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Ferrari to introduce a V8 hybrid supercar this year

Ferrari is bringing a new mid-engine V8 supercar to the market this year — but with a hybrid drivetrain this time. Last year, then-Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne told Auto Express that a hybrid V8 was coming, and Automotive News is now reporting that a hybrid supercar will debut later this year. According to Automotive News, the new Ferrari won't be displayed at the Geneva Motor Show next month, but it will have an unveiling event of its own later on. It will sit above the 488 Pista, as it will have more power. Automotive News quotes Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri as having confirmed the car on an earnings call in late January, saying that it will be more profitable than for example the 812 Superfast and that deliveries will start a year from now. The hybrid V8 supercar marks a step ahead for Ferrari, as it means hybrid tech will no longer be reserved to limited-edition specialties like the KERS-boosted LaFerrari, but that the technology will feature in a "regular lifecycle" model. Camilleri also stated that 60 percent of the Ferrari lineup will have a hybrid variant by 2022; this means that there will be pure gasoline variants for petrolheads shunning electric assist, but that Ferrari can also move ahead with the times. The electrified technology that Ferrari is developing is also expected to trickle to Maserati's upcoming Alfieri model that replaces its GranTurismo; that car will also be made in Ferrari's hometown of Modena. Related Video:

Ferrari reveals extra 'speciale' 458

Ferrari revealed this creamy white riff on the 458 on Tuesday. But don't get too excited: It's a one-off creation built specifically for a British owner. Called the 458 MM Speciale, the supercar debuted at Fiorano, where Ferrari chief test driver Dario Benuzzi and the unnamed owner turned laps. The 458 MM Speciale is based on the 458 Speciale and uses its natural aspirated V8 paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This one-off is painted a shade of white called Bianco Italia. The Italian flag colors are used for stripes that run down the center of the car. Designed by the Ferrari Styling Center, the car has blacked-out A-pillars that create a visor look, updates to the aluminum bodywork, and carbon-fiber composite bumpers. There is also a new side air scoop, new air intakes, and the radiators are mounted at different angles to aid cooling. There's a tasteful spoiler in back, and the speedster rolls on eye-catching wheels with a custom cluster pattern. Inside, the owner chose an upgraded audio system and Cioccolato leather with white stitching. The controls are accented with satin white rings. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari 458 MM Speciale Design/Style Ferrari Coupe Supercars

Ferrari production to increase under Marchionne

The head of any company has to juggle the relationship between supply and demand. Of course, that applies to automakers too, even ones as high-end as Ferrari. And as with many other decisions, the way Ferrari has addressed supply and demand has come down principally to the principal.
Enzo Ferrari may have only wanted to sell as many vehicles as he needed in order to fund his company's racing department, but with the F40 - the last model made under his watch - Ferrari ended up increasing supply to meet growing demand. However, after Luca di Montezemolo took over in the wake of Enzo's passing, he started constricting supply. He figured Ferrari could sell 400 units of the F50, for example, so he built 399. More recently, Montezemolo undertook a course of action that spread Ferrari into more markets, while simultaneously constricting supply to increase demand and thereby profitability.
It's been a winning formula for Ferrari. Just days ago, the company announced record earnings up by 14.5 percent in the first half of 2014 over the same period last year, which itself had seen a 7.1-percent increase over the year before. Clearly the strategy has worked, but Montezemolo's successor is already eying a different approach.