A new front-engined Ferrari coupe appears to be in the works with patent images leaked onto the web.
Early reports are mixed with some suggesting the two-door could be a hardcore or one-off version of the four-seat FF or, perhaps more likely, a replacement for the modern California that debuted in 2008.
The UK’s Autocar – firmly in the camp of the latter – believes the images filed with the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) hint at a possible California replacement due to what looks like a folding metal roof or a retractable roof panel.
The California (pictured above) is also the Italian marque’s oldest current model and would benefit most from being moved into line with current styling.
Clearly taking design cues from newer Ferrari models, such as the 458, F12 Berlinetta and the FF, the patent images reveal an ample amount of venting – the bonnet, front guards and rear fenders – a flat undertray, an aggressive rear diffuser and a quad-pipe exhaust system.
Rumoured to be candidate for the Ferrari-designed and -built twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 found in the new Maserati Quattroporte producing 390kW and 650Nm, the new model would be a significant shift from the current California’s 338kW/485Nm naturally aspirated V8.
Given Ferrari’s continued development of hybrid technology in the form of its HY-KERS system used in the 708kW/900Nm-plus LaFerrari production car as well as in its Formula One work, a hybrid powertrain for the new model could also become a reality.
The current Ferrari California claims 0-100km/h in four seconds and a top speed of 310km/h.
