Ferrari confirms Purosangue SUV, LaFerrari replacement, hybrid powertrains, V6 engine family

Ferrari unveiled its latest five-year plan on its Capital Markets Day this week, together with the new Monza SP1 and SP2 speedsters. Maranello has big plans this time around, with a slew of high-profile announcements confirming many things that have long been rumoured and suggested.

By far the biggest news is that Ferrari has finally, definitively confirmed that it is building an SUV. Only it insists it’s not an SUV, but a whole new breed of Ferrari, called Purosangue. This translates to “thoroughbred”, suggesting that, despite how blasphemous a Ferrari SUV would be, it is truly deserving of the Prancing Horse shield – we’ll just have to wait and see.

The Purosangue will ride on a new front-engined, rear-wheel drive platform, which will have a rear transaxle and the option of all-wheel drive – likely a similar system to the GTC4Lusso‘s, with a separate front gearbox. This is one of two modular platforms the company will use moving forward, the other being a mid-engined platform that will be used by the successor to the 488 GTB/Spider.

The latter platform will also underpin a new, more powerful supercar that will sit atop Ferrari’s mainstream range. Both mid-engined models – as well as the current front-engined 812 Superfast – will form the sports car side of Ferrari’s four-pronged product line, which will also include gran turismos (Portofino, GTC4Lusso), Special Series models (488 Pista) and the new, limited edition Icona models (Monza SP1, SP2).

The gran turismo lineup will also feature a new model with more classical styling referencing Ferrari’s vast and illustrious back catalogue, while at the sharp end of the range, a replacement for the LaFerrari has also been confirmed – although that’s only coming in the company’s next mid-term plan. All in all, as many as 15 new vehicles will be introduced by 2022, with the Purosangue slated to arrive closer to the end of this period.

Also outlined is Ferrari’s powertrain strategy, which will continue to utilise a naturally-aspirated V12 – the “pinnacle of Ferrari,” said the company – and a turbocharged V8, both of which will be continuously improved and upgraded with new technologies. There will also be an all-new V6 family that will be “based on a particular innovative architecture.”

These engines will, for the most part, be augmented with hybrid electric technology, derived from the world of Formula 1. This technology will be used to increase specific output without adding turbo lag, and Ferrari said that up to 60% of its lineup will be electrified by 2022 – including all of its sports cars and a new range of plug-in hybrid gran turismos. To keep weight down, multi-material construction will be used for its cars.

Last but not least, Ferrari will introduce its first active safety systems in the near future, and while it will not commit to building autonomous vehicles for now, it will incorporate new sensors, artificial intelligence and electronic architecture to provide customers some form of Ferrari-specific autonomy.

According to the company, all these measures will allow it to enhance the capabilities of its cars in all directions, being faster, more comfortable, more versatile and more fun to drive.

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