We were underwhelmed when we saw the initial pictures of the Ferrari FF. The car really needs to be viewed in the metal, right up close, and the first thing to strike you is that it is a big vehicle – at nearly five metres long, its footprint is like that of an Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine.
The long bonnet harks back to the 1960s when the Ferrari 250 GTO reigned supreme, while the pronounced “cab-backward” body places the rear passengers right atop the rear axle.
The styling’s controversial bit is the extended roofline, which is an upright fastback inspired by the classic “shooting brake” (low-slung, two-door coupe-estate combo). This design was deliberate, as Ferrari wanted its FF to be a practical four-seater, which partly explains the new name.
Ferrari FF’s cockpit will be familiar to Ferrari enthusiasts, but its grand tourer attributes, such as room for four occupants and their luggage, might be a pleasant surprise.
The other “F” refers to the car’s four-wheel drive. Ferrari appears to be late in adopting 4WD compared to rivals such as Lamborghini and Porsche, but as senior executives vehemently explained at the car’s launch, 4WD is really not part of Ferrari’s tradition, nor its philosophy.
The marque’s entire reputation is built upon its intense involvement with Formula 1 racing, which is, and always has been, rear-drive. Ferrari has been considering 4WD for its road cars since 2004, when planning for the 612 Scaglietti’s successor began.
The company concluded that incorporating 4WD would have to happen with proprietary technology from Ferrari itself, because existing 4WD systems were not suitable for one reason or another. The primary concern was about how such technology might alter handling.
The message is loud and clear: Hitting those big digits on the tacho and speedo is ridiculously easy in a modern Ferrari.
Ferrari engineers took the last six years to develop a driveline that satisfied their list of demands. They call it 4RM, or 4 Ruote Motrici. All the complications of developing a patented 4WD system would have been unnecessary on a car with 500bhp, but the Ferrari FF sports 660bhp and 683Nm from its 6.3-litre V12.
Such output would readily breach the limits of just a pair of rear wheels. Even if they were equipped with the F430’s electronic differential system, it would merely “remove” a small portion of excessive motive energy in concert with the ECU or traction control. Ferrari’s 4RM is a more sophisticated solution that diverts excess power to the front wheels, both pro-actively and reactively, to maximise accelerative performance and grip on the ground.
A graphic display on the left side of the instrument cluster shows the power transfer that takes place. There is otherwise no indication or perception that anything is happening in real-time.
This optional display in the Ferrari FF lets the front passenger enjoy the quick trip a little more.
The Ferrari FF’s steering feel remains uncorrupted (as intended), and about the only evidence of anything unusual happening “underneath” is the amazing acceleration out of a corner at full throttle.
In Sport mode, there is a hint that the rear wheels are sliding out of line, but in Comfort mode, the electronic nanny reins in potential wheelspin earlier. This is not to say the Ferrari FF has gone soft, as Ferrari’s Comfort configuration is equivalent to most sports cars’ hardcore setting and Sport is virtually a race track special.
The steering is chock-a-block with controls, but its main feature is Ferrari’s Manettino selector. It contains two new positions – Wet and Comfort – in addition to the usual and familiar Snow, Sport and ESC Off (also known as CST Off in the F430 and 599).
In the Ferrari FF, the Comfort setting is probably the best compromise for everyday Ferrari drivers, middle-aged or otherwise.
In the Ferrari FF, these modes modify the diversion of torque to the front wheels, with Snow providing the most four-wheel traction and ESC Off, the least.
Putting these high-performance paws to the test are the Italian Alps of South Tyrol, where there is still plenty of snow even in springtime – perfect for showing off the Ferrari FF’s capabilities. More importantly, there is an abundance of mountainous roads to test the new Ferrari.
It’s pretty cold the morning I set off, and the roads are a patchwork of wet and dry due to the melting snow banks. Driving conditions are a bit tricky, to say the least. Turn after turn, I push a little harder every time, but the Ferrari FF’s handling limits remain remarkably high, helped by the massive Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres.
The message is loud and clear: Hitting those big digits on the tacho and speedo is ridiculously easy in a modern Ferrari.
Despite belting the Ferrari FF through corners like a madman, I only manage a bit of tyre scrub as the Ferrari FF sails through as if on crazy glue. Suffice to say, the algorithms used for Sport mode (which offers the best balance between alacrity and stability) are meant to give the driver the opportunity to use all, or almost all, of the 660bhp safely and effectively.
In my opinion, piloting the Ferrari FF in Sport deploys the most performance onto the asphalt, although ultimately, it is less frisky than the Ferrari 458 Italia’s Race setting.
Only with ESC Off (which disables all electronic aids except ABS) is deliberate oversteer easy to achieve – either by closing the throttle midway through a fast bend or by applying loads of power on a slippery surface. Tail-out action is a thrill, undoubtedly, but the Ferrari FF is meant to be a potent GT car and it “handles” this job very well.
Happy to oblige the serious driver when he is driving seriously, the Ferrari FF seems to be 500kg lighter than it actually is. Its weight in reality is well over 1.8 tonnes, but this is easily overcome by the ferocious power delivery and the quick-ratio steering.
The car doesn’t feel heavy at all when making aggressive directional changes or braking at high speeds – the superb suspension and the massive 398mm/360mm carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes see to that. The Ferrari FF really behaves like a much lighter supercar.
One might expect a lumpy ride with such tight responses, but the Ferrari FF is really quite comfortable on the go thanks to third-generation, electronically variable dampers (named SCM3, for Sospensioni a Controllo Magnetoreologico) that provide the last ounce of pliancy while maintaining iron-fisted chassis control.
Crossing continents at high speed in a costly coupe doesn’t get much nicer than this; note the air-con vents clad in carbon fibre.
The Comfort mode is ideal for everyday motoring as it orders the engine and transmission to run as smoothly as possible, making progress in town more palatable compared to Sport, which is too much of a live wire (with hair-trigger throttle response and a hyperactive transmission) in busy traffic.
Above the engine start switch on the left side of the steering wheel is a button with a damper icon. Referred to in some quarters as the “bumpy road” mode, this reduces the suspension’s damping stiffness, which is not only useful over less-than-perfect tarmac but also in the middle of an uneven corner that might throw the Ferrari FF off the cornering line if it’s in Sport. Regardless of driving mode, the Ferrari FF’s steering always remains positive and stays accurate.
Equally impressive is the Ferrari FF’s new 7-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox. It performs flawlessly, both in foolproof auto mode and full attack mode. A real precision device, the transmission responds telepathically to gearchange instructions via the paddles.
Bespoke leather luggage makes the most out of the Ferrari FF’s 450-litre boot, which can be expanded to 800 litres by folding the rear seats.
Compared to a mass market dual-clutch, operating this super-shifter is like releasing the shutter on a high-end, high-speed DSLR after playing with a cheap digicam. The Ferrari FF’s 7-speeder is so precise, you can execute every upshift exactly 100rpm before the 8200rpm rev limit without having to try too hard.
Throttle response from the Ferrari FF’s 6.3-litre V12 is unbelievable. The needle practically flicks across the tachometer when you put the pedal to the metal – the revs don’t just rise to the occasion, they shoot to the redline.
There doesn’t seem to be any flywheel effect here, yet the idling is perfectly calm. This big engine, by the way, is Ferrari’s first direct injection V12 (its V8s have been directly injected for some time now).
Ferrari FF’s 660bhp, 6.3-litre V12 is the largest and most powerful Ferrari motor today, yet it’s also highly efficient by 12-cylinder standards.
This allows a compression ratio of 12.3 to 1 and also helps low-end torque, which is substantial in this vehicle. There is a claimed 502Nm available from just 1000rpm! That’s like the peak torque figure from a good 5-litre V8.
Performing at its peak, with revs screaming and suspension thumping, is what the Ferrari FF is designed to do, but it is also adept at pottering around lazily. The cabin really seats four adults – not quite like the Porsche Panamera, but definitely better than the Aston Martin Rapide.
The Ferrari FF flies from zero to 200km/h in 11 seconds, which matches the searing acceleration of the outwardly sportier Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
The only caveat – because Ferrari is apparently forever faithful to two doors – is having to clamber into the back through the small gap created by shifting either front seat forward. This has not stopped the 1000-plus buyers of the 612 (the FF’s predecessor), who will surely be glad to know that interior access is slightly easier with the newcomer.
Double-glazed glass and solid soundproofing make for a quiet cabin, although any notion of Lancia-like luxury is soon dispelled when you press Sport and a pair of ducts from the engine broadcast more of its intake roar to the occupants (without upsetting the drive-by noise police on the outside).
Driving the Ferrari FF, the writer finds damp hairpin bends less hair-raising than expected.
Practicality and Ferrari make strange bedfellows, but the Ferrari FF proves it is possible, without resorting to some funny five-door layout. The car comes with folding seat-backs and a set of custom-shaped suitcases.
After a seven-hour test drive in formation with a squadron of FFs, all of them flying like exquisite fighter planes, appreciating this “multi-purpose” Ferrari comes naturally.
It leaves the Ferrari Scaglietti in its wake and is closer to the Ferrari 458 in dynamics than the Ferrari 612 was to the Ferrari F430, yet the Ferrari FF is a genuine grand tourer for a party of four – in a huge hurry, of course.
The Ferrari FF weighs almost 1.9 tonnes, but it feels like a V12-powered hot hatch.
Ferrari FF 6.3 (A)
ENGINE 6262cc, 48-valves, V12
MAX POWER 660bhp at 8000rpm
MAX TORQUE 683Nm at 6000rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 3.7 seconds
TOP SPEED 335km/h
CONSUMPTION 6.5km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE To be advised
Check out the successor to the Ferrari FF, the Ferrari GT4CLusso T.
