Prancing Horse Conforms

          

         Ferrari has recently announced that the successor to the 458 Italia will be turbocharged. And with the 2015 Ferrari California T’s 3.9-liter V-8 coming with twin-scroll turbos, it’s safe to say that even Ferrari have succumbed to emission regulations. But what does that mean for the company? They’re primarily known for their engines, those glorious naturally aspirated engines. As with anything, there are two sides to a story, this remains the same with the turbocharging Ferrari debate.

            Noise, more specifically engine noise. Thunderous burbles of exhaust noise. I spend a lot of my time listening to glorious engines. It’s something that separates good cars from fantastic cars. Turbocharged cars are known to have a very distinct sound. A sound that’s not as seductive as a naturally aspirated engine. I’m perfectly fine with Ferrari turbocharging their engines. They’ve done it before with the Ferrari F40 and Ferrari 288 GTO, so they know what they’re doing. The only thing that would upset me is the noise. If Ferrari loses that astonishing coma inducing noise they’re brand will take a hit in sales. 

            There’s been a huge debate on forums and the Internet on whether drivability will be affected. Why would it? At the end of the day it’s a Ferrari. They hire some of the best engineers, test drivers and mechanics in the world. So it’s safe to say that the new turbocharged vehicles will be just as drivable as the cars they replace. Every car drives differently, but I would bet that the new turbocharged Ferraris will still produce ear-to-ear grins.

             Fuel economy, emissions and other worldly saving mumbo-jumbo will surely improve with turbocharged engines. My biggest debate is reliability. Forced induction usually places a lot of stress on the internal components of an engine. It’s similar to body builders shooting steroids into their body. Sure you can do it, but it’s not what your body was meant for. Then again, if you can afford a Ferrari, I’m sure you could afford the maintenance. 

            Times are changing and even supercar powerhouses like Ferrari cannot keep their naturally aspirated engines alive. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Horsepower figures will increase, 0-60 miles per hour times will occur faster than the mind can comprehend and drivers will be overwhelmed with the trees they are saving. All good things must come to an end and soon Ferrari’s naturally aspirated masterpieces will become extinct. If you can afford a Ferrari, now is the time to buy one.