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Listen to a Silent Ferrari 488 Hybrid Test Mule Taking Off in All-Electric Mode

I can't forget the moment when the Lamborghini Asterion concept climbed onto the stage of the Paris Motor Show back in 2014. As pretty much everybody else in the audience, the electric silence that marked the event left me speechless for a moment. Meanwhile, I've learned to prepare myself for Italian exotics taking off without making a sound. And the latest adventure of the sort involves a Ferrari.
Ferrari 488 Hybrid Test Mule 4 photos
Photo: PurePerformance/YouTube
Ferrari 488 Hybrid Test MuleFerrari 488 Hybrid Test MuleFerrari 488 Hybrid Test Mule
A piece of spy footage showcasing what appears to be a 488 test mule portrays the supercar setting off, with only the birds signing in the background (of course, supposing that the soundtrack of the clip wasn't manipulated).

The sighting falls in line with our expectations since Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne has told multiple magazines that a Ferrari hybrid is set to make its debut next year.

The exec hasn't mentioned the model that will be animated by the said powertrain and there are two main possibilities here.

The first involves some sort of gas-electric evolution for the Ferrari 488. This would explain the test mule mentioned above. The 2019 timing also seems appropriate, since the 488 came around back in 2015.

Marchionne explained that the gas-electric powerplant would deliver a more down to Earth approach than in the case of the LaFerrari.

This is one of the reasons for which the rumor mill talks about the hardware being used to power the Ferrari SUV, which is also set to land next year. Among others, this would mean that, unlike in the case of other super-SUVs, the Maranello crossover would debut in hybrid form, with the expected internal combustion-only versions following later on.

Of course, we're expecting a plug-in hybrid rather than a simple system, which would deliver an all-electric driving range.

Until we get our hands on more info, you can check out the said 488 prototype doing its thing on the carmaker's Fiorano test track below.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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