Ferrari to the power of four
Still four seats and four-wheel steering, but no four-wheel drive and four fewer cylinders for the GTC4 Lusso T
THE FOUR SEAT Ferrari can be traced back to the 1960s, when the 250 GTE kick-started a line of V12s with a 2+2 layout. There’s been the odd V8 along the way, but never before has Ferrari offered a choice of engines in a single model. Not until the new GTC4 Lusso T anyway, which lifts its turbocharged V8 from the fantastic 488 GTB, to sit alongside the naturally aspirated V12-powered GTC4 Lusso. It ditches the V12’s complex all-wheel-drive system too, favouring the rear wheels for a more dynamic handling balance and a 55kg reduction in (plus finer distribution of ) weight.
Prod the big red starter button and the Lusso T growls into life. It doesn’t wail like the 12-cylinder car, but should satisfy even the biggest turbo sceptics with its feral bark. With 603bhp and 561lb ft, it’s 88bhp down on power yet boasts an extra 47lb ft of torque.
Performance is relentless. The 0-62mph sprint takes just 3.5 seconds, and it’ll keep accelerating to 199mph. Despite being forcefed, the way the Lusso T delivers its power is remarkably linear, thanks mainly to Ferrari’s clever Variable Boost Management system. The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox slurs changes smoothly in Normal mode, but flick the steering wheel-mounted manettino toggle to Sport and it’ll deliver each cog with a violent kick in the back.
And while it runs out of shove at 7500rpm – 500rpm less than the more visceral 488 – its flexibility means you can hold onto the gears between corners and accelerate out of tight bends with just a slight squeeze of the throttle. Ditching the FF’s four-wheel-drive system allows the GTC to show its playful side with all the systems switched off, too. Fade-free carbon ceramic brakes are standard issue.
Like the existing V12, the Lusso T uses an adapted version of the F12 TdF’s rear-wheelsteer system. However, unlike the hardcore limited-run supercar, the GTC’s set-up favours mid-corner agility rather than improved high- speed steadiness. It works well, and makes the car feel much smaller than its FF-style long bonnet and shooting brake body suggest.
Yet while it feels more nimble, the Lusso T can’t match the V12’s comfort, refinement and long-distance manners. It feels fluid on smooth surfaces but the wide tyres and sharp steering cause it to follow ruts and ridges in the road, requiring heightened levels of concentration on particularly broken surfaces. The steering seems overly sensitive on the straight and narrow and is never truly relaxing – unlike what you’d expect of a car such as this.
Inside, the intuitive 10.25in touchscreen is perfectly integrated into the dash, flanked by carbonfibre, sumptuous leather and high-grade metals, while adult-sized rear seats and a boot for real luggage make for rare practicality.
Few people buy a Ferrari to slide silently under the radar, but to any unsuspecting bystander there are few tell-tale signs that you’ve opted for the ‘lesser’ V8 version. Save some new 20-inch wheels and a unique exhaust, the Lusso T looks identical to its better-endowed stablemate and, at just under £200,000, costs £30,000 less.