Turns out the turbocharged California T was just a warm up for the next big thing, which is a turbocharged 458. Ferrari has openly confirmed that the 458 successor, coming next year, is getting a turbo engine. That means the Speciale is the last of naturally-aspirated Ferrari V8s. It won’t happen ever again.

Ferrari is under constant pressure to bring its CO2 emissions down and turbocharging seems to be the best way to do it. They’ve achieved amazing results with the 3.8 liter turbo V8 in the new California, but that engine is not ‘super’ enough to be used in a mid-engine super car like the 458.

That is why, according to CEO Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari 458 Turbo will get a bigger engine – probably a 4.0 liter – force-fed to make 650 horsepower. Felisa rules out the possibility of another hybrid Ferrari for at least the next five years. The current technology is too heavy and too expensive to make any sense. Making the million-Euro, limited edition LaFerrari hybrid has taken such a toll on Ferrari engineers that they don’t want to even hear the word ‘hybrid’ anymore!

The new turbocharged V8 engine will be lighter and more compact than the current 4.5 liter unit, and that should have a positive effect on the weight of the car while the aluminum construction of the car will remain intact. The looks of Ferrari 458 Turbo will be substantially different than the existing model though, and most of it dictated by the need for extra cooling.

As for the name, Ferrari 458 Turbo or 458T is what makes the most sense, given the California T. But Ferrari likes to attach an ‘M’ to the name of the models that get a mid-life refresh, so 458M is also a viable candidate, and it sound kinda cooler than 458T.

Via Top Gear