Another topic Montezemolo touched upon in his interview with Auto Motor Und Sport magazine was the environment. Mainstream carmakers aren't the only ones who take environmental issues seriously. Many sports car manufacturers are also interested in improving their mileage figures, partly because politicians may use them to set an example for everyone else with tax increases or even trying to force them out of business. The Italian company aims to reduce fuel consumption by 30-40% over the next five years by implementing a number of changes. The recent F430 Spider Bio Fuel concept car seen at the Detroit Auto Show gives us a clue about one of them: biofuels. But the real improvement in efficiency will come from lightweight technologies such as carbon fiber and aluminum.
The relaxed financial situation of Ferrari makes this huge investment possible. Total income grew 15% in 2007 up to €1.55b, and profits rose by 25% to €230m. Car sales also increased to 6,400 units, mainly due to the increase in million-and billion-aires in emerging markets like the Middle East and South Asia. This is causing a side effect: long waiting lists force clients go for other marques. Therefore, Ferrari will cut waiting lists to less than 18 months by increasing production to 8,000 units in three years.