Ferrari reversed course on electrification plans, increasing pure ICE allocation from 20% to 40% of its 2030 lineup while maintaining 40% hybrid share
Chief R&D Officer confirms the F80's record 296 hp per liter isn't the limit, with plans to extract even more from V6, V8, and V12 engines
Twenty new models planned between 2026-2030, with Ferrari preparing engines for synthetic e-fuels if the technology scales globally

Ferrari just revealed preliminary specs for "Elettrica," its first proper EV, and the automotive press collectively gasped.

Ferrari making an electric car felt like watching your rebellious uncle suddenly decide to wear sensible shoes and talk about pension plans.

It seemed like the end of an era, the moment when even the most passionate defender of internal combustion finally surrendered to the inevitable march of electrification.

Except that's not what's happening at all. Not even close. While everyone was busy mourning the death of Ferrari's combustion soul, Maranello quietly announced something far more significant: they're doubling down on traditional engines. Properly doubling down, not just paying lip service while secretly planning an all-electric future.

Back in 2022, Ferrari projected that only 20 percent of its lineup would use pure combustion engines by 2030. That was the plan, the roadmap, the vision of Ferrari's electrified future. Then something interesting happened. They actually listened to their customers, the Ferraristi who've been buying these cars for decades, and realized that maybe, just maybe, forcing everyone toward electrification wasn't the brilliant strategy it seemed.

Ferrari combustion engine development plans

The revised strategy announced this month calls for 40 percent of Ferrari's portfolio to remain pure ICE by 2030.

That's not a typo.

They've doubled their combustion commitment.

The hybrid share stays at 40 percent as originally planned, which means 80 percent of Ferrari's lineup will still feature a petrol engine of some description. V6s, V8s, and most importantly, V12s will continue populating Maranello's production lines four years from now.

But here's where it gets properly interesting. Ferrari isn't just maintaining combustion engines out of nostalgia or stubbornness.

They're actively developing them, pushing the boundaries of what's possible with traditional internal combustion. Ernesto Lasalandra, Ferrari's Chief Research and Development Officer, made this abundantly clear during Capital Markets Day. "We continue to develop our V6, V8, and V12 engines with the goal to continuously improve their performance and efficiency, and at the same time, being compliant with the new worldwide regulations. We will continue to offer thermal engines in our product portfolio and bring innovation on engines by keeping on increasing the specific power."

The F80 hypercar currently holds the record for specific power in a Ferrari road car at 296 horsepower per liter. That's an absurd figure, the sort of number that makes engineering professors question their life choices. Most production engines struggle to extract 100 horsepower per liter reliably. Ferrari's managed nearly three times that. And Lasalandra suggests this isn't the ceiling. "We reached a new peak of specific power, but this is not the end. We want to improve more and more using recent technology, new material, and innovative engine architecture."

Think about what that means. Ferrari's most powerful engine per liter isn't the limit, it's a milestone on the way to something even more extreme.

They're promising to extract more power, more efficiently, from combustion engines while simultaneously meeting increasingly strict emissions regulations. This isn't the death rattle of internal combustion, it's a manufacturer at the peak of their engineering prowess deciding there's still room to push further.

Twenty new models are planned between 2026 and 2030, making the next few years some of the busiest in Ferrari's 77-year history. Most of those models will feature combustion engines in some form, whether pure ICE or hybrid. The naturally aspirated V12 isn't going extinct. The twin-turbo V8 isn't being phased out. The V6 hybrid isn't a stopgap solution. They're all part of Ferrari's long-term strategy, all receiving active development, all getting better.