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Unlike BMW, Ferrari won’t be using carbon fiber that extensively, not until the company wholly understands the material’s long-term reliability. This was announced by Ferrari hear Amadeo Felisa, who also said no to recent questions about a possible Ferarri four-door model.

When interviewed, Felisa explained that carbon fiber will only be used on Ferrari’s most exotic cars. This includes the Enzo and the F50 which have a significantly low production rate and are not used daily by its owners. The company isn’t prepared to risk the use of carbon fiber, though, for the rest of the model range.

Meanwhile, its rival McLaren, recently announced that it will be committed to the use of carbon fibers in the cars that it will be releasing in 2012. As a matter of fact, McLaren told reporters that the MP4-12C supercar will be released with a carbon tub.

BMW, on the other hand, will be releasing models extensively using carbon fiber starting 2013. Felisa explained that Ferrari’s stance has a lot to do with safety. He said that no one really knows how carbon fiber would stand in 20 to 30 years. If the body or structure of the car is sacrificed because of the carbon fiber trend, Ferrari’s integrity would be sacrificed.

He also stated that while the airplane industry has an extensive research on the reliability of carbon fiber, planes and cars have very different uses. He said that the current make of Ferrari cars allows the vehicles to be fixed even after a near-total wreck. The company isn’t sure if the carbon fiber material will make for a body that’s just as sturdy.

At the end of the interview, the Ferrari head mentioned that the Enzo will be launched in 2012 with a twin-turbo, direct-injection V8. Felisa also told the press that a six-cylinder engine isn’t under consideration because the customer’s attitude towards smaller engines hasn’t changed.