Several images of Ferrari’s upcoming 599 Hybrid concept have leaked online ahead of the car’s official debut at the Geneva Auto Show next week. The photos appear to be snapped at the Italian automaker’s stand at the Geneva Show, where the car is sitting in preparation for its Tuesday unveiling.

Little is still known about the hybrid exotic, although it is expected to use a version of Ferrari’s F1-derived Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) setup, using power generated under braking to deliver an extra boost of power, available to the driver via a steering wheel button.

It is not clear if Ferrari intends that the hybrid system work to save fuel as well, but rumors have suggested that it could help power the car at low speeds and when combined with an automatic start/stop system could drastically reduce the vehicle’s fuel consumption.

See here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

GALLERY: Ferrari 599 Hybrid Concept

[Source: CarSpyShots]

Ferrari will show a hybrid concept at the Geneva Auto Show, based on the Italian automaker’s 599 flagship. Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo made the announcement while unveiling the company’s latest Formula One race car. Di Montezemolo also stated that this prototype is slated for production but did not give any timeline.

Ferrari has been known to be working on hybrid technology, a fact the automaker couldn’t deny when patents for a hybrid drivetrain surfaced last year, however, company representatives have said hybrid F-Cars are not in the automaker’s immediate plans.

The 599 Hybrid concept is expected to use a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) setup similar to the ones designed for Formula One, including a lithium-ion battery pack with electric motors built into the rear transaxle. This setup would allow for regenerative braking, a start-stop function and an electric boost capability to add even more acceleration to the 599’s already impressive 620-hp V12 engine. Under city driving it would also help improve mileage by 30 percent. That will be particularly noticeable on such a gas-hungry beast as the 599, which currently only gets 8.7 mpg, bringing it up to 13.8 mpg.

Di Montezemolo made it clear that that while in the past Ferrari lead the charge in getting race car technology to street cars, it now wants to be a pioneer in transferring the efficiencies found at the pinnacle of motorsport to the street.

[Source: AxisofOversteer]