China boosts Ferrari sales; Next-gen 612 spied

Ferrari’s replacement for the 612 Scaglietti has been caught testing at high altitude in Europe.

The new 612 should benefit from a lighter and stiffer aluminium chassis as well as a more modern direct-injection V12 engine. There’s also the possibility of a downsized, turbocharged V8 motor.

See the hi-res spy pics of the Ferrari 612 replacement testing

The new 612 won’t be in the showrooms before early 2012 and will be wrapped in a completely new design language that will mark it out as the company’s flagship Grand Tourer.

A hybrid version – probably powered by a V8 engine – could see its first showing at the 2014 Geneva show.

Ferrari has also confirmed to Autocar that it is working on a four–wheel drive electric hybrid system. Senior company sources told Autocar that the final hybrid design will be used for front engined GT models and will drive the front wheels.

Ferrari has been working on an electrically driven 4×4 system for its future models, senior company sources have confirmed.

The various alternatives for the hybrid system were first revealed on the Autocar website earlier this year but Ferrari says the final hybrid design will be used for front engined GT models and will drive the front wheels.

However, the source says that the first models equipped with the system will not appear before 2014. The aim of the 4×4 system – which will use motors mounted inboard of the front wheels – will be to improve handling rather than improve fuel economy.

Insiders say that using torquey electric motors to power the front wheels will offer significant improvements in acceleration and much improved cornering prowess, because the torque delivery to each front wheel can be carefully controlled.

See the hi-res gallery of the 612 replacement mule testing

Although this new drivetrain won’t be available from launch, it will eventually become an option on the replacement for the 612, which has been caught testing here at high altitude in Europe.

Ferrari expects China to become one of its top five global markets within five years, according to a senior official at the car maker.

Between now and 2014 Ferrari hopes to sell about 600 units a year in China, Marco Mattiacci, the company’s Asia-Pacific boss told Reuters in an interview.

The United States is likely to remain the biggest market for Ferrari but China will catch up countries such as Germany and Italy, where annual sales sit at around 600 units.

“I believe China will be around probably those figures — the same level as Germany and Italy,” added Mattiacci.

China is already in Ferrari’s top 10 markets, and around 650 cars have been sold there since it begun sales five years ago.

Source : Autocar UK