Going where no Ferrari has gone before? The new 4-seat, 4-wheel-drive Ferrari FF.
We’ll skip the references to BMW’s quirky Z Coupe, of a few years back, and just note that the new Ferrari FF is a distinctive looking entry into the Italian maker’s line-up, one that is likely to generate some very polarizing opinions even before it rolls into showrooms.
The most powerful 4-seater the company has ever produced, the name is a double acronym, short for both Ferrari Four, and Ferrari Four-wheel-drive.
The replacement for the outgoing Scaglietti 612, the new Ferrari FF, says the maker, “represents not so much an evolution as a true revolution.”
That starts with the direct-injects 6.3-liter V* under the FF’s long, low hood, which churns out 651 horsepower and 504 lb-ft of torque. You’ll see 60 in less than 3.7 seconds, Ferrari claims, on the way to a top speed of 208 mph.
The Ferrari FF boasts wagon-like cargo space.
Putting all that power to the ground becomes easier with the new all-wheel-drive system linked through an F1-style double-clutch gearbox. Called 4RM, Ferrari says it is half the weight of a conventional AWD system – and not only biases torque to the rear but helps set up a 47:53 weight balance.
By holding down the mass of the 4RM driveline the new Ferrari FF comes in just under 4,000 pounds – about 100 pounds under the old 612. That helps it cut the Scaglietti’s 0 – 60 times by a full second and add another 9 mph at the top end.
The drivetrain is electronically linked to other dynamic control systems to maximize stability, and, says the maker, “delivers record levels of performance on all terrains and in all conditions.”
The body, penned by Pininfarina, is definitely not your typical Ferrari from a visual perspective, opting for the very untraditional two-box hatchback. But the Italian’s did honor their pledge never to produce a four-door, despite current industry trends in that direction.
Could the word, “functional,” be applied to the new Ferrari FF? Not only is it designed to take on just about any road condition, but the new offering has nearly as much cargo capacity as a small wagon.