New Ferrari Purosangue is a potent crossover with sports car genes
MARANELLO - Ferrari has pulled the covers off of its first ever four-door model, the Purosangue.
Yes, it’s a crossover, and yes, it enters a highly profitable market segment that will keep the Italian marque cash-flush enough to keep producing the sports cars that it is renowned for. Win-win?
And this is still very much a Ferrari at heart. Unlike the SUVs of some other performance marques, the Purosangue doesn’t share a platform with SUVs from other brands. This is certainly no Maserati Levante in drag. Underpinning the four-door Ferrari is a completely new chassis, whose lower section is made entirely of aluminium.
Providing the necessary fireworks is a front-mid-mounted, 6 496cc normally aspirated V12 engine, which produces 533kW at 7750rpm and 716Nm at 6 250rpm. Expect it to prance from 0-100km/h in just 3.3 seconds and to 200 in 10.6s, while the top speed is listed at 310km/h.
Power goes to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual clutch transmission, and not only does this vehicle boast a “perfect” 49:51% weight distribution but it has some pretty impressive chassis technology. Ferrari is claiming a world first with its Multimatic active suspension system, which combines electric motor actuation with a high-precision spool valve hydraulic damper into one fully integrated system.
“This very effectively controls body roll in corners as well as the tyre contact patch over high-frequency bumps to deliver the same performance and handling response as in one of the marque’s sports cars,” Ferrari says.
Enhancing its agility even further is an evolution of the four-wheel steering system found in the GTC4Lusso.
Of course, this is the first truly practical car that Ferrari has ever produced. The carmaker claims its new crossover will accommodate four adults comfortably, with each occupant getting to enjoy heated sports bucket seats. Rear seat occupants enter Rolls-Royce style through rear-hinged doors. Oh, and the 473 litre boot is the biggest ever in a Ferrari.
The cockpit takes inspiration from the SF90 Stradale, featuring digital interfaces in front of the driver and front passenger. Occupants are also treated to a Burmester 3D premium surround sound system, which is fitted as standard, and the front seats have a massage function.
The Ferrari Purosangue comes with a carbon fibre roof, which comes with the purpose of lowering the centre of gravity, but clients who want to let the sun in can opt for a full-length electrochromic glass roof which can alternate between shade and sunshine at the push of a button.
“Since the marque's earliest years, 2+2 cars have played a significant role in its strategy. Many Ferraris have made combining benchmark performance with first-class comfort one of the pillars of their success,” Ferrari said.
“Now, in the culmination of 75 years of leading-edge research, Ferrari has created a car that is unique on the world stage: not only do performance, driving pleasure and comfort coexist in perfect harmony, but it is also a peerless encapsulation of the Prancing Horse’s iconic DNA. This is the reason why the name Purosangue, Italian for ‘thoroughbred’, was chosen.”
IOL Motoring