Hybrid powered Ferrari four wheel drive

The Italian automaker, Ferrari, has just filed a series of patents for a new four wheel drive hybrid propulsion system. Their new design is designed to work with both their front and mid-engine models. The idea is to have the traditional internal combustion engine drive the rear wheels, while some sort of electric motor would power the additional rollers. The system is designed to primarily increase the handling capabilities of the super cars with increased fuel efficiency being an added bonus.

Ferrari says that "the aim of the present invention is to provide a four-wheel - drive vehicle with hybrid propulsion…and being at the same time easy and inexpensive to produce.” This made possible due to motors mounted inside the front wheels. This way there is no need to develop a new drive train layout that would ultimately be more expensive and add unnecessary weight to the vehicle.

As stated on the application, Ferrari is trying to develop a kind of "four-wheel drive that can be engaged enables the driver of the automobile to decide whether to use the rear drive or the four-wheel drive; in this way, the driver can use the rear drive in optimal conditions of adherence and can use the four- wheel drive in poor conditions of adherence." Who would have ever thought that the first hybrid Ferrari’s would also be their first four wheel drive model.

Check out the gallery to get a look at the Ferrari diagrams.