FERRARI PUROSANGUE

Those shopping at the very top of the performance SUV pyramid—say, for a Lamborghini Urus or an Aston Martin DBX 707—might want to wait to see what Ferrari has wrought. So, too, will the legions of prancing-horse fans, whether or not they’re excited or ready to storm the factory gates at the prospect of a Ferrari SUV. The wait is nearly over: Ferrari has said the Purosangue (Italian for “thoroughbred”) will go into production later this year with deliveries set to start in 2023.

Enzo Ferrari was always opposed to the idea of a four-door Ferrari, and former boss Sergio Marchionne famously said, “You have to shoot me first,” when asked about the prospect of a Ferrari SUV. Enzo has been gone for decades, and Marchionne died (of natural causes) in 2018. Ferrari announced its SUV intentions that same year.

Ferrari is adapting its existing frontengine platform to fit the SUV mold. That means a rear transaxle is likely and a hybrid powertrain is all but a guarantee with the possibility of an electrically driven front axle like that of the SF90. Ferrari has strongly hinted that it will use a new V-12 engine, and a twin-turbo V-8 is likely too. Whatever the cylinder count, if Ferrari wants to have the fastest utility vehicle in existence—and you know it does—it will have to deliver a top speed surpassing the 189-mph Urus and the 193-hp DBX 707.

Rumors are swirling about rearhinged rear doors—suicide doors or coach doors, as Rolls-Royce calls them— and a B-pillarless greenhouse. To drive home that this is a Ferrari SUV, there’s a badge on the hood and a prancing horse in the grille. A Purosangue spied at the factory wore a Scuderia crest on its fender. Get that extra badge and all the owner will need is a red satin jacket with a prancing horse on the back. Will the Real Ferrari please stand up?