Four seats. Front mounted engine. Four wheel drive. Ferrari?
Even if you’re not a total automotive fanatic, the three attributes I just mentioned certainly do not sound like the usual qualities of a Ferrari. Nevertheless, I present to you the new Ferrari FF.
Let’s start with the numbers. The engine is the same V12 that we know from the 599, but it has been stroked out to 6.3 liters and tuned to produce a whopping 651 horsepower that will howl all the way up to 8,000 RPM. 0-62 times are around 3.7 seconds, and the top speed according to Ferrari is 208 miles per hour.
Despite it’s hefty price tag, anticipated to be upwards of $360,000, there is already an 18-month waiting list for the car. Ferrari has the capacity to produce 800 FF’s annually, and there have been over 1000 orders already placed. At this rate it will far surpass it’s predecessor, the 612 Scaglietti, which only sold 3,000 units in seven years.
Named 4RM, Ferrari’s four-wheel-drive system is a company first, but on paper it is impressive. Ferrari says it is 50% lighter than similar systems, and has been fine tuned for maximum all-weather performance in Sweden, Finland, Argentina, and Italy. The FF shares the same “shooting brake” (read: hatchback) body style with a fellow Italian, the Alpha Romeo Brera. Despite this, the heavy V12 under the hood balances out the distribution of the 3946-pound FF to a 47% front and 53% rear weight distribution. Not bad, Ferrari.
Pininfarina is responsible for the design of the FF, and they did not disappoint. Every angle I have seen so far looks stunning. The headlight design resembles that of the 458, which is keeping Ferrari’s new branding consistent. Even though the car seats four (comfortably, according to Ferrari), and has plenty of room for your golf clubs, the FF only stands 54.3 inches off the ground.
Stepping inside the car you’ll find no shortage of exotic and space-age materials, such as carbon fiber, leather, and alcantara. The steering wheel is similar to the 458, including turn signal buttons on the wheel instead of the more widely used stalk setup.
All of this sounds amazing, but is Enzo rolling in his grave right now? Sure, Enzo green-lit the 250 (Ferrari’s first font engine 2+2), but adding all-wheel-drive and a hatchback too the equation may go above and beyond the limit of what Enzo was willing to sacrifice for his brand – which of course only existed to fund the race team.
Despite the unusual attributes for Ferrari, they seem to have done everything right with this car. The moment of truth will happen once they’re on the road. This could be the beginning of a whole new segment for Ferrari, and because there are currently no direct competitors, it may not take long for someone else to throw their hat in the ring. Hey, Lamborghini, I’m talking to you.
Until then, I’ll take mine in white.
-The Ace
