The hotly-anticipated Ferrari 599 Hybrid, which the Italian automaker has confirmed for the Geneva Motor Show next week, just got its virtual debut a bit early thanks to the interwebs. The legendary maker of sports and racing cars, so closely associated with Italian racing red, decided to show how green their latest project is by painting it…green.

No new information on the car has been released yet, but we already know that the Ferrari 599 Hybrid will employ a version of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that originally debuted during the 2009 Formula 1 season. The system captures the energy that is normally lost to the flywheel under braking, transferring it to the wheels when the driver activates a button on the steering wheel. Don’t expect Prius-like mileage from this hybrid, just an extra dose of performance on demand.

Ferrari patent for awd hybrid system

We’ve been hearing rumbling, make that whirring, of a hybrid Ferrari for some time now. While some say it is merely speculation, others point to development mules and patents that have been filed that clearly indicate a hybrid and/or all-wheel-drive system in the works. Well, speculate no more. Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo says we can expect to see it during the first week of March at the Geneva Motor Show.

The announcement came at the unveiling of the new 2010 Ferrari F10 Formula One car, whose predecessor happened to use a hybrid system of its own. During the 2009 F1 season Ferrari used its Kinetic Energy Recovery System with mixed results, but the hybrid technology was effective in capturing energy normally lost during braking.

No specifics about what kind of hybrid setup Ferrari will show off, but it will be mounted in the company’s 599 GTB Fiorano, or some version of it. It’s likely going to be similar to KERS and not a Ferrari Prius. While the show car is said to be only a concept, Ferrari promises they will build a production hybrid vehicle in the near future.