Yahoo Autos Ferrari plans to keep the V12 alive for as long as regulations allow it to
Ferrari's entry-level model is a V6-electric plug-in hybrid, but the company stressed that downsizing won't spread across its entire lineup. It plans to keep the naturally-aspirated V12 engine alive for as long as possible, even as it prepares to release its first electric supercar.
"We will produce naturally-aspirated V12s until the law [no longer] allows us to," confirmed Emanuele Carando, Ferrari's global marketing director, in an interview with Australian website CarExpert. He added that synthetic fuels could help extend the 12-cylinder's shelf life.
Arch rival Lamborghini remains committed to the naturally-aspirated V12 as well, but how long these companies can continue making 12-cylinder engines without summoning a dark cloud of disapproval from regulators remains to be seen. In the European Union, the sale of new piston-powered cars will be illegal in 2035, though a last-minute exemption was made for some synthetic fuels. Lawmakers in the United Kingdom have settled on 2035 as well. Our market isn't quite there yet, but much stricter emissions regulations are looming on the horizon.
