Ferrari-developed turbo V8 on the way...
...but California body is misleading - it could well be used in a Maserati first
The key to the mystery, we hear, is the recent investment of 50 million euros by parent company Fiat in a new engine plant at Maranello to develop engines for the group's high-end models (for that, read Ferrari and Maserati).
Which means that, although the new motor under development is in the body of a California, it might well be heading for one of Maserati's two planned new saloons, the replacement for the Quattroporte and an all-new smaller model.
That's not to say that the turbocharged V8 won't find its way into the next California - it's something that 'may or may not happen' a Ferrari insider has told us. Our best bet at the moment? The new engine will go into a Maserati first, but will eventually filter into a California replacement. However, since Ferrari has only just given the California a significant facelift, that new car could be further away than some people imagine...
Best sound I ever owned was a X-flow with mad-cams and a pair of webers.
Best sound I ever owned was a X-flow with mad-cams and a pair of webers.
I've never driven a turbocharged car without annoying levels of turbo-lag.
Both seem to produce useful boost almost from idle, the 997 Turbo even more so and they feel more like a big NA then cars with two turbos.. Tubo lag is almost a thing of the past, however throttle response and throttle lag are still not quite up to scratch or anywhere near the levels of a highly strung NA, especially on the 335i.
As for Turbo's in a Fezza, why the hell not? The F40, one of the best cars Ferrari have ever made has two of them so I trust Ferrari not to c*ck this up. As long as they keep some nice decent NA's too it's all good.
Ferrari have finally given one of their V8s an exhaust note I can get behind too. With the exception of my mates 360CS, I've never remotely liked the shriek that Ferrari V8s have had.
What annoys me about folks banging on about turbo lag, is that few NAs actually do anything in the lower revs anyway. With their lower torque, you still have to wait and cane them to "find" the power band, which itself will generally be higher up the rev range anyway. What it really comes down to, is how you like power / torque to be delivered and whether you prefer a punching mid-range or a screaming top end.
Back to topic.... The promise of this engine in a Masser is something to definately get excited about and I'm sure that with the way legislation is going, Ferrari will have it in their cars promptly too. Ferrari are growing up a bit
The car won't be running final exhaust boxes etc, so sound may well change, but does sound like a low revving v6. The car in the background does sound like it has a supercharger?!
Been a Maserati mule testing in Germany for a while with Biturbo V6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1KY20e3nUg&fea...
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