motor Show.
With just a few days separating us from the Geneva Motor Show, the list of surprises continues to dwindle. The latest victim is the much-anticipated Ferrari 599 Hybrid which the automaker has confirmed will appear in Switzerland next week.
The shots appear to have been taken from the show stand, so there’s no hard information to go off of yet. What we do know is that Ferrari will employ a version of its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that originally debuted during the 2009 Formula 1 season on the 599. The system captures energy normally lost to the flywheel under braking, sending a boost of energy to the wheels when the driver hits a steering wheel-mounted button. Judging by the size of the battery pack, it’s doubtful that the 599 will be able to operate on electric power alone. We’ll find out soon enough, but until then, check out Ferrari’s green beastie in the gallery below. Top tip John.
Geneva Leakage: Ferrari 599 Hybrid caught on stage *UPDATE originally appeared on Ferrari News on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted in 599, Ferrari, ferrari 599 hybrid, ferrari vettura, Ferrari599Hybrid, Ferrari599VetturaHybrid, FerrariVettura, geneva, geneva 2010, Geneva Motor Show, Geneva2010, GenevaMotorShow, hyrbid, vettura | Comments Off
News of an impending hybrid from Ferrari is nothing new, but now we appear to have an actual date when the Italian supercar manufacturer plans to show such a vehicle in an official setting. And it’s coming soon, during the first week of March at the Geneva Motor Show, says Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo.
The announcement came during the unveiling of Ferrari’s new F10 Formula One car, which seems appropriate as it was during the 2009 F1 season when Ferrari first began using its Kinetic Energy Recovery System – a kind of hybrid technology that captures energy normally lost to braking in a flywheel – in actual competition… with mixed results, of course.
We can’t say for sure what kind of hybrid setup Ferrari will show off in its 599 super hybrid, but something similar in principle to the race-bred KERS seems like a distinct possibility, and we know the automaker has been dabbling in all-wheel-drive hybrids as well. In any case, Ferrari promises a production hybrid vehicle in the near future.
Posted in 599, 599 gtb fiorano, 599GtbFiorano, Ferrari, ferrari 599, ferrari 599 gtb, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, ferrari 599 hybrid, Ferrari 599XX, ferrari hybrid, Ferrari599, Ferrari599Gtb, Ferrari599GtbFiorano, Ferrari599Hybrid, Ferrari599HybridConcept, Ferrari599xx, FerrariHybrid, geneva, geneva 2010, Geneva Motor Show, Geneva2010, GenevaMotorShow | Comments Off
