It seems that Ferrari is gearing up to conquer the high seas, preparing to debut a high-performance racing yacht with hydrofoils, worth several million dollars...
If you've been following the renowned brand on Instagram, you've probably wondered why they recently flooded their official account with over 10 pictures of the ocean, and you're certainly not alone. We are equally puzzled. Furthermore, the Italian brand has posted a short video on its YouTube channel as a teaser for its upcoming project, which is definitely not intended for the streets.
The 46-second video includes many visuals of open waters, clearly suggesting it will be some type of watercraft. But what exactly is Ferrari working on? Well, your guess is as good as ours. However, the video briefly shows what appears to be the blade of a hydrofoil, hinting that the automaker may be preparing a racing yacht with characteristics usually associated with Ferrari's high-performance cars.
A hydrofoil is an underwater fin with a wing-like surface designed to lift the vessel it is attached to above the surface of the water it is moving through. It significantly reduces drag by lifting the hull clear of the water, helping the vessel achieve higher speeds without expending more power. As mentioned before, we have absolutely no information about Ferrari's watercraft, including its size, powertrain details, or even the design. The best we can do is speculate.
"Audaciously redefine the limits of possible. Conquering racetracks and roads all over the Earth," reads the script alongside the video. "A hunger to set benchmarks and break records. Our sights fixed on new horizons. Taking the race where we never have before." This suggests that Ferrari might be developing a vessel meant for very high speeds.
Could it be powered by the automaker's famous 6.5-liter V12 engine, capable of producing over 800 horsepower? We won't be surprised if it features the hybrid powertrain from the Ferrari 296 GTB model. Nevertheless, we are quite confident that the mysterious watercraft will be one impressive machine.
Ferrari isn't the only high-performance car manufacturer entering the world of yachts. Brands like Bentley, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Mercedes-AMG have all lent their names to high-end watercraft. In fact, this isn't even Ferrari's first time engaging in maritime projects. Back in the 1950s, Enzo Ferrari equipped Achille Castoldi with a 4.5-liter V12 from the 375 F1 car. A speedboat fitted with the V12 engine set a record of 150.49 mph on Lake Iseo in Italy. In the '90s, Ferrari collaborated with the Italian company Riva to build 30 examples of the Riva Ferrari 32 speedboat. Interestingly, the two Italian brands are still official partners, suggesting that Riva might be involved in the latest project.
Ferrari's biggest rival, Lamborghini, collaborated with the shipyard The Italian Sea Group to introduce the Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 yacht back in 2020. As the name suggests, it pays tribute to the Italian automaker's foundation year of 1963. The design of the high-performance vessel is inspired by the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 – the Italian manufacturer's first production hybrid car with 807HP and a top speed of 217mph. Built from lightweight carbon fiber, the yacht weighs in at just 24 tons, which is impressive for a vessel that is 63 feet long. It is powered by a pair of MAN 2,000hp V12 engines that can propel the vessel to a top speed of 60 knots. The Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 was launched with a starting price of $3.4 million, and production was limited to only 63 units. It'll be interesting to see if Ferrari's upcoming racing yacht is in direct competition with the Lamborghini 63.
