This is for all of you who dream of driving a supercar but end up opting for a hybrid instead – Ferrari has just introduced its own hybrid, the Ferrari 599 HY-KERS. It’s a working prototype that has just been introduced at the Geneva Motor Show and it uses a Kinetic Energy Recovery System, which is Ferrari’s special version of the regenerative braking technology used in ordinary hybrid cars.
The HY-KERS weighs 40kg, which is almost offset by the elimination of the starter motor and conventional battery from the engine. The unit is integrated into the 7 speed dual clutch gearbox and Ferrari reckons it adds 100hp to the 599’s already impressive 610 horsepower. It can assist the V12 engine under harsh acceleration or if you’re city-bound the system will switch to silent, electric-only propulsion. Sounds like another great example of racing tech filtering down to the masses … sort of.
Onlookers green with envy. Waiting twitchingly for the traffic light to turn green. A briefcase full of greenbacks. Even British Racing Green, if you’re talking about a GT. You could find a few ways to associate Ferrari with the color green, but the environmental sense would be a bit of a stretch; historically speaking, at least. But the times, as one Mr. Zimmerman wrote, they are a-changing. Now even Maranello has been forced to get on board the “Heal the World” train. And this is the result.
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