Following on from earlier reports that Ferrari has lodged a patent application for its new hybrid four-wheel drive system, the company's leader, Amedeo Felisa, has hinted that a Ferrari concept will be shown later in 2009 featuring a hybrid powertrain.

Ferrari is known to be investigating the use of different technologies to reduce its cars' average fuel consumption. Turbocharging a lower capacity engine is likely to be one route adopted, as is the use of bio-fuels.

However, Ferrari has already submitted six different hybrid system layouts for patent, all using a part-time four-wheel drive system in which the front wheels are turned by electric motors and the rears by a conventional differential.

That layout would allow many different uses of the hybrid system. Four-wheel drive could be selected or deselected by the driver, while the car's on-board computer could activate it when loss of grip is detected.

Additionally, it would theoretically be possible for the car to operate on electricity alone for short distances.

Car and Driver asked Felisa when the hybrid Ferrari would appear, to which he replied "Not at Frankfurt, but shortly thereafter, probably at an American show."

That means either the Los Angeles event at the end of the year, or (less likely) the Detroit Show in January 2010.