Ferrari is arguably the world's most traditional brand, one that fiercely resists change to its portfolio. But even the great Maranello marque must adapt, and the days of V12 masterpieces like the 812 Competizione are drawing to a close, despite the Italian automaker's best efforts to keep it alive. Among those efforts is the project of reducing carbon emissions and excessive consumption in other, smaller models not suited to a V12, and thanks to a new report from Motortrend, it seems that the next electrified Ferrari will arrive sooner rather than later. We've already reported that the replacement for the F8 Tributo is codenamed F171 and could be christened Dino, but now there's more information to salivate over.

We already suspected that the new model would be a V6 hybrid and will arrive very soon. But isn't the F8 Tributo only two years old? Yes, but everybody knows that Ferrari only released the F8 so that the 488 GTB wouldn't be totally embarrassed by the McLaren 720S. So the F8 isn't really a new model but rather a slight evolution of the 488 that was an evolution of the stunning 458, and that means that it's old underneath. What isn't old is Maserati's MC20 supercar, a car that is both V6-powered and features hybrid assistance. Oh, how the tables have turned - Ferrari must now borrow from Maserati rather than the other way around.

This makes sense for cost-saving reasons, but also because the MC20 is just so well designed. Its Nettuno 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 (which produces 621 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque) may be an adaptation of the F8's 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with a couple of cylinders chopped off, but the way it is integrated into the MC20's carbon monocoque - which was always designed to accept a hybrid powertrain - means that it is compact without too much complexity or weight.

In the new Dino, if that is indeed what it will be called, Ferrari is said to fit at least one electric motor to assist with propulsion. However, the rumor mill estimates that the Fezza will be vastly more powerful than the Maserati and could have as many as three motors for a total system output of between 800 and 840 hp.

That estimate is based on the V6 Ferrari's hybrid system producing the same as the hybrid system in the SF90 does at peak output, but other similarities with the SF90 Stradale are expected. The new Ferrari is likely to have a similar battery, although it may be a little smaller as the MC20's chassis is smaller than that of the current F8, which the SF90 is based on. That suggests that the F8's replacement will be a little smaller, which would make sense for a car called the Dino.

The report also says that the three motors will be split into two types, with front traction motors powering the front wheels and handling the job of reversing the car as well as handling all-electric driving. In max performance mode, these motors would then give the new car all-wheel drive, with RWD being re-engaged after a certain speed. The other motor would help with torque fill and accelerating the traditional engine.

As for when we might see this new vehicle, sources suggest that Ferrari could reveal it at the 2021 Frankfurt Motor Show. Other sources say that we may see it even sooner, possibly within the next month or two. If the rumors turn out to be mostly true, then Ferrari is about to start walking the path to killing the mid-engined V8, much like McLaren, but with the new V6 model likely to pack over 800 hp, does that really matter? Of course we'll miss the V8, but the V6 Ferrari should make up for its less enjoyable tone by being good enough to seriously put the hurt on McLaren, and that's all that matters. Enzo would do whatever it takes to win. Maybe a car named after his son that reasserts Ferrari's dominance is exactly what he would want.