The Italian marque introduced the Ferrari GTC4Lusso T — their first-ever four-seat model with a turbo V8 engine and rear-wheel drive, after the FF, the first-ever Ferrari for four with four-wheel drive, and then the more evolved GTC4Lusso.
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Nothing stops traffic in its tracks and is a magnet for stares like a Ferrari sports car finished in Rosso Scuderia — a bright and rather bold shade of traditional Maranello red. The Ferrari GTC4Lusso T looks just as menacing to behold as its non-T V12 twin, with a face reminiscent of its earlier two-door naturally aspirated sibling, the 458 Italia. The glaring face looks sporty yet aggressive and eager to attack from the word “Go!”. Yet, there’s more to it. It’s more than a car designed to go fast and turn heads every inch of the way. Yes, it does that, doubtless, but it can do what few other Ferrari models can — thrill four occupants at the same time.
The key difference between the GTC4Lusso, like the FF it replaced, and other Ferrari models lies in the Shooting Brake styling. A sort of bubble at the rear that essentially makes it a glorified hatchback translates into more room. That room allows for two more occupants and quite a bit of storage. Even so, the flow of lines is commendable. How Ferrari managed to wrap up the rear with gifted aero; essential when there’s 610 horsepower and a potential to hit a top speed of over 320 km/h.
There’s a lot that can be said about the styling and the effort gone into shaping the GTC4 as a package, but I’m going to stick to the ones that caught my eye in an instant. First, the slanted radiator set-up behind the front grille. While the engine underneath that long bonnet is a turbocharged V8, the performance it brings — just 80 hp down on the 6.3-litre V12, but with 63 Nm more peak torque — makes its cooling needs just as high a priority. Second, the fins on the front side-panel, just above the little round turn-indicators, are a sharp detail that add more to its appeal. Then there are the five-spoke matte-silver 20-inch alloy wheels with the yellow centres bearing the black Prancing Horse logo that are a quintessential part of any Ferrari, for me. As a Formula 1 fan through the early 2000s, that red car with contrasting yellow and black details goes a long way in endlessly adding to its appeal. The optional panoramic glass roof is one huge piece of glazed, insulated, and reinforced glass that not just looks cool, but helps keep the cabin airy and cool, even on a hot day.
Yes, it’s a four-seater, but it has just two doors. And they’re quite long, to go with the car’s length and wheelbase. That also means more than a decent amount of room. Get inside and the highlight is the carbon-fibre steering wheel; optional, of course. Ferrari insist on the controls being on there for the driver to stay focused, as well as providing a racecar-like feel to the drive experience. Everything from the engine start/stop button, the Manettino mode selector, the suspension mode control, the light controls, and turn-indicators are on there, with the steering column housing the gear-shift paddles. Behind the wheel is the large central tacho, complete with the optional yellow dial, with a needle that starts vertical — just the way I like it. More info is shown in the displays alongside. The centre touchscreen provides more settings and a third, optional display mounted on the dashboard in front of the passenger seat provides a rev-counter and g-force display. Neat touch!
The Ferrari GTC4Lusso T has been engineered to have more weight over the rear axle; 46:54 per cent, considering it’s rear-wheel-drive only. The 91-litre fuel-tank’s position just behind the rear seats and the smart electronic differential, among other details, help push the rear down for maximum traction. The V8 engine in the front is an evolution of the 600-hp unit in the Portofino, which itself was an evolution of the 560-hp motor in the California T we drove a few years ago. It’s worth noting that the F154 engine family it’s based on won the coveted International Engine of the Year award in 2016 for the CB-spec engine in the 488 GTB, albeit with a stroke longer by one millimetre. Here, in the Lusso T, it makes 610 hp and as much as 760 Nm of peak torque in seventh gear; and that last part is interesting.
