Ferrari California Direct Fuel Injection

Ferrari has always stood among the leaders when it comes to implementing latest technologies in their sportscars. Still, all the cars in Ferrari's current GT range came with Port Fuel Injection, the standard method of injecting fuel into the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. But now that Direct Fuel Injection is becoming a standard in high-performance cars around the world, Ferrari was not far behind in adopting this technology and the first car they decided to put this in was the car they showed off at the Paris Motor Show this year - the California . Direct injection is hardly a new concept. It has been around since the 50s and has been powering a large number of diesel vehicles for the better part of the last decade.

In conventional Port Injection, the fuel injectors spray fuel into the airflow in the intake manifold. This fuel-air mix then enters the cylinder through the inlet valve. Unlike Port Injection, rather than injecting fuel into the manifold, with Direct Fuel Injection, the injectors precisely spray the required amount of fuel directly into the combustion chamber at a pressure of up to 200 bar. This not only sharpens up throttle response dramatically, but also allows for a more efficient burn of the fuel-air mix, resulting in lower emissions from the exhaust. Plus, because the DFI unit allows for a cooler, and hence denser, fuel-air mix, the overall compression ratio of the engine gets bumped up significantly without any engine knock. The upshot of this is an increase in outright horsepower, without a drop in fuel consumption. Direct Injection also allows for a more precise control on engine management, which further contributes to higher performance and mileage.

Delivering the best of both worlds in terms of performance and fuel economy, technologies like Direct Fuel Injection will ensure that sports car makers like Ferrari maintain their appeal to consumers, especially in these trying times when petrol prices are going through the roof.