Ferrari GTC4Lusso is racy and roomy
IT’S FAST, it’s beautiful, and it’s the closest thing Ferrari has to a ‘family’ car.
The new GTC4Lusso has been launched in South Africa and the Italian grand tourer boasts some impressive numbers: 12 cylinders, a 335km/h top speed, 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds, and a R6.2-million price tag.
But it’s the number four that plays just as big a part in this latest addition to the Ferrari stable. Under that unusual stationwagon-coupe shape is a large cabin that can take four full-sized adults in comfort, making it a more sociable Ferrari that allows the driver to take more than one person along for the hair-raising ride. Its boot swallows a family-sized amount of luggage too, offering 450 litres expandable to 800 litres with the rear seats flipped down.
It also has four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering to give this powerful brute the roadholding to tame its 507kW and 697Nm outputs, even on snow-covered or wet roads.
Maranello, almost alone in the motor industry, is standing firm in not offering an SUV in its range (for which purists will probably be thankful), but with its all-wheel drive and practical ground clearance the FF’s the closest the prancing horse has ever come.
The 4WS (rear-wheel steering), which is integrated with Side Slip Control (SSC3), gives the big car more agility in corners and also better high-speed stability.
The front-mid mounted 6.3-litre V12 is a normally-aspirated engine that redlines at a heady 82500rpm and fires power to both axles through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
There are big changes inside the cabin, including a new steering wheel and a modernised infotainment system with separate touchscreens for the driver and front passenger. The car, successor to the Ferrari FF, was unveiled at last week’s opening of Scuderia South Africa’s brand new Cape Town dealership at the V&A Waterfront.
“The GTC4Lusso brings unprecedented versatility to Ferrari driving, like the FF before it,” says Mervyn Eagles, CEO of Scuderia South Africa.
“Through the FF, won the Prancing Horse a new, younger client base that also makes greater use of its cars, clocking up 30% higher mileage than average and thus success is set to continue with the GTC4Lusso.”
The name of this new model hints at some illustrious predecessors including the 330 GTC, its 2+2 sister model, the 330 GT, and the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso.