Ferrari plans to keep the V12 for as long as regulations allow

Ferrari’s entry-level model is a V6 plug-in electric hybrid, but the company stressed that the downsizing would not cover the entire model range. It plans to keep the naturally aspirated V12 engine alive as long as possible, even as it prepares to launch its first electric supercar.

“We will continue to produce naturally aspirated V12 engines until the law (no longer) allows it,” Emanuele Carando, Ferrari’s global marketing director, confirmed in an interview with the Australian website Car expert. He added that synthetic fuels could help extend the life of the 12-cylinder engine.

Lamborghini’s biggest rival also remains committed to naturally aspirated V12s, but time will tell how long these companies can continue producing 12-cylinder engines without drawing a dark cloud of disapproval from regulators. In the European Union, the sale of new piston-powered cars will be illegal from 2035, although an exception was introduced at the last minute for some synthetic fuels. Lawmakers in the UK have also set the target for 2035. Our market is not ready yet, but much tighter emissions regulations are on the horizon.

Interestingly, the director revealed that Ferrari was considering equipping the 12Cilindri, the new GT with a V12 engine, with a hybrid drive. Ultimately, the car debuted without electrification. “We wanted to stay true to our roots,” he said, adding that “a naturally aspirated engine with a combination of electric components, in our opinion, adds weight without really improving performance.”

That doesn’t mean Ferrari believes electric motors are only good for moving windows and wipers. The company is working on its first mass-produced electric car – an enigmatic model that is tentatively scheduled to appear at the end of 2025, and the first details are already starting to come to light. Executives insist that the electric vehicle will be a “real Ferrari”, which is no surprise – can you imagine one of them saying it will be a fake Ferrari?

Carando told the Australian website To lead that his team is not interested in creating the fastest electric vehicle in the world. “We have never considered speed to be the main reason (marketing) our cars,” he said. “We want a car that is fast, agile and fun to drive.”

While some brands use the silence of an electric powertrain as a major selling point, Ferrari believes its electric vehicles should make noise. However, it will not be a false sound imitating a V12 or V8 engine. It will be “authentic,” Carando said, which suggests it will be adapted to some aspect of the electric powertrain’s operation. Maybe the engine groaning? Other details, such as the segment in which the electric vehicle will be included, will also not be revealed.

Ferrari will not be fully electric. It expects electric vehicles to account for about 40% of its sales in 2030. Plug-in hybrids will also make up 40%, with the remaining 20% ​​being non-electrified, gasoline-powered cars. What comes next depends on regulations and market demand.

“Customers will decide whether to buy a natural combustion engine (non-hybrid), a plug-in hybrid or an electric vehicle.”