If you read car news, you’ll probably have noticed the phrases ‘turbocharged’ and ‘hybrid powertrain’ creeping in to more and more stories. This is because you’ll now find these engines under the hood of most supercars – take the LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder as just a very few examples.
There are very real reasons why these engines are superior to naturally aspirated ones, and they’re the natural result of the fact that marques invest eye-watering sums of money into ensuring that their cars stay at the forefront of performance. Nevertheless, many of us will be sad to see the demise of the naturally aspirated engine, particularly when it’s paired with cars as beautiful as those made by Ferrari. At present, only two Ferrari models are still naturally aspirated, the FF and the F12 Berlinetta. Both will be replaced in time, but for now we have the updated F12 Berlinetta, complete with naturally aspirated engine, to look forward to, which is likely due out in 2016.
According to Autogespot.nl, the new car goes under the working name F12 GTO and will feature the same 6.3 litre V12 as previously, but with an output that’s boosted to at least 780 horsepower. It will also have modifications to the body, specifically a full carbon fibre roof and other changes that have shaved more than 100kg off the current car’s weight. Expect to see rear wheel fins inspired by the 250 GTO, and a few other styling changes too.
It’s early days, but it seems as if the new F12 is shaping up to be the perfect farewell to Ferrari’s much-acclaimed use of naturally aspirated engines. We’ll bring you more updates on this car as we have them.