Ferrari 599 successor to shun carbon-fiber

Ferrari will go against the current trend of fashioning supercars from carbon-fiber for its planned 599 replacement, codenamed F152.

Our sources tell us that the Italian marque has shunned the miracle material as it doesn’t present enough weight saving to justify the difficulty in repair in the event a crash. Instead, the F152 will extensively use aluminum.

It seems a strange move from the company that invests so much research and development in composites and which has a long history of utilizing carbon-fiber, and one which certainly opposes its long-time rival’s position. Lamborghini, you’ll recall, is heavily investing in carbon-fiber composites and techniques.

The F152 will also share a significant amount of parts with the Ferrari FF, including a variation of the FF’s V12 and, significantly, there won’t be a manual transmission. Instead, the 599 successor will utilize the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox as the FF, dealing with around 725hp.

All should be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in a few months time.