Ferrari Reportedly Hard at Work to Combat Turbo Lag

AutoBlog: Ferrari reportedly hard at work to combat turbo lag

Try explaining turbocharging to someone who doesn't know cars, and if you do a good job, you're likely to get a reaction something along the lines of, "then why don't they put turbochargers on all cars"? Well, that's a perfectly fair question, and the answer of course is turbo lag. It's one major downside to using spools, and it's what's keeping Ferrari, for one, from implementing them immediately.

Speaking with Britain's Autocar magazine, Ferrari engine chief Jean-Jacques confirmed that the company is preparing to use turbochargers, but that it will take time to develop a new version that will mitigate the effects of turbo lag. This confirms the patent drawings that leaked out earlier this year revealing a developmental two-stage turbocharging system from Ferrari.

Of course this wouldn't be the first time Maranello would use the spools – during the turbo era in F1, the iconic F40 (and the 288 GTO before it) was powered by a twin-turbo V8. But to make it an acceptable addition to modern Ferraris, the company may go the same route as Porsche with variable-vane turbos – or it could come up with another solution entirely.

Meanwhile Ferrari has reportedly dismissed the possibility of using the Fiat Group's new MultiAir variable valve system, finding that it wouldn't work at the kinds of revs and horsepower outputs at which Ferrari engines operate. The report does confirm, however, that the dual-clutch transmission launched on the California is capable of handling the power from V12 engines, suggesting that the gearbox may be implemented across the range for future models.

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