As soon as the California T started revving its turbocharged, V-8 engine, we began to wonder how long will it take before Ferrari->ke252 starts adding turbos across its entire lineup. Well, it appears all V-8s are set to receive forced induction over the next six years, as the Italians want to reduce their fleet CO2 emission by 20 percent by 2021.

That's the word coming from Ferrari Powetrain Director Vittorio Dini, who said Maranello needs to reduce emissions by three percent each year and by 20 percent by 2021, Automotive News reports. To achieve this daring goal, the company will turbocharge its V-8 engines and develop hybrid->ke147 technology for each V-12-powered supercar->ke177. Additionally, V-8 engine displacement is to decreased, meaning no unit larger than the current 3.9-liter V-8 will be available once Fezza retires the 4.5-liter unit.

Ferrari's average CO2 emissions are currently about 270 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Ferrari is one of many manufacturer that obtained derogations from the European Environment Agency in recent years, alongside Aston Martin->ke13, Spyker->ke84, Koenigsegg->ke43, and Lotus->ke49. For the record, companies such as Fiat->ke30, Renault->ke72, and Peugeot->ke68 average less than 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

Click past the jump to read more about Ferrari's new hybrid system.

Specifically, Ferrari aims to cut CO2 emissions on its V-8-powered sports cars->ke506 by applying the same recipe used in the recently launched California T. By replacing the naturally aspirated 4.3-liter with a turbocharged, 3.9-liter V-8, Ferrari has successfully reduced CO2 by 16 percent, while increasing horsepower by 14 percent. Similar technology will find its way in all V-8 Ferraris in the future.

As far as the larger V-12s are concerned, Dini said turbochargers are not a good solution, as the engines would require no less than four turbos to achieve significant improvements. Adding so many units would also create too much heat in the engine compartment, he added. Instead of adding turbos, the Italians are looking to further develope the hybrid powertrain implemented in the LaFerrari and transfer it to the F12Berlinetta and the FF. The LaFerrari saw major improvements in terms of CO2 emissions over its predecessor, the Enzo->ke389, and Ferrari hopes to achieve similar figures for the F12 and the FF.

Why It Matters

Until the LaFerrari and the California T were released, Ferrari was one of the last strongholds of the supercar world. The Italians have refused to downsize their engines for quite a few years now, but it seems the glory days of naturally aspirated Ferrari engines are coming to an end. Some enthusiasts might perceive it as a blow to the company's heritage, but the scenario is far from being tragic. Maranello knows it must obey to European Union regulators and we know it will achieve its goal without significant impact on its sales figures. Judging by what the California T and the LaFerrari have brought to the market, the upcoming turbo and hybrid Ferraris will only deliver more power. Coupled with better fuel economy, the additional ponies should keep customers more than happy.

Ferrari LaFerrari

The LaFerrari is the first Ferrari vehicle fitted with hybrid technology. The supercar gets its power from a normally aspirated, 6.3-liter V-12 that delivers 800 horsepower, while the additional 163 ponies are generated by an electric motor. The battery powering the electric motor can be recharged either under braking or when the conventional V-12 unit produces more torque than required.

The combo enables the LaFerrari to emit 330 grams of CO2 per kilometer. That's a lot when compared to a regular car, but it represents a 40 percent improvement over LaFerrari's predecessor, the Ferrari Enzo.