X

A new Ferrari hybrid coming soon, don't hold your breath on an EV

Ferrari has a new V8 unveiling at Geneva this year, the F8 Tributo, but the company is already dropping hints about the next, a new V8 hybrid model that's coming soon.

Tim Stevens Former editor at large for CNET Cars
Tim Stevens got his start writing professionally while still in school in the mid '90s, and since then has covered topics ranging from business process management to video game development to automotive technology.
Tim Stevens
2 min read
Nick Miotke/Roadshow

It's often difficult to find a trend at the Geneva Motor Show, a place where variety and excess abound, but this year there are enough battery packs on the show floor for me to confidently say that electrification is a thing. That's even true for Ferrari, which for the first time is talking seriously about its plans for a hybrid. Yes, a hybrid Ferrari. And believe it or not, we'll be seeing it soon.

Ferrari unveiled the new F8 Tributo, a 710-horsepower replacement for the 488 GTB at this year's show, but that's only the first of five new products coming this year. Ferrari Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Enrico Galliera told me that Ferrari will "completely redesign" its entire product range before the year is through, and Maranello's first V8 hybrid is next, only its second ever hybrid following the V12 LaFerrari. 

Ferrari F8 Tributo is a 710-hp replacement for the 488

See all photos

Galliera said that Ferrari will establish "clear, different positioning" for each new model, ensuring each targets a specific type of buyer. The F8 will clearly be focused on those seeking a high-performance yet streetable supercar. What will the hybrid be like? "This car is designed to have a completely different position in terms of extreme performance, and of course target segment," Galliera said.

Galliera sadly wouldn't elaborate on exactly what that means, but the good news is we won't have to wait long to find out. Ferrari CEO Louis C. Camilleri indicated we'll see it within the next three months. Yes, that soon, and the hybrid won't be the end of the new powertrains for the company. There's a V6 coming, too, though the company was even more tight-lipped about that. Ferrari CTO Michael Hugo Leiters said "This will be the next step to follow the speed of downsizing without losing any performance or driving emotion."

And what about the ultimate in displacement-downsizing, a full-electric supercar? They're working on it, but it won't be coming any time soon. "We are talking about sound, we are talking about weight," Leiters said. "These are our two key elements on a battery car that are not fitting right now for Ferrari. Are we studying it? Yes, we are studying it, but right now we are not taking any decision."