Ferrari FF

Ferrari FF At a Glance :

Price: $624,646 (before on-road costs)

Engine: 6.3-litre V12
Power: 486kW at 8000rpm
Torque: 630Nm at 6000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto, part-time AWD
0-100km/h: 3.7 seconds
0-200km/h: 11 seconds
Maximum speed: 335km/h
Fuel consumption: 15.4L/100km
CO2 emissions: 360g/km
Weight: 1880kg

Ferrari's first four-wheel-drive car, the FF, is anything but truck-like. In fact, it's shockingly quick and powerful. It's also uniquely styled, as one of the few two-door shooting brakes on the market.What is most interesting about the FF, however, is how it delivers drive to the road. Unlike any other production Ferrari, it's four-wheel drive. Ferrari had previously dabbled with four driven wheels in the 1987 408 Integrale concept, but the V12-engined FF is the first to make series production with such a system



The shooting brake form factor is a bit like a stubby wagon, and while that might not sound like a good basis for beautiful design, with the Ferrari FF, it works. A long, low nose slopes up into the laid-back windshield, then over a mid-length roof to end abruptly in a Kammback tail. Along the sides, fender swells and smooth contours contrast with the slightly snarling aerodynamics of the nose and tail.

Inside the $300,000 FF, you'll find typical modern Ferrari features, including a driver-centric cabin layout and control interface, two-tone finishes, and, of course, fine leathers and metal trim.

Under the FF's hood, a 6.3-liter V-12 engine generates 651 horsepower. Despite the 3,946-pound curb weight, the four-wheel-drive FF can accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 208 mph. We haven't had a turn behind the wheel of the FF just yet, but we're sure it's a suitably impressive drive.
The four-wheel-drive system is, like most of the rest of the FF, unique. Instead of using a transfer case like most all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles, Ferrari sends power directly from each end of the engine, with the seven-speed transmission driving the rear wheels. A separate two-speed transmission takes power off the nose of the crank to drive the front wheels. The front wheels only drive the car below fourth gear. After that, the rears get all of the torque.

Exterior:

 

Skeptics will call the FF one of the more boring looking Ferraris of the past few decades, while those of a somewhat more optimistic disposition might find it muscular and purposeful. Like the similarly mis-proportioned BMW M Coupe before, opinions will certainly be mixed. Me? I like it. The wide stance, massive wheels wrapped by swollen fenders, is muscular and powerful — but there's no ignoring the generous posterior necessitated by that rear hatch.6

Yes, you could call this the world's fastest station wagon, but I'm more inclined to call it a particularly hot hatch. Virtually every styling cue points to power and aggression: quad exhausts flanking a generous aerodynamic splitter; vents or intakes on all four fenders; the bulging hood, which looks to be vacuum-sealed over that massive, red-headed 6.3-liter V-12. Seen from the front the FF seems to scowl at you, a menacing look in the rear-view of those ahead. Move to the side, though, and the FF almost seems to flash a cheeky grin. Less intimidating, sure, and a sign of the bi-polar nature of this machine.

Our test car was fitted with (optional) 20-inch wheels featuring a split five-spoke design and a matte color that I found quite visually pleasing without drawing attention away from the shapely aluminum bodywork. Those wheels are wrapped with wafer-thin Pirelli P Zero tires, a seemingly punishing 245/35 sidewall height that is somehow made reasonably comfortable thanks to some suspension trickery we'll discuss a little bit later.

Magneto-rheological dampers help control the FF's body motion for improved grip in a wider range of conditions, while carbon-ceramic brakes increase the fade-resistance and stopping power of the big shooting brake.The shooting brake form factor brings more benefits than just unique looks: the FF holds 15.9 cubic feet of cargo behind the seats, which can be expanded to 28.2 cubic feet with the rear seats laid flat. That makes it one of the most practical of the super-performance class

Interior:

The Ferrai FF's door is long and it is heavy. It doesn't swing upward with the theatrics of the Mercedes SLS or McLaren MP4-12C, nor does its handle automatically extend in a welcoming gesture like on the Tesla Model S. It is a car door in a very typical sense.

Ferrari does not offer a choice of seat designs in the FF, so thankfully the default is a good one, managing to be both comfortable and sporty — not to mention endlessly customizable. Powered controls nestled down in a traditional spot on the side near the floor move your throne up and down and in the usual directions, also enabling discrete adjustments for both the upper and lower bolsters, meaning you can get as much or as little support as you like. A trio of buttons allow you to program and save three configurations, enabling quick toggling between squeezy and comfy while still leaving a third setting free for a (very) special someone with whom you share the key.

As you'd expect from a driver-focused machine like this, once seated virtually everything falls quickly to hand. The vast majority of the car's controls have been sprinkled on and around the steering wheel, as we'll discuss in a moment, but lucky drivers won't have to stretch far for their fingers to find the rest.

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Window controls are found between the seats, just below a little padded cubicle that's perfect for housing a phone while in motion. This cubbie is framed by arcing grab handles, carbon fiber in our car (you can get them leather-wrapped if you prefer) and perfectly positioned to accept the white knuckles of a timid passenger. Those handles flow into a control that houses three large buttons for enabling launch control, setting the transmission into automatic, and shifting into reverse.Continuing to climb up the center stack you'll find the dual-zone climate controls, a series of satisfying physical knobs and buttons and then, finally, the main infotainment system. It's a JBL system, unremarkable in every respect. A trio of circular air outlets mark the center of the dash, with one more on each the far left and far right of the cockpit. Each offers a soft-touch knob in the center to open and close the vent within, and if you look closely you'll spot the embossed prancing horse. Details count, and there are plenty to be found here.

On the dash to the left of the steering wheel you'll find the headlight controls (which you can just leave on auto if you like) and a fiddly little knob that's cheekily labeled "pit limiter." That's Ferrari's euphemism for cruise control, and while it's functional (push to turn on, twist to the right to speed up, left to slow down) the knob is poorly placed and rather clumsy to operate. No, adaptive cruise control is not an option. Yes, this is a Ferrari and some would argue you shouldn't ever use cruise control anyhow, but remember: This is meant to be a practical Ferrari, which includes road-tripping and excelling at long highway cruises. There's a 24-gallon tank in here for a reason.