Get ready for the most complicated news event you will read today. You may know that Ferrari is getting ready for its first EV, which should be completely different from other electric cars. In addition to the electric models, Ferrari also appears to be considering a hydrogen combustion engine. And not just any V12 that converts hydrogen and air into speed.
Ferrari filed a patent at the beginning of this month that was surfaced by various media. The collection of documents is entitled 'CAR PROVIDED WITH A HYDROGEN-POWERED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE'. These are Ferrari's capital letters, not ours. We would describe the new project as a hybrid sports car from Ferrari with a twin-turbo inline-six that runs on hydrogen.
Ferrari's proposed hydrogen combustion engine
In the documents, Ferrari describes a six-cylinder combustion engine that is assisted by an electric motor on the front axle. The six-cylinder that Ferrari now uses is a V-shape. The brand chooses the inline six in the patent to free up space next to the engine for two hydrogen tanks. Still pretty special, but it gets even more insane.
What makes the patent even stranger is that the engine is placed upside down. The crankshaft is closest to the sky and the cylinder heads can almost touch the ground. Ferrari does this so that the transaxle (a transmission and rear axle in one) is higher. This frees up space for a more aggressive diffuser, which partly functions as a hood. Can you already imagine this Ferrari?
Hopefully the hybrid Ferrari with a twin-turbo inline-six hydrogen combustion engine will look like this | Photo: © Dall-E / Open AI
Ferrari says the engine could easily have been located behind the cabin in the conventional manner. The choice to reverse the engine is due to the wheelbase. Ferrari says the car would have been a lot longer if the six-cylinder had been positioned with its crankshaft downwards. The dream car that would house the hydrogen engine should have a short wheelbase.
With the two turbos it becomes even more complicated
Ferrari also describes various ways in which the two turbos can be supercharged. This can be done, for example, by sending the recovered energy to the turbos. In another form, the electric motor spools up the turbos. And so Ferrari has some ways that are even more complicated, such as an MGU-H system from F1.
The patent was filed by one Fabrizio Favaretto. A search on Google tells us that he has been employed by Ferrari for 24 years and now works as 'Vehicle and Powertrain Architecture Innovation Manager'. So not just any Ferrari concierge. Would Ferrari put so much effort into a project if they weren't sure if they were going to do anything with it?