"More than you can afford, pal. Ferrari."
Car enthusiasts and film buffs remember those lines from the 2001 film "The Fast and The Furious."
The prancing horse of Ferrari RACE can usually be found attached to a powerful supercar with a noisy V8 or V12 motor, like the black F355 spider that was "smoked" by the orange Toyota Supra driven by Paul Walker's character.
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But as times change, a new kind of car is a sales leader for the high-performance brand.
A recent report by the Financial Times revealed that the Maranello-based firm has sales of its models with hybrid powertrains has overtaken those of its traditional models.
Between July and September 2023, 51% of Ferraris sold were hybrids, compared with just 43% in the previous three months and only 19% a year ago.
Four of the 13 models in the current Ferrari catalog are hybrids, including the top-end, 769-horsepower SF90 Stradale, a plug-in hybrid which uses a twin-turbo 4-liter V8 in conjunction with three electric motors.
Most of the sales, however, were driven by the 296 GTB and GTS, which are plug-in hybrids powered by a mid-engine twin-turbo V6 and an electric motor.
The hybrid dominance may not last for long, as production of Ferrari's V12-powered Purosangue has increased to meet demand, which may cause hybrid figures to drop back below the internal-combustion models in the next quarter.
Ferrari has previously said that a fully electric model is due by 2025, and that 40% of its lineup will be fully-electric by the end of the decade.
But what is for certain is that Ferrari is making a lot of money, reportedly making $352.9 million in profit between July and September of this year, despite deliveries only rising nine percent.
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In addition, the prancing horse's revenue rose 24% to $1.6 billion as a result of higher margins from an increase in "personalizations," such as special leather colors, car colors, and other little trinkets that the brand can sell to customers at a profit.
If any of these hybrid supercars entices you, or a sports-car loving friend or family member, they will have to wait very patiently. Ferrari said that they are sold out until 2026, and that the "order book remains at highest levels reflecting strong demand across all geographies."
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