mavanhaasteren
11-05-2010, 11:27
Ferrari says more research on carbon fibre is needed - but next Enzo will get it
Ferrari says it won't make extensive use of carbon fibre in its mainstream road cars just yet.
McLaren might have gone to full-on carbon fibre for its forthcoming MP4-12C, but Ferrari will reserve the extensive use of such exotic materials for low-volume specials such as the next Enzo, due in 2012.
"The fact is that nobody today has a real understanding of what happens if you damage a carbonfibre structure," Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa revealed in an interview with Autocar. "After 20 or 30 years of use, who knows what state a carbonfibre structure will be in? Only the airplane industry has a long-term understanding of using carbonfibre, and there the usage is very different. Unless you have a really big accident, it is possible to repair a Ferrari today, and we don't want to lose that."
Felisa also suggested that the next Enzo will get a twin-turbo V8 rather than the force-fed V6 that some reports have hinted at: "There are no plans for a six-cylinder engine today. Ferrari will not build a six-cylinder engine until customer attitudes towards smaller engines change. The perception today is that the number of cylinders equates to the possibilities of the car."
Ferrari says it won't make extensive use of carbon fibre in its mainstream road cars just yet.
McLaren might have gone to full-on carbon fibre for its forthcoming MP4-12C, but Ferrari will reserve the extensive use of such exotic materials for low-volume specials such as the next Enzo, due in 2012.
"The fact is that nobody today has a real understanding of what happens if you damage a carbonfibre structure," Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa revealed in an interview with Autocar. "After 20 or 30 years of use, who knows what state a carbonfibre structure will be in? Only the airplane industry has a long-term understanding of using carbonfibre, and there the usage is very different. Unless you have a really big accident, it is possible to repair a Ferrari today, and we don't want to lose that."
Felisa also suggested that the next Enzo will get a twin-turbo V8 rather than the force-fed V6 that some reports have hinted at: "There are no plans for a six-cylinder engine today. Ferrari will not build a six-cylinder engine until customer attitudes towards smaller engines change. The perception today is that the number of cylinders equates to the possibilities of the car."