News just in: we’ve landed these spy photos of Ferrari’s new V8 supercar, the F450. We won’t see the new F450 until the end of 2009 and it sounds as if Maranello has pushed the launch back from September’s Frankfurt motor show to a winter show in the US, most likely LA.
It will be seen first as the coupé tin-top scooped here; a Spider will follow later in 2011.
The new car, expected to wear the F450 badge, is a big step forward for Ferrari’s V8 after the evolutionary steps represented by the F430, 360 Modena and F355. There’s often throwaway talk of the tech transfer from Formula 1, but it’s looking likely that Ferrari’s new V8 will actually benefit from the Scuderia’s racing knowledge.
Ferrari F450: the lowdown
The newcomer will again be constructed largely from aluminium and we expect the F450 to be slightly lighter than its predecessor. It’ll feature much of the tech seen on recent debutant the California, including its twin-clutch seven-speed transmission which enables Ferrari to cut CO2 emissions and boost mpg by hunting for a high gear when you’re not in a rush.
Electronics will oversee the handling, with a new stability control which cancels understeer and a mannetino switch on the steering wheel with more settings to tweak the driving characteristics on track, road or slippery conditions.
The V8 itself is likely to swell to around 4.5 litres, hence the widely tipped F450 badge. But Ferrari being Ferrari, we wouldn’t be at all surprised if they throw a last-minute name change in to the mix.
Power is set to top 500bhp, and that V8 is expected to feature Bosch’s direct injection, in a bid to trim CO2 and gallons gobbled. Active aero will similarly help improve aero to benefit performance and economy – but you’ll have to wait a while longer yet to see any roadgoing application of the F1-style KERS energy recovery system or hybrid technology.
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