Experience 4x4 Driving Ferrari Style

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by: Tyler Morris
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Word Count: 433
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2011 Time: 11:41 PM
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When you think of 4x4 cars your immediate thought tends to be of large unwieldy boxes. Think of those who experience 4x4 driving on a daily basis and you'll think of farmers traversing rugged terrain in all weathers or, perhaps, well-to-do mothers negotiating the rigours of the school run.

Conversely, think of cars made by Ferrari and your mind will be filled with images of sleek, red supercars, either tearing around a race track or else cruising down the sun-drenched sea front of a stylish resort in the Mediterranean. It seems like the classic supercar driving experience could hardly be further removed from bumping around muddy fields in a 4x4.

Of course, there are plenty of 4x4s on the market that aren't designed to go off road, so perhaps I'm drawing the distinction a little too sharply but, nevertheless, it serves to show why there's been quite such a stir caused by the unveiling of Ferrari's first ever four-wheel drive road model. The new car, dubbed the Ferrari FF (four seats, four-wheel drive) is the first built (in recent times) by the manufacturer with the express intention that it will be capable of accommodating four adults and their luggage. It will be exhibited in March at the International Motor Show, Geneva, and is expected to go on sale soon afterwards.

Essentially, the Ferrari FF is a front-engined V12 GT, designed to replace the 612 "two-plus-two" coupe. With more than a nod towards practicality, the FF is aimed at attracting a new kind of "all roads, all weathers" Ferrari customer, perhaps serving as an alternative to the more traditional 4x4s that buyers might take on ski trips. I suspect it would be a brave Ferrari owner to try out their pride and joy on a proper off-roading course, but Ferrari do claim that the intelligent torque distribution technology will enable FF drivers to tackle low-grip or snow covered surfaces.

More practical it may be, but the FF is no less of a Ferrari for it. The 6.25 litre V12 produces 650bhp at 8,000rpm. This translates into astonishing performance for a "practical" car that has 450 litres of boot space, even with four people onboard. The FF is able to get from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 208mph, marking a significant improvement on the 612.

Prices have not yet been announced, though it's rumoured that you'll need more than £220,000 to secure your own FF. Still, the practical aspects of the car allowing it to bump along down a country lane, it could help redefine exactly what's meant by the Ferrari driving experience.

About the Author

Tyler Morris writes about Silverstone and their driving experience days.