Are We Going To See a Ferrari With Side-Exit Exhausts in the Near Future?

Ferrari may be preparing to give enthusiast the visual and aural drama of side-dump exhausts, going by a recently published patent. This motorsport-inspired feature is rarely seen on road-going production vehicles and comes with its own set of concerns. However hardcore petrolheads don’t care; we would love to see this bold styling exercise become a reality.

While they look great, there are a few reasons why exposed side-dump exhausts aren’t a common feature on road-going cars. These include complicated packaging and routing, as well as heat management; hot pipes running along the side of your car will definitely burn you if you aren’t careful when entering or exiting the vehicle. Side exit exhausts may also have a harder time meeting modern sound and emission norms, and could also disrupt airflow around the doors and sills, negatively affecting aerodynamics. 

What the Patent Shows

The patent drawings detail a front-engined road-going Ferrari with exhaust headers routed from each of the two cylinder banks to behind the front wheels, up and around structural members, before running along the sides of the car and terminating just behind the passenger compartment. The attached documentation indicates that, aside from the visual appeal, this layout can also contribute towards absorbing kinetic energy in the event of a front-end collision, with the exhaust plumbing creating a physical barrier between the front wheels and the passenger cabin. The patent goes on to claim that this design could also save weight by eliminating conventional chassis reinforcement and crash energy absorbing structures, since these functions are integrated into the exhaust itself. 

We Hope It Hits Production

It’s too early to speculate on whether or not Ferrari will actually put this striking design into production, and it’s not the first time. Back in 2013, Ferrari filed a patent for an asymmetrical side-dump exhaust system with a single outlet on one side of the vehicle, but the design never materialised into reality. However, the Maranello brand is clearly showing interest in exploring the visual drama of exposed exhaust pipes running along the sides of a car in the modern era, and we’re here for it.