Ferrari has confirmed that a hybrid model is in the works and that a concept car will debut as early as the LA Auto Show this December. The news comes directly from Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa just weeks after a patent application for a hybrid system by Ferrari was uncovered.

At almost the same time that patent application was discovered, a second one relating to a turbocharged powerplant was also found. Felisa also confirmed that turbochargers are a potential avenue that the Italian exotic car maker is looking into. He did, however, say that a turbocharged Ferrari engine would still provide the high-revving feel that is so much a part of a Ferrari engine.

These two green alternatives (as well as one other) are being looked at by Ferrari in order to meet stringent European emissions regulations set to take effect in 2014. The final alternative is a bio-fuel or flex-fuel engine – like the one the company debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit (pictured above).

Whatever route Ferrari takes, it is expected that the new model or models will be in addition to the current lineup, in order to reduce emissions across the fleet while retaining the Ferrari performance focus.

[Source: Car & Driver]

In an ambitions new emissions reduction strategy Lamborghini has just unveiled, the Italian exotic car maker says it will look to hybrid powertrains (among other things) to cut vehicle emissions by 30 percent by 2015. The company has already made a significant step in that direction with the launch of the LP560-4. Due to the use of direct-injection, that new vehicle emits 18 percent less CO2.

As for the other engineering initiatives Lamborghini will make to hit its target, the company said in a press release that it will also look at biofuels. This shouldn’t be too difficult considering Bentley (which, like Lamborghini, is owned by Volkswagen) has already made significant progress in this field.

Start-stop systems, which turn off the engine when at a light or in traffic, are also a possibility and would no doubt be a part of any hybrid powertrain.

More conventional practices will also be employed, with the company promising to cut the weight of its vehicles while further enhancing aerodynamic efficiency.

The company also cites “improved combustion” in its list of green initiatives and we are no doubt likely to see direct-injection on the successor of the Murciélago – if not sooner.

But Lamborghini’s green plan isn’t just limited to its cars. The company aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 percent at its factory.

To do this it will transform the roof of its factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy into an energy generator using solar panels. The company says the system will produce 20 percent of the power the factory uses. At the same time, the roof will undergo a massive overhaul with better insulation, lighting and heating that will reduce energy consumption by an additional 10 percent.

“Despite the difficult situation in today’s global economy, Lamborghini is committed to its policy of environmental management, since we are well aware of the great opportunities that derive from it,” said  Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “We have an objective to reduce CO2 emissions to the greatest possible degree. We have also set compulsory annual goals that are part of an integrated approach both considering the automobile as an element which is more considerate of the environment, in terms of emissions and the use of resources, to the accomplishment of a series of corresponding measures such as modifications to our factory.  This is an important action for Lamborghini and a central opportunity for our long term corporate and product development.”

The move has been applauded by the European community, with Guido Sacconi, President of the European Commission on Climate Change saying the company was “on the right path.”

“We have been particularly satisfied with the actions it [Lamborghini] has taken thus far, because they illustrate this company’s desire to embrace a new industrial vision which combines competitiveness and performance with social responsibility,”  Sacconi said.

Official release after the jump:

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It’s really all just speculation at this point but there are reports the Bentley’s new supercar will make as much as 630hp and hit 62 mpg in just 4 seconds. And as ridiculous as that sounds, it might be an understatement.

Currently the Continental GT Speed makes 600hp from Bentley’s famous twin-turbo W12 and those Bentley engineers haven’t even begun to tap into the available power in that massive 6.0-liter engine.

According to a report on Gas2.0, it is quite likely that the Bentley Supercar will use a technology called Ethanol Boosted Direct Injection, or EBDI. Bentley has already announced that it will focus upcoming engineering efforts on biofuels (aka Ethanol) and considering the performance advantaged of EBDI, this isn’t a stretch.

EBDI technology allows, for the first time, for a FlexFuel vehicle to use direct injection optimally for either gas, ethanol or a blend of both.

EBDI is the invention of a company called Ricardo; and while that doesn’t mean much to most people, Ricardo has worked with VW and Audi in the past, helping to develop past direct injection technologies, as found on Audi’s Le Mans race cars and now in its street cars. And with Bentley being owned by VW/Audi, the connection almost becomes a no-brainer.

In fact, in the Ricado press release announcing the EBDI technology breakthrough, the company comments that it is currently doing testing on a VW VR6 engine – essentially a naturally aspirated half of the Bentley W12. Ricardo states that its technology works perfectly with high-boost turbocharging to achieve the higher compression required to optimize ethanol combustion.  The company also said that a EBDI VR6 could replace a larger V8 engine – hence our belief that the Bentley Supercar will make more than 630hp.

“We’ve moved past theoretical discussion and are busy applying renewable energy technology to the real world,” said Ricardo Inc President Dean Harlow.  “The EBDI engine project is a great example because it turns the gasoline-ethanol equation upside down.  It has the performance of a diesel at the cost of a gasoline engine, and runs on ethanol, gasoline, or a blend of both.”

Note: Reports say that the Bentley Supercar may achieve its four-second 0-60 time by removing the rear seats. We’ll have to wait for Geneva to find out.

[Source: WorldCarFans via Autowereld and Gas2.0 and Ricardo]

We already told you about the BioFuel (or FlexFuel) model that Bentley hinted at at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Now the British marque is calling it a supercar and says it will unveil the new vehicle at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

The company has also released this one picture.

A lot can be discerned from the one photo – namely, that the vehicle is likely to share the Continental GT platform and most of its body parts.

As for the engine, we expect it will be another twin-turbo W12 that makes close to 650hp and is capable of giving the new model a top speed of more than 210 mph. Bentley says it will be the most powerful and fastest production vehicle they have ever built.

In Detroit Bentley did announce plans for an all-new engine and while that is a possibility for this Bentley Supercar, it’s more likely that powerplant will arrive later in 2009.

For more information on Bentley and its commitment to renewable and sustainable fuels, visit www.BentleyFlexFuel.com

As well as debuting the Continental GTC Speed, the Bentley press conference focused on the company’s commitment to the environment. By 2012 Bentley aims to achieve a long list of green changes for its entire lineup.

For starters, Bentley aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 percent by applying new technologies to the current vehicles as well as using new transmissions and drivelines. Also, the company plans to begin reducing the weight of its cars – an area where Bentley certainly has a lot of room to work with.

Bentley also plans to bring an entirely new powertrain to the market, which will be 40 percent more fuel-efficient than the standard models. There is no word on if the new powertrain will be diesel, a hybrid-electric engine or some other type of system.

Finally, Bentley plans to have its entire lineup of vehicles able to run on either Biofuels (i.e. Ethanol) or gasoline. In other words, they will be flexfuel vehicles.