Ferrari HY-KERS Hybrid Setup for Rear-Engine V12s: Expect It in the Enzo Successor [Beijing Auto Show]

You're looking at the mid/rear-engine V-12 application of Ferrari's HY-KERS hybrid system. The reason you care is because a version of this powertrain will put out at least 900 hp in the next Ferrari super-dupercar, the successor to the Enzo. The Italian brand announced some details about the system at the Beijing auto show. This adaptation of the HY-KERS system is similar to that previewed on Ferrari's 599-based HY-KERS concept two years ago. Big layout differences: The distance between the engine and transaxle has been shortened to zero, the engine has four extra cylinders, and Ferrari has added a generator in place of the alternator. (Also worth mentioning: While this bears the KERS name, a true F1-style KERS system uses a flywheel to store energy for short time in the absence of batteries or transistors. This setup is more conventional.) The green box on top of the transmission is the hybrid power unit, and the other green unit hanging off the back is an electric motor designed to bolt up to Ferrari's existing seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. That rear motor is responsible for boosting output and recapturing energy during deceleration; it is attached to one of the two clutches in the transmission and therefore only works when the gears on that shaft (likely 1, 3, 5, and 7) are in use. The new front generator acts somewhat like a clutched alternator in that it can decouple during acceleration to reduce or eliminate drag. This is similar to the setup used in GM's eAssist system, although the Ferrari motor is only used to generate power for the batteries and accessories and doesn't feed it back into the powertrain. Ferrari says it has reduced the weight and size of the electric components, which gets it closer to a target of 1 kW of additional power for every kilogram added (that works out to 0.6 hp per pound). It's also expecting a 40-percent reduction in emissions (and, therefore, fuel consumption) with the revised system, compared to 30 percent in the prior iteration. Like the V-12 in the new F12berlinetta, this system's engine uses multispark ignition for increased combustion efficiency and employs variable-length intake runners. Comparison Test: 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia vs. 2011 McLaren MP4-12C, 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS First Drive: 2013 Ferrari California First Drive: 2012 Ferrari FF All of this sounds very familiar to the system described in a patent application we recently dissected, although that version was designed for a front-engine car with a 90-degree V engine, which, in Ferrari's current lineup, points to the V-8–powered California. We expect hybridization to first show up on the carbon-fiber-intensive Enzo replacement (it may be referred to as F70) before being applied to other V-12 and V-8 cars. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

puts the internet to work for you. via task 647533