WHEN ENZO MET MENSA
|t’s two cars in one – so of course it has double the tech. Here are the highlights
PUNCH A B|GGER HOLE
Ferrari’s first four-door four-seater presented its aerodynamicists with new challenges and new opportunities, but the same targets: low drag, e ective cooling, high downforce and looking good. Tackling wake from the wheels by creating an air curtain – that in turn develops a seal – was crucial, while the F12 Berlinetta-inspired aerobridge (just ahead of the A-pillar) helps reduce drag.
B|GGER, ST|FFER, L|GHTER
The bodyshell is mostly aluminium, with a carbonfibre roof to stop the centre of gravity getting too high. |t sits on a new chassis that’s lighter than previous Ferrari four-seaters, with high-strength aluminium alloy for the lower structure and steel for occupant protection. |t has improved torsional rigidity (up 30 per cent over the GTC4 Lusso) and beam sti ness (up 25 per cent).
NOT THAT |T’S AN SUV...
The Purosangue’s wheels are huge – 255/35 R22 tyres at the front, 315/30 R23 at the back. The brakes (398mm front discs, 380mm rear) are brake-by-wire, using the system from the 296 GTB, despite the Purosangue’s lack of hybridisation. Why? For the creative freedom it gives the engineers over the relationship between pedal and brake e ort. The results are great; firm, short-travel, superbly sensitive.
SAME BUT D|FFERENT
Part of the familiar F140 family of naturally-aspirated 65º V12s but tweaked to bring more torque at lower revs. The cylinder heads are based on the 812 Comp’s, but there are new intake and exhaust systems, a new crankshaft, new pistons, new cooling and lubrication systems, and the camshafts benefit from a new low-friction finish. The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, mounted on the rear axle, has new actuation hydraulics for quicker shifts.
A B|G BOOT: UNCHARTED TERR|TORY FOR FERRAR|
At 473 litres, the Purosangue has the largest boot of any Ferrari ever, edging out the GTC4 Lusso’s 450 litres. There’s also a handy hidden compartment underneath the main floor, and the rear seatbacks can be folded. That said, the Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX both o er more outright luggage space.
ACT|VE ART|STRY
Maranello’s been hyping this system for years and, now that it’s here, the active set-up is certainly smart. There are no anti-roll bars, active (as used by the likes of the Bentayga) or otherwise. On entry and mid-corner, roll is controlled via rapid manipulation of the spool-valve dampers, which each feature a 48-volt, liquid-cooled e-motor capable of exerting enough force to move the entire body. They give Ferrari control over the ride height (and therefore the height of the centre of gravity, dropping the latter to reduce roll on turn-in) and the roll sti ness front to rear (as conventional active anti-roll bars do too), with the Purosangue shifting the roll sti ness rearward on corner exit for improved stability and driver confidence.
NO RACE MODE
Electronic aids include adaptive cruise as standard and hill descent control as an option for the first time on a Ferrari. Drive modes – |ce, Wet, Comfort, Sport and ESC O – can automatically adapt depending on the road conditions. There’s no Race mode, but the Purosangue’s Sport setting is, says Ferrari, a mix between Race and TC O in other models.
| HANG ON TO EVERY GEAR L|KE |T’S MY LAST, ENG|NE AT 8000RPM, SH|FT L|GHTS PULS|NG
like it’s my last, revs soaring to over 8000rpm, shift lights pulsing blue before the hard limiter hits home. Second gear, third, fourth, the numbers rise as the decibels rollercoaster up and down. Wide-eyed with my eardrums bursting to the battle cry of a dying breed, the brightness at the end of the tunnel rushes forward and brings us out into the open, sunlight filling the cabin, fresh mountain air snapping me back to normality. This engine truly is one of the all-time greats.
We press on further, keen to make the hotel before nightfall. As the roads become faster, the looming snow-covered mountains of the Dolomites shrink back into the landscape, eventually hidden by the heavy iron-grey clouds on eternal overwatch. Stretching out ahead of us is the A22 – a regular Italian motorway that connects Austria to Modena, but its 130km/h (81mph) speed limit and liquorish-smooth surface highlight the Purosangue’s GT credentials.
I had my suspicions on the way up the mountain, but the Purosangue – aided by the flexibility of its V12 – is an eerily good cruiser. With 22-inch rims on the front and 23s on the rear, it looks like a car where comfort might be fourth or fifth on the list of priorities. But they’ve made it work regardless of road surface. Combined with the lavish leather seats, it’s a positively sumptuous experience only slightly let down by discernible wind noise. What’s more, the compliance doesn’t go out of the window as you cycle through the damper settings (simply named Soft, Medium and Hard).
Part of this is thanks to the car’s suspension technology, which uses Multimatic’s True Active Spool Valve system. In essence, the Purosangue does away with anti-roll bars and instead has compact electric motors on each corner that can rapidly tweak the dampers to do a similar job. The result is less roll and pitch, as well as improved bump absorption. It’s so complex that it needs its own cooling system and 48-volt power supply. At a time when cars are getting taller and heavier it feels like it has rewritten the rulebook on what is possible.
January sun trickling below the horizon, we peel off the A22 and begin to pass through small towns, eventually reaching our stopover. A never-before-seen alien craft, the Purosangue attracts countless glances and double takes. The facial expressions deliver scores of eight, nine, even 10 out of 10, like discerning judges at a figure skating contest. Like so many people in Northern Italy, they are protective