When Ferrari’s FF made its debut for 2012, the model broke new ground by being the first Ferrari with four-wheel drive. (The four-wheel-drive system and the car’s four-place layout led to the “FF” designation.) The newly unveiled follow-up version adds four-wheel steering to the mix, but rather than adding a third “F” to the model name, Ferrari switched to the more evocative GTC4Lusso.
Like the FF, the GTC4Lusso is a long-roof hatchback—a “shooting brake,” in European parlance—that allows it to seat four and carry a reasonable amount of luggage. The model’s all-weather capability and seating for more than two gives it a practical nature (Ferrari points out that FF owners log 30 percent more miles than the typical Ferrari driver). The GTC4Lusso retains its position as Ferrari’s practical supercar—although it nudges things a bit more toward the “supercar” side of the house.
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The styling features a sleeker roofline and a restyled rear area that tones down the FF’s hatchback look. The greatest dimensional change is in width (which grows by 1.1 inches), and that difference is most evident in the rear view, which also shows the new roof spoiler and rear diffuser. Overall length and height, by contrast, both increase by less than an inch. The GTC4Lusso sports re-sculpted doors and fenders, the latter with redesigned (and functional) air vents. Up front we find a wider grille and restyled headlamps. The leather-everywhere interior retains its digital readouts for rpm and speed on the passenger side but gains a larger, 10.3-inch infotainment screen with capacitive-touch controls and a redesigned, smaller steering wheel.
The big mechanical highlight is the addition of four-wheel steering (seen before on the F12tdf but never previously married with AWD—at least not at Ferrari). As any self-respecting new Ferrari must, the GTC4Lusso also ups the performance quotient. Ferrari has lured a few more horses into its (still naturally aspirated) V-12 corral. A higher compression ratio—now 13.5:1—sees increases in output to 681 horsepower, up from 651, at a lusty 8000 rpm. Torque swells from 504 to 514 lb-ft at 5750 rpm. Ferrari claims a zero-to-62-mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 208 mph.
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The GTC4Lusso will make its debut in person next month at the Geneva auto show. We won’t see the GTC4Lusso on the streets here in North America until sometime later this year. The price? Ferrari isn’t saying just yet, but don’t expect to pay any less than $302,450—that was the tariff for the FF, and we’ve never known a new Ferrari that was cheaper than the previous model.
source: caranddriver.com By JOE LORIO
The Fat Cat Collective 