Ferrari prepares a 900-hp hybrid V12: Motoramic Dash

Welcome to the Motoramic Dash, a quick read of the top stories around the automotive world this morning.

While Ferrari's major contribution to the Beijing Motor Show circus was to set the trend for dragon-themed hoods, it did also reveal a hint of how it will deal with tougher emissions rules around the world. This graphic shows the Formula 1-bred hybrid system mated to a V-12 engine that will likely produce some 900 hp in the next Ferrari supercar -- and cut carbon emissions by up to 40 percent.

No other automaker has quite so much identity tied to the music of a V-12 than Ferrari, yet laws requiring better fuel economy from vehicles around the world are making such engines endangered species. Ferrari's solution, called HY-KERS, adds a fairly typical hybrid setup to the V12 -- the two green boxes at the front and rear of the powertrain above are electric motors, linked to a battery pack that Ferrari didn't show.

All hybrids built to date emphasize fuel savings over drivability, let alone the kind of acceleration Ferraris require. By using tricks from the KERS systems used on F1 cars, Ferrari says it shaved several pounds from the hybrid system while making it robust enough to handle the nearly 800-hp output of its modern V-12s, adding some 100 hp itself. With a replacement for the Enzo already on the test track, the first Ferrari hybrid should be on the roads within a couple of years.

Other news this morning:

Next General Motors CEO should come from within, Akerson says: The big question isn't where the next GM CEO will come from, but who it will be. Smart money says someone who knows Detroit well. (Automotive News)

McLaren working on "shooting brake" version of MP4-12C: Competition in the breadvan/supercar market for the Ferrari F12? Yespleasethankyouverymuch. (AutoExpress)

Senators question Energy loan to Fisker: If Fisker wants to fight political battles, it will have to learn how to deal with nastygrams from U.S. Senators asking tough questions of federal agencies. (U.S. Sen. John Thune)

Fitch upgrades Ford to investment grade: Ford hasn't held an investment-grade credit rating since 2005. If the other rating agencies follow suit, it could save the company hundreds of millions of dollars a year in interest. (Reuters)

35,000 apply for 1,000 jobs at Jaguar factory: Proving that the demand for jobs globally hasn't slacked, Jaguar's expansion of its Halewood plant in England drew enough applicants to staff 10 factories. (BBC)