The Ferrari LaFerrari supercar may be a hybrid, but Ferrari claims it isn't meant to be particularly green.
The hybrid powertain was primarily designed to improve performance, which is why the Italian carmaker has been adamant that the LaFerrari doesn't have an all-electric mode.
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However, a new video of a LaFerrari being put through its paces at a European track day event seems to dispute that.
Ferrari LaFerrari, 2013 Geneva Motor Show
The black supercar turns a corner before its 6.3-liter V-12 engine fires up, not a sound that would be easily missed or ignored.
So perhaps the LaFerrari can drive on electric power alone, but why would Ferrari say otherwise?
It's possible the car is capable of propelling itself solely with electricity, but only for short distances or under very specific circumstances--such as puttering around a garage at very low speeds.
If the electric-only mode is too limited to use in real-world driving, there would be little point in advertising it.
Ferrari, after all, doesn't want to portray the LaFerrari as an eco-friendly hybrid, but rather as a superlative performance car.
Ferrari LaFerrari, 2013 Geneva Motor Show
At the time, Ferrari also said its HY-KERS hybrid powertrain--which teams the V-12 with two electric motor-generators and a lithium-ion battery pack--could be modified to include an electric-only mode in future models.
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In comparison, Ferrari's rivals have emphasized efficiency somewhat in a pair of plug-in hybrid supercars.
Both the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder plug-ins can drive on electric power, but only for short distances.
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