The Ferrari FF is a convenient GT, armed with enough fire-power to blow most supercars away
A FERRARI FF AWAITS US. Its royal blue paint is an enticing contrast against the lush green grass as the rumbling V12 idle works as a thrilling background score.
The ‘FF’ suffix stands for four seats and four-wheel drive. Yes, this is the fi rst Ferrari four-by-four production model ever. And, might I add, a very practical one too. Firstly, it has a couple of full-size rear seats that are extremely spacious and comfortable. Then the huge tailgate swings open to reveal a mighty useful luggage space of 450 litres.
The FF defi nitely does have enough Ferrari charm to announce its entry as one coasts to a red-carpet event, with its stretched headlights, massive wheels and with the black prancing horse embossed on the brilliant yellow emblem. The low and stretched bonnet, acutely inclined windscreen and hatch-like tail-end can best be described as ‘interesting’, though not the ultimate design to come from the Italian luxury car manufacturers.
And the drive is yet another story. To experience it, we get behind the F1-inspired fl at-bottomed steering wheel, dressed smartly in tan leather and carbon-fi bre. Like a race car, this one is laden with several controls: ‘Engine Start’, headlight dipper, turn signals and wipers. Did I miss the suspension settings and driving modes? Twist the tiny knob to select a drive mode from the options of ‘Ice’, ‘Wet’,’ Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘ESP off’. Then you get large metallic gear-shift paddles behind the steering wheel, where the right one is to shift up and left to shift down. And seize both together and you’re in neutral.
Its cabin is a mixture of California architecture and 458 detailing, including the sports car’s Vehicle Dynamic Assistant screen, which shows the condition of brakes, engine and tyres. While the sporty dashboard with fi ve turbine-engine-inspired air-conditioning vents and three-pod instrument cluster can surely set your pulses racing. There’s a perfect blend of fi ne leather, brushed metal and high-quality plastic – a collation of luxury and sportiness.
Bringing the engine to life, I intermittently feed in the gas to hear the Italian symphony being emitted from the four exhausts. It’s suitably hushed at a cruise, but channels the perfect blend of intake and exhaust music into the cabin. Now that this neighbourhood was wide awake, it was time to drive on. Right fi ngers snap at the paddle-shifter and the car surges ahead, propelled on a wave of V12 torque. Sitting comfortably cooped up on the alanine leather-covered bucket seats, my hands constantly nudge the sporty steering wheel left and right, as I manoeuvre through the unpredictable city traffi c.
The FF offers incredible road grip riding on its 20-inch wheels (245/35 ZR 20 8.5 J x 20” in front and 295/35 ZR 20 10.5 J x 20 in the rear). I remain impressed by the amount of braking force offered by the ventilated carbon ceramic discs as well and the Pirellis get a thumbs-up for the impelling traction too. Not to forget the combination of Ferrari’s cleverly calibrated ESP and an even cleverer four-wheel drive system. On the gentle drive, it’s the consummate GT – smooth, refi ned and far more spacious than most other sports cars. Splashing water from the potholes to complete the monsoon effect, I sense the suspension to be on the fi rmer side, yet reasonably comfortable to live with in a metropolitan city.
It might be positioned as a GT, but this is fast! And it’s little wonder, since its 6.3-litre V12 pumps out 659 PS and 681 Nm, making it as powerful and even gruntier than the fabled Enzo hyper-car. Fair dos, the Enzo weighed 1,365 kg compared to the 1,880 kg of the FF, but that’s still an awful lot of punch for a coupé. It can achieve 0-100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds and 200 km/h in 11 seconds and goes all the way to 335 km/h on the speedo. Despite the weight it’s far from being an unbalanced sloth and feels deliciously manoeuvrable. In sheer character the FF feels very much like a traditional rear-drive Ferrari. However, you can feel the four-wheel drive system working when it pulls out of a curve without any of the clumsy understeer plough.
Driving in the different default modes changes the character of the FF considerably. Though, ‘Ice’ is of not much use in this part of the world, it is supposed to provide more power to the outside wheels to turn the car. ‘Wet’ allows a little more latitude and ‘Comfort’ is surprisingly a lot more entertaining than the name suggests. But ‘Sport’ is the wild card. It offers the ESP safety net, as the electronics trim your line, but never cut short the fun element. The FF’s steering is darty and has appreciable weight. Talking about weight, the FF does have a hefty price-tag of Rs 3.47 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai) that not many can afford.
It’s roomy, practical and refined thanks to the clever seven-speed gearbox. Apart from being a great GT, the FF is a genuine supercar that could be used round the year with ease.
It can achieve 0-100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds and 200 km/h in 11 seconds and goes all the way to 335 km/h on the speedo. Despite the weight it’s far from being an unbalanced sloth and feels deliciously manoeuvrable
The 6.3-litre V12 of the Ferrari FF pumps out 659 PS and 681 Nm, making it as powerful, and even gruntier, than the Enzo hyper-car. Feed in gas to hear the Italian symphony being emitted from the four exhausts.
NEED TO KNOW
FERRARI FF 6.3-LITRE V12
PRICE Rs 3.47 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai)
ENGINE 6262cc, 659PS, 681Nm
TRANSMISSION Seven-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
PERFORMANCE 3.7 secs 0-100km/h, 335km/h top speed
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
