Ferrari Mille Chili conceept (2007): first official pictures

By Ben Oliver

First Official Pictures

21 June 2007 05:51

The Mille Chili? So this is Ferrari’s green supercar…

Yes. Officially it has no name, but internally it’s called the Mille Chili (thousand kilos) and it’s arguably the most important concept car Ferrari has ever shown. Don’t be fooled by its shrunken-Enzo appearance. In revealing the car today at its Fiorano test track, Ferrari has lifted the lid on a series of radical new technologies – including a hybrid powertrain – which will cut weight, improve efficiency and help it make its case to lawmakers worldwide intent on imposing emissions limits which Ferrari can’t hope to meet. The concept shows how small and light an Enzo could be if it used all the technologies Ferrari is currently working on; the Mille Chili is around 300kg lighter and nearly a metre shorter. But it will never be made; it is purely a technology showcase. Ferrari claims that almost all the advances have their roots in Formula One, and all are being readied for introduction on different future Ferraris. Component by component, CAR Online exclusively reveals what makes the Mille Chili so important. Click 'Next' to read more.

Surely the Mille Chili isn't a real hybrid?

No. From 2009, F1 cars will be able to regenerate and re-use 60kW of power. The same system will be adapted for road cars from 2012. A battery and electric motor will briefly deliver a slug of torque to the rear wheels to cover the gap when shifting. By then, shift times could be as low as 30 milliseconds; even the current F430 takes 150ms. The result will be shifts as seamless as a twin-clutch, DSG gearbox, which Ferrari is also developing but remains sceptical about. Including an electric drive element would be a huge leap for Ferrari; engineers won’t speculate about developments beyond 2012, but this system could be the precursor to a performance-oriented full hybrid.

By Ben Oliver