FINALLY, A FOUR-DOOR
Italian automaker has the technology available to make founder's dream become a reality
Despite a profound affection for his firm's two-seaters, Enzo Ferrari preferred 2+2 GT cars for personal use in his later years. This is simply because the founder of the famed Italian car manufacturer found the four-seaters much more practical. In 1980, he worked with design firm Pininfarina to design a larger, four-door, four-seat Ferrari. A concept was made, but the car never saw production because its performance was too compromised, so the project was abandoned.
Technology has finally caught up with Ferrari's idea, and the automaker has launched the Purosangue. Ferrari's first production four-door sports car promises performance and handling worthy of the prancing horse — with no compromises. And yes, it's a sports car, so don't call it an SUV.
The Purosangue is new from the ground up. While it sits higher than any other car in Ferrari's lineup, its roofline is nonetheless low if compared to an SUV or crossover. It rolls on ultrawide 22-inch front and 23-inch rear wheels, and stops via massive carbon-ceramic brakes.
Unlike SUVS, which strive to squeeze as many occupants as possible into the cabin, the Purosangue seats only four. Each of the occupants will feel like they're in the driver's seat, because all four seats are the same, as is the seating position, which is similar to that in the firm's supercars. To make access to the rear easier, the rear doors are hinged at the rear. There's 473 litres of storage space behind the rear seats, which fold down to expand capacity.
While Ferrari could have taken the opportunity to further show off the potent, 2.9-L turbocharged V-6 hybrid powertrain introduced in the 296 GTB, hardcore Ferraristi will be happy to learn the company chose to stick with tradition by dropping a 6.5-L, naturally aspirated V-12 under the Purosangue's long hood.
The engine has been reworked with a longer stroke, new cams and a redesigned intake, and a number of friction-reducing measures have been applied. Claiming 725 horsepower and 528 pound-feet of torque, it's more powerful than the firm's first hatchback model, the FF, and its successor, GTC4 Lusso, both sporting four seats.
However, the engine is tuned to produce 80 per cent of its torque from just 2,200 rpm. It mates to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox that features close ratios from first to seventh gears, with eighth being taller for relaxed highway cruising.
The Purosangue has a unique mid-front engine configuration that contributes to a sports-carlike 49.5 front/50.5 rear weight distribution. The engine is mounted behind the front wheels, with the gearbox mounted at the rear of the engine, driving the rear wheels. A power-transfer unit mounted at the front drives the front wheels.
Ferrari looked to existing models to apply some new technology to the Purosangue. Among them is the 296 GTB, from which it borrows the brake-by-wire system, though it has been tuned to handle low-traction environments. From the 812 Competizione, it borrows four-wheel steering, with independently controlled rear wheels.
The aluminum chassis is all new, and includes boxed extrusions joined by hollow castings and despite being larger than Ferrari's other four-seaters, it is lighter and stiffer. Aluminum, high-strength steel and carbon fibre are used in the body panels, bonded together with structural adhesive for strength and light weight. Claimed dry weight is 2,033 kilograms.
There are no active aerodynamics, so no spoilers that rise and lower and no flaps that open to assist airflow — a decision Ferrari says was made to save weight. One technology that is unique among Ferrari models is active suspension. Developed in conjunction with Canadian automotive engineering firm Multimatic, the suspension constantly adjusts ride height and damping to match road conditions. The 48-volt system is programmed to counter body roll when cornering hard, thus eliminating the need for anti-roll bars, and it lowers the car by 10 millimetres at high speeds.
The Purosangue is probably the most anticipated new Ferrari to come along in a long time, and it had already set a pre-order record even before any images of the car were released.
Ferrari has no plans on making the Purosangue a high volume car, and it will represent no more than 20 per cent of production. Deliveries will begin in Europe in the second quarter of 2023, with North America receiving its first Purosangue models in the fourth quarter. Only European pricing has been released to date, at 390,000 euros (about CND$520,000).