Ferrari will keep its glorious V12 alive, and make it more powerful than ever

Ferrari has confirmed its iconic, naturally aspirated V12 isn’t going anywhere. Instead, the brand’s signature engine will continue to evolve so it can comply with emissions regulations, but could also deliver even more power. 

The news was revealed by Ernesto Lasalandra, Ferrari’s chief research and development officer, during the company’s 2025 Capital Markets Day conference. He also confirmed that the mighty twin-turbo V6 and V8 engines will be made to meet emissions standards. 

Lasalandra said: “The internal combustion [engine] has always been part of our DNA. We will continue to offer them across our product portfolio and bring innovations onto V6, V8 and V12 engines, by keeping on increasing the specific power [output].” 

Specific power, if you’re not familiar with the term, is a measurement of an engine’s performance that compares its power output to its weight. So Ferrari could be tweaking its engines to get a few extra horses out of them, or managing to get the same amount of power from a smaller capacity. We’ll have to wait and see exactly what it has planned.

Based on a diagram in Lasalandra’s presentation, the V8 and V12 engines will receive slight increases in their specific power output over the next few years. However the V6 – which Ferrari uses in its Le Mans-winning 499P race car and the new F80 hypercar – looks to be in line for a significant boost.

Lasalandra added: “We will invest to make our engines compliant with future regulations. In addition to that we will make sure our engines can perform with alternative fuel, such as e-fuel, being ready if or when this technology should spread to a global scale.”

Ferrari halves EV sales projections for 2030

Ferrari plans to launch four new cars every year until the end of the decade. Of course the major news from the conference was the confirmation that its first EV, the Elettrica, will be arriving next year. The brand has given us a sneak peek of how the Elettrica will deliver the same driving thrills as any other Ferrari.

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna explained: “We developed Elettrica because we, as a market leader, have the responsibility to show to the world that we can harness any technology to deliver these unique driving thrills.”

But at the same time, Ferrari is now saying that 20% of its line-up will be EVs by the end of decade, which is down from the 40% previously quoted. Alongside the EVs, 40% will be hybrids and the other 40% will be pure-petrol. Earlier this year, reports suggested Ferrari wouldn’t launch a second electric model until at least 2028, due in part to weak demand.  

When asked about plans for a second electric Ferrari, Vigna wouldn’t share any kind of timeframe but didn’t rule it out. He simply said: “Electric is a new dimension for us, a new opportunity for us, and we have to continue to develop in that field.”

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