Ferrari has been caught testing its next front-engine supercar beneath a chopped-up Roma body.
The car pictured here has what looks like a longer nose and wider bonnet than the standard Roma, suggesting the platform and engine beneath the skin aren’t what they seem.
Ferrari has form in this area; the Purosangue was first tested beneath a hacked-up Maserati Levante, while LaFerrari was spied testing underneath a heavily modified 458 Italia body.
It’s not clear whether the wheelbase and track on this car are different to those of the standard Roma, but it’s likely given the next front-engine Ferrari supercar will be larger than the Roma 2+2.
The 812 Superfast debuted in 2017, and is expected to be replaced in 2024. With that in mind, we’re likely to see production-bodied test cars for the next-generation front-engine Ferrari supercar out and about from 2023.
Although Ferrari has committed to delivering its first EV in 2025, and being a carbon-neutral company by 2030, it hasn’t provided a forecast for when it plans to move away from V12 power.
The 812 and Purosangue are both still offered with V12 power in 2022, in both cases without any electric assistance.
It’s possible the 812 replacement will gain 48V mild-hybrid assistance, bumping outputs from its 6.5-litre engine beyond the 588kW and 718Nm of torque it currently offers.
Ferrari will soon embark on a frenzy of model launches, having laid out plans for 15 new cars between 2023 and 2026.
One of the upcoming 15 models will be an all-electric vehicle; the company’s first BEV. Ferrari has previously committed to launching an electric vehicle (EV) in 2025.
Another promised highlight will be a high-performance V8 hybrid halo model to follow on from the V12 LaFerrari.
Although Ferrari doesn’t confirm it exactly, in its future model plan it alludes to the upcoming “supercar” featuring power from a turbocharged V8 engine with a hybrid system of some sort.
The slide also says it’ll have technology from its Formula 1 and upcoming Le Mans hypercar, which will make its racing debut in at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023.
By 2026, Ferrari aims to have a vehicle lineup consisting of 60 per cent hybrid and all-electric vehicles, with the other 40 per cent being internal combustion-powered models.
By 2030, the Prancing Horse will boost this figure to 40 per cent hybrid, 40 per cent all-electric, and 20 per cent internal-combustion vehicles.
