Is This an Engine Revolution？ Ferrari Creates Pill-Shaped Pistons & Dual Connecting Rods!

Hello everyone, welcome back to FT Share. In today's video, we're going to talk about something quite interesting from the manufacturer often nicknamed the prancing horse, Ferrari. They've recently filed a patent for an engine featuring oval pistons, connecting rods that move in an oval path, and a design that's far from conventional. As we all know, Ferrari is famous for its bold innovations and stunning engine designs. And this time, they've come up with an idea that could change the way we see car engines. Although the concept sounds pretty radical, there are plenty of fascinating things we can explore, from the idea behind the oval pistons to how Ferrari tackles issues of space and compression. Of course, like any new technology, this one also raises some challenges and questions. Will this design lead to a more efficient engine or is it just another gimmick? Let's take a closer look. So, what exactly is inside this mysterious patent? Ferrari has designed an engine with a single crankshaft, but it features a master-slave connecting rod system, where one main rod is connected directly to the crankpin, while another, called the slave rod, moves along a path that appears oval-shaped. Interestingly, the pistons used in this engine aren't the typical round ones, but instead, they're oval-shaped. Or more precisely, shaped like a running track, or even like a pill, a rectangle with semicircular ends. Yep, just as we might imagine. This design isn't entirely new for automotive enthusiasts. Honda actually used a similar concept decades ago to enlarge the valve area and allow for greater airflow. Back then, Honda's oval-piston engine was developed to compete against two-stroke engines in the GP races of that era. But Ferrari has a different goal in mind, to create an engine that's more compact and space-efficient. In a conventional V-engine configuration, connecting rods are usually placed side-by-side, which creates an offset between the cylinders and leads to a longer engine. But Ferrari's design is different. They managed to align the rods in a straight line. As a result, the engine can be made shorter, which is ideal for sports cars that aim for a better 50-50 weight distribution and, of course, a more balanced center of gravity. Now, let's move on to the part that makes this design even more unusual, yet also fascinating. The oval motion of the connecting rod and the difference in piston stroke length. In this setup, the master rod rotates in a typical circular path, driven by the crankshaft. However, since there's also a slave rod attached to the lower end of the master rod, the end of the slave rod follows an elliptical or oval trajectory. As a result, the slave piston ends up with a longer stroke than the master piston. Ferrari even states in the patent that this engine is a V12. That means the increased stroke on just one piston can be multiplied across six cylinders on that side, leading to a significant change in total engine displacement. Even more interesting, the right cylinder bank still operates with the usual 180-degree cycle intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. But the left side is slightly different. They modified the intake stroke, extending it to 200 degrees while shortening the other strokes accordingly. Why? To allow more time for air intake and improve volumetric efficiency. However, this also comes with a downside. The piston motion becomes unbalanced. Since the piston's upward and downward speeds differ, there's a higher potential for vibration and increased wear on the cylinder walls, especially on the side where the connecting rod angle is steeper during combustion. As we already know, round pistons have been the industry standard for over a century. But Ferrari is shaking things up with a bold move. Designing an oval-shaped piston. Yeah, that might sound like breaking news today. But actually, as we briefly mentioned earlier in the video, Honda developed oval piston engines long ago for racing purposes, and even produced a limited number of road-legal versions, although they were extremely rare and expensive. Ferrari, however, has a different purpose. They're not doing this to support extra valve systems like Honda did. Instead, their motive is to build a much more compact engine. Typically, a large engine means a wide bore and long stroke, which causes the overall size to expand in all directions. But with oval pistons, it becomes possible to fill the gaps between cylinders more efficiently, allowing the engine to be denser both horizontally and vertically. Still, there's a classic problem. Piston ring sealing. Piston rings are great at sealing curved surfaces, but they struggle to seal the flat edges of an oval piston. As a result, there can be gas leakage, loss of compression, or even oil burning. Ferrari tries to address this by using four piston rings. Yep, perhaps by adding an extra ring, they aim to improve the seal and better control oil, which is especially crucial in today's strict emissions era. And that's not all. If we take a closer look, this piston, with its bowl-shaped cavity, doesn't have any valve cutouts. That's similar to the design used in diesel engines. And if an injector were placed in the center, along with two vertical valves, the layout could strongly resemble a diesel cylinder head. There's also another possibility. This could be an inverted engine, similar to older aircraft engines like the Mercedes-Benz DB600, which also used multiple rings and bowl-shaped pistons. With an upside-down configuration, the engine becomes easier to service from below, perfect for applications like cab-over trucks, where engine space is extremely limited. So, what do you think? Gasoline or diesel? Or maybe a hybrid of both, with some hidden tech we haven't seen yet? Honda once developed an engine with oval pistons as a way to expand valve surface area, even allowing for up to eight valves per cylinder. But Ferrari seems to be taking a different approach. In their patent documents, the piston configuration is actually rotated 90 degrees compared to Honda's design, meaning the piston is oriented perpendicular to the crankshaft, not parallel. Why does this matter? Because this orientation could be Ferrari's strategy to free up space in the center of the cylinder, which could then be used to install spark plugs or injectors. For example, if they use only two large valves per cylinder, this would leave room in the middle, enough to potentially fit up to three spark plugs. Technically, that makes sense. In an oval-shaped cylinder, the distance between the two ends of the combustion chamber is significantly greater than in a round cylinder. Using only one centrally placed spark plug would result in slower flame propagation, reducing combustion efficiency. With three spark plugs, one in the center and two on the sides, the ignition of the air-fuel mixture can occur more quickly and more evenly throughout the combustion chamber. However, this configuration also comes with its own challenges. With this layout, the rocker arms have to move in a different direction than usual, requiring a dual camshaft setup, one for each side. The rocker arm mechanism would also need to be completely redesigned to fit into the tight space between the valves and the piston. This is likely one of the reasons Ferrari chose to position the piston perpendicular to the crankshaft. Because this orientation opens up possibilities for a more compact and efficient top-end engine design. Still, there are trade-offs. With the piston moving at an angle relative to the cylinder wall, it generates greater side forces, commonly known as piston slap. If not properly managed, this side loading can accelerate cylinder liner wear and potentially reduce engine reliability over the long term. Looking at the entire design, oval pistons, the master-slave rod system, and the unconventional cylinder orientation, it's clear that Ferrari's patent is packed with complex ideas that spark curiosity. Some technologies, like oval pistons and multi-spark ignition systems, have been tested decades ago, as Honda demonstrated. But Ferrari seems to be reinterpreting these concepts with a more modern and perhaps more intricate approach. The real question now is, will this entire design ever make it to production? Or is it simply a patent drafted to distract the competition? It's entirely possible that this patent is nothing more than an intellectual trap. A strategy to make rivals spend time and resources dissecting a concept that was never meant for mass-market implementation. But it's also possible that this is the first step in Ferrari's attempt to explore new segments, perhaps high-performance diesel engines for heavy-duty vehicles, or even radical applications in future motorsports that demand a different engineering mindset. One thing's for sure, this patent raises more questions than it answers. And that's exactly what makes it so fascinating. If we ever do see Ferrari release an engine with oval pistons, three spark plugs, and this kind of unique layout, it would be a landmark moment in automotive engineering. If all of these designs were to become reality, this could be one of the most unique engines Ferrari has ever developed. Or perhaps, just a clever ploy to throw off competitors. Either way, diving into this patent shows us one thing. The world of engineering is full of intriguing puzzles worth exploring. Sometimes it's not just about whether an idea gets implemented, but the mindset and thinking behind it. So what do you think? Out of all the concepts we've explored, which one seems most likely to come true? Or do you think this whole thing is just a distraction? Share your thoughts in the comments below.