The arrival of a new Ferrari is an occasion to savor, because it doesn’t happen very often.
That may change, though, according to the latest information from Fiat-Chrysler’s massive five-year plan unveiling, which Detroit-area journalists have dubbed “Chryslerpalooza”.
As part of the new strategy, Ferrari will launch one new model each year for the foreseeable future, but still keep annual sales capped at around 7,000 units. The Italian carmaker says it could sell 10,000 units per year, if it wanted to.
That pace does not include low-volume models like the LaFerrari, which tend to emerge once per decade. Each new model will have a lifespan of eight years, but undergo a mid-cycle refresh (or “modificato”, as Ferrari calls it, in between.
The transition from the California to the California T is the latest example of this process, although Ferrari has done it before with models like the 550 Maranello, which became the 575M Maranello midway through its lifespan.
The 458 Italia is currently the oldest model in the Ferrari stable, so it’s the next likely candidate for an update. However, it won’t get a turbocharged V6, as was previously rumored.
As part of the announcement, Ferrari confirmed that it will stick with V8 and V12 engines, even as tightening global emissions regulations demand more efficiency.
That means more turbocharged engines and hybrids are likely. With both now a fixture of Formula One, it actually sense for Ferrari to try to incorporate them into more of its road cars. The F1 connection has been a Ferrari hallmark for decades.
While making superlative cars is still job one, Ferrari will also try to grow its business by chasing high net-worth individuals with an expansion of its personalization program, and by growing the brand with additional licensing projects like the Ferrari theme parks.
So while Ferrari won’t be selling more cars, expect to see the Prancing Horse in headlines – and travel brochures – more often.
