Ferrari Mailing List: News: Diesel Ferrari -- 1 kilogram -- no seats

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All, FYI, if this hasn't been mentioned already. 
- Bob Prosser
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Ferrari future: Lean, green

Automotive News | 12:01 am, July 2, 2007

MARANELLO, Italy - Pressure to improve fuel economy is a big challenge to all 
carmakers - even Ferrari.

Ferrari's response is to make future models lighter. The strategy: Smaller 
engines and lighter vehicles that will emit less carbon dioxide without dulling 
the automaker's high-speed heritage.

As it celebrated its 60th anniversary last month, Ferrari previewed the future 
with the Millechili concept - a car it may decide to build by the end of the 
decade.

The Millechili is 39 inches shorter and 661 pounds lighter than the 
limited-edition Ferrari Enzo. 

The concept's name means 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) in Italian, a reference 
to the car's approximate curb weight.

One radical idea: No seats. 

In the two-place Millechili, driver and passenger sit on upholstery mounted 
directly on the carbon fiber chassis. That cuts vehicle length by about 3 
inches and lowers weight by 110 pounds. A carbon fiber front crash box instead 
of an aluminum crash structure also reduces weight and length. 

Ferrari had planned to replace the Enzo with a street legal version of its 
limited-edition FXX research model. Now it is considering the Millechili.

Equipped with a twin-turbo, 3.0-liter V-8 rated at 550 hp, the Millechili would 
be faster than the 800-hp V-12 FXX and would use 42 percent less fuel, the 
company said.

"We are not interested in producing the most powerful engine on earth, but the 
one which offers the best power density" output per liter, said Ferrari General 
Manager Amedeo Felisa. "That is the real showcase of your technical capability."

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