Ferrari's upcoming hybrid hypercar comes into focus

The model will make its debut on May 31.

Ferrari will introduce a 1,000-horsepower model during an event held on May 31 in Maranello, Italy. The company is keeping full details about the car under wraps -- we don't even know what it will be called yet -- but a new report sheds a little bit of insight into how the Prancing Horse will deliver a four-digit horsepower rating.

The company's next model will arrive with a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. German magazine Auto, Motor, und Sport learned from anonymous sources that the drivetrain will be built around a twin-turbocharged, 3.9-liter V8 engine mounted directly behind the passenger compartment. It will work with a trio of electric motors; two will be positioned up front, presumably to drive the front wheels, and the third will be integrated into the transmission.

The three power sources will deliver 1,000 horsepower, and they'll allow the model to hit 62 mph from a stop in two seconds flat. If that figure is accurate, it could achieve the zero-to-60-mph sprint in under two seconds. We're assuming the car will be a plug-in hybrid instead of a standard or mild hybrid, and that it will be capable of driving on electricity alone for at least short distances, but that's purely speculation.

Regardless, a gasoline-electric powertrain adds a tremendous amount of weight, so it will be interesting to see how Ferrari managed to overcome it. The lessons the company learned from building the LaFerrari -- which used a Formula One-like KERS system -- undoubtedly steered the project in the right direction, but the three-motor setup will likely be heavier.

Ferrari will present its next car on May 31. Pricing will start at approximately 600,000 euros, a sum which represents $670,000 at the current conversion rate, and it's not unreasonable to assume it will arrive as a limited-edition model. With that said, loyal clients have already been shown the car behind closed doors, and a good chunk of the production run will be spoken for by the time Ferrari shows the car to the public and the press.

Note: Ferrari Portofino pictured. Photo by Ronan Glon.