Ferrari dumped a new plan for investors today, announcing that it will produce 15 new models by 2022, including a crossover called the Purosangue and a new hybrid mid-engine supercar to slot above the current 488, which will also be replaced by a hybrid model.

Please help me, my eyes are spinning more than usual and my anxiety is peaking in anticipation of hearing people complain about a Ferrari SUV. A few deep breaths and I’ll be back on the news.

It’s pronounced purrrro-song-way, if you were struggling.

You may remember a few years ago when Ferrari’s then-chairman and former Fiat Chrysler CEO, the late Sergio Marchionne, said “you have to shoot me first” before Modena would put out an SUV. But before his death this summer, Marchionne seemed to have come around to the idea—or at least to how much money was to be made if Ferrari went the SUV route. It’s an idea whose time has come, even if the purists are having heart attacks over it.

According to Road & Track based on information from the investor meeting, both the 488-replacement and a new, top-of-the-range “standard” level car will share a new hybrid mid-engine platform. Along with the new platform, a new dual-clutch transmission is also in the works.

The info comes courtesy of Enrico Galleria, Ferrari’s head of marketing, who also indicated the new mid-engine platform could be the foundation of more future models. He also confirmed that there won’t be another LaFerrari-level car until after the model onslaught through 2022.

In other news, Ferrari also announced an upcoming “elegant” GT car to sit alongside the GTC4Lusso and Portofino, which is intended to share a platform with the front-engined Purosangue, according to Road & Track. Chief Technical Officer Michael Leiters also confirmed the automaker is working on a new V6, which is very interesting, and probably an easy pairing with the upcoming hybrid tech.

So that’s 15 upcoming cars, including model replacements and all-new models like top-tier mid-engine hybrid and the Purosangue SUV, with a new dual-clutch and V6 sprinkled in there somewhere. All of that on top of the Monza SP1 and SP2 special series cars that were also revealed.

If that felt like a lot of Ferrari news, just imagine how it’s going to be over the next four years. Sounds like we’re going to be averaging about four new cars every year. Hope you like Ferraris.

The Ferrari Purosangue is coming, and thanks to a recent interview by AutoCar with Ferrari’s chief technical officer, Michael Leiters, we know more about the model than ever before.

Internally known as 175, the model is a true SUV according to Leiters. “I think we’ve found a concept and a package which is on one side a real SUV and will convince SUV customers to buy it, but on the other side there’s a huge differentiation of concept to existing SUVs,” he told AutoCar.

In short, we’re not expecting a variant of the GTC4Lusso’s shooting brake body style. AutoCar notes that the SUV, which is expected to arrive in 2022, will likely ride on Ferrari’s next-generation front-engine platform. A variety of engines might sit under the Purosangue’s hood given the platforms ability to house V6, V8, and V12 engines. Given the supposed limits of the chassis, AutoCar believes the Purosangue will feature seating for four and offer a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain option like that of the upcoming SF90 Stradale.

Like the SF90, the hybrid Purosangue will likely complement its gas engine with three electric motors: two at the front axle, and one at the rear transaxle. Look for it to pair with a turbocharged V6 engine. Predictably a V12 engine is expected to hold court as the SUV’s flagship powertrain option.

Of course, all of this is merely conjecture at the moment. What we do know from AutoCar is that the Ferrari Purosangue’s development continues and that Ferrari seems committed to truly making it the Ferrari of SUVs.

A legal battle has broken out between Ferrari and a tiny sports charity over the Italian word for thoroughbred.

One of Italy’s most famous brands has launched proceedings against the not-for-profit Purosangue Foundation, claiming that it has not made sufficient commercial use of the name to warrant exclusivity.

Purosangue means literally “pure blood” and was chosen by the charity to reflect its campaign work against doping in sports. It is also the name of Ferrari’s first SUV, which is due to go on sale in 2022.

The foundation said it registered the word as a trademark for clothing and other products in 2013, and had sought talks with the carmaker, but blocked Ferrari’s registration to trademark the brand in Europe when no agreement could be reached.

Alessandro Masetti, a lawyer who is representing Purosangue pro-bono said: “This is David versus Goliath.” The brand has been in constant use, he said, including in a partnership to produce branded sneakers and clothes with Adidas, a sponsor of the charity.

Ferrari claimed the registration should be removed because of lack of use over the past five years, he said. “But we have plenty of proof of our activity.”

The case will be heard by a court in Bologna on March 5.

A spokesman for Ferrari said the company “does not comment on pending litigation”.

Max Monteforte, a running coach and former professional runner who founded the charity, said: “It is an injustice. Why should we give up our identity? They should have checked first.

“We are small so it’s hard to defend our brand, but we are doing important work.”

As well as its anti-doping work, the foundation has set up training camps for runners in Kenya, and funds health check-ups for the elderly.

Michele Costabile, a professor of marketing at Luiss University in Rome, said it was unsurprising that Ferrari would seek to control its brand.

“Ferrari is . . . among the best known and most loved [brands],” he said. “The name Purosangue works well with the Ferrari horse logo, and they will be looking to the future and the possibility of it becoming an autonomous brand in its own right.”

Mr Monteforte said he was not intimidated by Ferrari’s prestige. “I am an athlete, used to getting up at 4.30am to train, so I have a certain mentality. I am not going to be scared off, even knowing that we are up against one of the most important brands in the world.”

Ferrari spun off from Fiat Chrysler in 2015 to become an autonomous publicly listed company. Last year, chief executive Louis Camilleri said Ferrari would halve its number of brand licensing agreements to focus on clothing and entertainment.

Not many people would have prophesized a few decades ago that SUVs would make up such a big part of our lives nowadays, but those odd high-riding cars are here to stay whether you like it or not.
10 photos

Initially seen as too utilitarian for the upper class, now you can have an SUV from Aston Martin, Porsche, Maserati, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and even Lamborghini, so it was only a matter of time until Ferrari would finally cave in and jump on the highly lucrative SUV bandwagon with its own product.

No matter what Maranello purists think about the idea of a Ferrari SUV, it is clear that the carmaker isn’t developing a high-riding vehicle for them but is simply branching out into the most profitable niche there is.

Set to wear the Purosangue moniker, which translates to ‘thoroughbred’ for horse lovers, the first ever Ferrari SUV is expected to go official sometime next year, and a mule was recently spied being tested and looking more like a slightly raised hatchback instead of a proper 4x4.

The prototype is obviously made from bits and pieces borrowed from the Maserati Levante, but the overall look is definitely distinctive enough to give more proof that the Ferrari Purosangue will be based on an all-new platform.

In fact, rumors suggest that Ferrari’s first ever foray into the high-performance SUV market will spawn two more models, both being either hybrid or electric AWD grand tourers to replace the now discontinued FF and GTC4 Lusso, respectively.

Speaking of powertrains, the Purosangue is expected to feature what is probably the last evolution of the naturally aspirated Ferrari V12, but will also get a mild-hybrid and later on a hybrid, twin-turbocharged V8.

The main mystery is revolving around the all-wheel-drive system, which is set to be tuned more toward dynamic performance instead of offering rock-crawling or mud-bogging abilities, not to mention that it will also use a transaxle setup for the gearbox.

Not visible in any of the spy photos taken so far, the ground clearance is expected to feature multiple levels, none of which making the car a G-Wagen or Defender rival in any way, shape or form, though.

The Ferrari Purosangue should debut sometime next year, giving the supercar company a practical model in its lineup. Four doors and a spacious interior feel contradictory for the company, but the new model will have a Ferrari spin that keeps it low to the ground and is plenty capable. Testing continues as a new video from the Varryx YouTube channel shows two Purosangue SUVs out testing together, and one has an odd fender opening.

The new video shows two Purosangues pulling into what looks like a testing facility. Both continue to wear a full-body camouflage wrap, which hides the modified Maserati Levante body underneath, though one of the test vehicles is caught with a strange fender door open. It’s located behind the driver-side front wheel, and we haven’t spotted one on the passenger’s side. It reveals a bit of metal – possibly a part of the production body – and a black hole into the vehicle.
The new Purosangue will ride on a newly developed front mid-engine architecture, which will give it the flexibility needed to accommodate a variety of powertrains. We expect Ferrari will cram a V12 under the hood, though the company has said there’ll be multiple powertrains available, including ones with an electric motor. The SUV will support a four-wheel-drive system, variable ground clearance, and a transaxle dual-clutch transmission.

We expect Ferrari to begin transitioning the test vehicles to wearing their production body panels as we near the car’s launch. It will go on sale as a 2023 model, with the company expected to debut the Purosangue sometime next year. The company hasn’t indicated when that would be. The new model will give the company an SUV-like model that’ll compete against the likes of the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga, and other high-powered SUVs that automakers have introduced over the last few years to capture the segment’s sales surge.

Just the idea of Ferrari producing an SUV has created plenty of controversy on its own, and this first glimpse of the upcoming Purosangue is sure to get people talking all over again. A few leaked images making the rounds on social media purport to show the new Ferrari SUV from the front and rear angles on the factory floor. Whether it's the camera angle, the poor image quality, or some combination therein, they don't paint the most flattering portrait of the Purosangue's proportions

Just the idea of Ferrari producing an SUV has created plenty of controversy on its own, and this first glimpse of the upcoming Purosangue is sure to get people talking all over again. A few leaked images making the rounds on social media purport to show the new Ferrari SUV from the front and rear angles on the factory floor. Whether it's the camera angle, the poor image quality, or some combination therein, they don't paint the most flattering portrait of the Purosangue's proportions

The overall shape seen here lines up with what we've seen in spy photos of the Purosangue. It appears to have a long nose, four doors, and a sloping roofline not entirely unlike the GTC4Lusso shooting brake's. A sharp cutline runs from the hood and creates a scooped-out portion of the front door, while black plastic body cladding around the wheel well ensures that it will look the part of an SUV. The rear appears to have a full-width light bar connecting two sets of taillights.

Let’s dial our imaginary time machine to September 2018 when Ferrari announced the Purosangue during its Capital Markets Day. Nearly four years later, it still hasn't been revealed, but the wait is nearly over. Come September, the house of Maranello will present its first-ever SUV, complete with the mighty V12 engine. The announcement was made today at the same Capital Markets Day event during which a few other tidbits were also disclosed.

The Prancing Horse aims to keep the Purosangue (relatively) exclusive by limiting shipments to customers to below 20 percent of total annual deliveries. In other words, no more than one in five new Ferraris sold from 2023 will be the SUV. The Italian brand continues to refrain from using the SUV term, only saying the model will be "unlike any other."

In addition, we're being told it'll be a "pure V12 model," so it's going to be powered by a naturally aspirated engine. It's refreshing to hear there will still be a NA V12 for a number of years what with increasingly stricter emissions regulations.

While the Purosangue will account for about 20 percent of all sales, the Icona series and the new hypercar will be far more exclusive. Ferrari says it will cap these vehicles at less than 5 percent of total deliveries, while the Special Series models like the 812 Competizione / 812 Competizione A will account for approximately 10 percent of all sales.

By 2026, 60 percent of all offerings will have hybrid and purely electric powertrains, with the remaining 40 percent represented by ICE-powered cars. Speaking of powertrains, Ferrari remains tight-lipped about how much power the V12 will deliver in the Purosangue, but we do know it pumps out 830 hp in the 812 Competizione. In addition, a more potent configuration has already been announced.

With the Purosangue, Ferrari will join the likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini on the list of high-end brands to have their very own SUVs. McLaren will allegedly follow suit by the end of the decade.

It took three-quarters of a century, but Ferrari has finally unveiled their first four-door. Dubbed Purosangue, the new model joins a lineup that includes everything from the stylish Roma and modern 296 to the untamed SF90 and luxurious 812. Depending on your perspective, it’s about damn time – or a move so reprehensible that old man Enzo should march straight out of the San Cataldo Cemetery and into a Ferrari board room to rumble.

Consider the evidence as we take a closer look at the all-new contender from Maranello. During a black box session where cell phones were confiscated, we were granted a hands-on look at one of the most highly anticipated auto releases of the year. Before our first-hand account, let’s consider positioning. At least based on our presentation, Ferrari is distancing themselves from the idea that the new model is, in fact, a sport utility vehicle. “We’re not calling it an SUV,” insists Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna. “We’re not even talking about SUVs.” Alrighty then.

Packaging Matters

The configuration of the Purosangue does indeed make a case for this Ferrari being more of a swollen, four-door sports car (with apologies to a certain Japanese auto) than a middle-of-the-road sport ute. For starters, it can only be had with two bucket rear seats, not a family-ready bench, or – God forbid – a third row. Second, there are enough packaging sacrifices made in the interest of sportiness to suggest the folks in Modena really aren’t interested in crowd-pleasing.

For starters, the trunk’s modest 16.7 cubic-foot volume seems like an afterthought that defers to a coupe-like silhouette favoring aerodynamics over absolute practicality. While Ferrari doesn’t reveal drag coefficient stats for their GT cars, both Flavio Manzoni (the brand’s design head) Gianmaria Fulgenzi (the development boss) describe a “delicate dance” between their respective departments in order to do their jobs while maintaining slippery aerodynamics.
Riding High, Going Fast: Lamborghini Urus Performante Debuts With Devilish 666 Horsepower

⠀ 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT First Drive Review: 928 GTS ReduxFerrari pulled out all the stops to stack the Purosangue’s deck in favor of a balanced layout. As such, the big V12 is jammed up against the firewall and the 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox is a rear transaxle that helps yield 49/51 front-to-rear weight balance. A standard carbon fiber roof ensures the center of gravity that’s as low as possible. Interestingly, Ferrari assigned a novel, backward-hinged rear door setup for this newbie, complete with power-closing ŕ la Bentley Bentayga EWB and Rolls-Royce Cullinan (not to mention Genesis G90).

The rear doors open with a 79-degree swing, which is important in enabling easier ingress and egress – especially since the back seats are not the most spacious. I’m 5-foot-11, and “sitting behind myself” in the rear didn’t yield much extra space between my knees and the curved backside of the front seats. It’s not uncomfortable, but also not nearly as roomy as more luxurious super-SUVs.
Ferrari claims their Purosangue stands alone in a category of its own. While we’re all for the idea of individuality, let’s compare its 118.8-inch wheelbase to a few competitors: the distance is close to the Lamborghini Urus Performante (118.2) and Bentley Bentaya Speed (117.9), 1.7 inches short of the Aston Martin DBX707 (120.5), and smack in-between less exotic strains like the zippy Porsche Cayenne GT (114.0) and the more expansive BMW Alpina XB7 (122.2). Mass-wise, Purosangue claims an estimated dry weight of 4,482 pounds – likely the lowest in that competitive set.

Old-School Power, Modern Control

As the middling cargo area and rear seat would suggest, not all is lost to practicality. Critically, Purosangue doesn’t even dip a toe into attempting an eco-friendly drivetrain – at least not yet. Instead, the new kid on the block embraces the old school with a massive, naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 that claims the highest output of any Ferrari GT in history: 715 horsepower and 528 pound-feet of torque. The mill produces 80% of torque at only 2,100 rpm, peak horsepower at 7,750 rpm, and a max rotational speed of 8,250 rpm, which should lend it quite the exciting powerband.

Aiding that flexibility is the dual-clutch transmission that offers eight forward gears to choose from. The dry sump engine packs an all-new valvetrain and revised intake geometry intended to aid low-end power delivery. The Purosangue is estimated to hit 62 mph in 3.3 seconds and achieve a top speed in excess of 192 mph. Like the GTC4Lusso, the new model features an all-wheel-drive powertrain, and the front drive unit disengages above fourth gear and/or around 125 mph.
As much as the Purosangue’s engine house abides by a familiar playbook, its suspension embraces future-forward technology to maximize ride quality and handling. Working with Multimatic, Ferrari developed an active suspension system that leverage’s the Canadian firm’s True Active Spool Valve (TASV) technology, which uses four 48-volt actuators to control the damper’s stroke. Since the setup lacks stabilizer bars, the actuators can work in concert to manage both pitch and roll. The quick-acting adjustments can manage both wheel motion and ride height, the latter of which can drop up to 10 millimeters while the vehicle is cornering.

Intangibles Tell A Story

We can pore over specs and dimensions all we want, but sometimes it’s the sum of the little things that provide big picture insights into all-new conundrums like the Ferrari Purosangue. Is it sporty crossover? An SUV? A sedan on steroids? Considering its focus on delivering a driver’s experience for four passengers, it seems Ferrari has actively chosen to sacrifice quite a bit of utility for the sake of performance. Heck, they didn’t even attach a tow hook in the interest of maintaining its stance as an on-road performer.
For better or worse, many prospective buyers will judge this purposeful four-seater more on its styling than any other single factor – which is understandable, since its €390,000 (approximately $400,000 USD) starting price attracts buyers who have many different types of cars already in their garage. I will say this: Though its silver titanium color may not be the strongest shade, in person the Purosangue comes across as elegant with a whiff of bulk, especially the swollen rear haunches that help lend the vehicle a sense of motion (and emotion).

As it stands, the Ferrari has taken a long-awaited leap forward, and in person the Purosangue looks more balanced, refined, and intriguing than the spy shots would have us believe. Here’s to hoping our next encounter is a spirited motor in the driver’s seat. Until then, Ferrari’s latest appears to have tackled its nebulous genre with a reassuring amount of performance-focused engineering. Whether you call it a sedan-on-stilts or an SUV, that single fact that it appears built around the driver bodes well for the future of the Prancing Horse.

GARGNANO, Italy – Driving the Ferrari Purosangue for a ski day in the Dolomites makes things as clear as the northern Italian sky: If the plan is to make onlookers swivel in their ski boots, the Purosangue instantly becomes the fastest, most desirable gondola on earth. Now, all it takes is $398,350, plus roughly $50,000 to $100,000 in options, and you too can ferry a partner and adorably Moncler-clad children to frolic on the slopes of Aspen, Chamonix or here in Italy at Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta. Just know that you may still need a roof rack despite driving history’s first Ferrari SUV.

Now, if you’re still crying about Ferrari building an “SUV,” please stop: You’re sounding like that grump who’s still shaking a fist over Porsche Cayennes, Alfa Stelvios and Mustang Mach-Es. Maybe you’re the same grump. Look, the world started flipping to SUVs about the time primitive Explorers began flipping nearly 25 years ago. The breed has morphed and evolved so many times that the old pejorative “SUV” barely describes most of today’s car-based crossovers, which hew closer to hatchbacks and wagons than Hummers and Wagoneers. That is definitely the case with the Purosangue.

Here in Italy, stylish Ferrari executives cringe only briefly at the catch-all “crossover” word, before acknowledging the designer shoe mostly fits. And one look at this Ferrari’s lightly lifted silhouette or the red-painted valve covers on its naturally aspirated V12, makes clear the Purosangue is more a genre-blurring Wonder Wagon than an SUV. A second look, this time in the scrawny cargo area behind a pair of exotically formed rear seats, suggests hatchback — at 16.7 square feet, it’s theoretically smaller than every subcompact SUV Autoblog has cargo tested. That still makes it the largest trunk found in a full-production Ferrari, and while Ferrari has a storied history of 2+2 models, including the most recent GTC4 Lusso, that “+2” typically meant two custom suitcases. Or in rare circumstances, the limber son of a divorced Monaco playboy. So in another Ferrari first, the Purosangue legitimately beckons humans into (heated, reclining) back seats, and without unduly stretching the wheelbase and spoiling its provocative front-engine, shark-snout proportions.



The solution is a bravura pair of rear-hinged suicide doors that motor fully open or shut with the tug of an exterior tab or the press of an interior button. A single, massive rear hinge supports each open-sesame portal. Once aboard, 6-foot adults find a reasonable perch, albeit with their heads partly inside the window cavity that borders the headliner. Again, though, after 75 years of Ferraris, this is the first that lets owners even think about putting adult friends and family in the back to enjoy a fantasy ride or dinner-for-four.

A cheeky colleague shows up at our media drive in a Lamborghini Urus Performante, but the attempt at Italian one-upping only clarifies how easy the choice would theoretically be (more on that later). The Urus is fast and brutally capable, with 641 horses versus the Ferrari’s 715, and costs $133,350 less to start. But the Lambo looks like a battering hippo (or gussied-up Audi Q8) next to the Ferrari’s sleek snow leopard. Plus, the Purosangue has a 6.5-liter, naturally aspirated, hand-built Ferrari V12, not a twin-turbo V8 sourced from Audi and Volkswagen Group. Purosangue means "thoroughbred" or more literally “pure blood” in Italian; it’s a name that isn’t without merit. Throw in the first application of Multimatic’s new active suspension, Ferrari’s trick three-speed front transaxle, four-wheel steering and an encyclopedia of F1-derived tech found on previous Ferraris, and you get the idea that this is more than the usual ultra-luxury SUV.

Inside, a slim console bisects the two rear seats, with no five-passenger capability. The console integrates a cool pop-up rotary knob with an embedded screen, repeated on the dashboard, that manages climate controls. Up front, that knob underscores a dual-cockpit layout that eschews any center screen. That puts the focus on design, materials and human-centric performance, including a stunning pair of mirror-matched binnacles for driver and passenger. The expanded cabin, surrounded by an aluminum-intensive chassis and weight-saving carbon-fiber roof (or optional electrochromic roof) makes room for the best audio system, by far, in any Ferrari: The Burmester audio system, in a first collaboration with the German audiophile brand, brings 1,420 watts and 21 speakers, including fancy ribbon tweeters and a subwoofer.



The Purosangue adopts the all-digital gauges and HMI from the rest of the Ferrari range, including a 10.3-inch passenger-side screen with expanded functionality. The driver’s screen is dominated by a 1s and 0s version of Ferrari’s classic yellow tachometer that showcases the V12 crescendo to its 8,250-rpm peak. But Ferrari asks that single screen to do way too much, including housing the phone-based navigation — wireless Apple CarPlay is onboard and wireless Android Auto is coming. There is no onboard sat-nav. Worse, that screen is managed by a fiendishly awkward thumb doohickey on the dramatic carbon-fiber-rimmed steering wheel. It's as hapless as it is haptic, stubbornly resisting commands or jumping past a desired on-screen icon. A simple scroll wheel and switch pad would be an easy improvement. Even settling on a radio station or goofing with the navigation becomes a worrying exercise in eyes-off-the-road distraction. That’s exactly what you don’t want in a half-million-dollar, 715-hp “SUV.”

That those 715 horses come from a naturally aspirated V12 is surprising, as many assumed the 812 Superfast would have the last Ferrari 12 cylinder, at least without a hybrid. Now it’s the Purosangue that has the clock ticking. Remember that Ferrari produced nothing but V12 models from its seminal, 1.5-liter 125S in 1947, up to its Dino-badged 308 GT4 that brought the brand’s first V8 in 1974.

As in the 812 and various predecessors, the Purosangue’s glorious V12 sits entirely behind the front axle, and sends power through a rear transaxle. A new eight-speed DCT gearbox trims 12 pounds from the 812’s seven-speed, despite the additional cog. It matches the 296 GTB’s gear ratios, including shorties in first through sixth, and a long seventh and eighth for easier cruising and reduced fuel consumption. Still, carrying nearly 1,000 more pounds than the 812 Superfast and with added AWD, the Purosangue will be a serious glutton for premium unleaded — it showed me 10-12 mpg in spirited driving. Ferrari posits a curb weight of 4,774 pounds, about 100 fewer than a Urus.



The Purosangue actually drives a lot like an 812 with a lift in its loafers and more poundage around its waist. It evinces the same double-agent personality as you toggle through steering-wheel Manettino settings: One part GT smoothie, one part ruthless assassin that could get it, and its wingman, nailed by the cops in an instant. Ferrari cites a 3.3-second burst from 0-62 mph (100 kph), 10.6 seconds to 124 mph (200 kph) and a top speed beyond 193 mph. A few neck-snapping samples of automated Launch Control confirm our galloping progress.

Ferrari summons all its estimable chassis magic to make the Purosangue more agile and fun than it has any right to be. Up front, a compact three-speed transmission, less than 7 inches long, shunts torque between front wheels to boost traction and quell understeer and inertia. We segue to a snow-choked dirt lane, directly below the express gondola for the Madonna di Campiglio ski area, which Ferrari has requisitioned to show off the Purosangue’s wintry skills. After a shotgun-seat recon with an Italian pro rally driver — yep, the Purosangue can definitely drift between trees — I take the wheel and find immediate grip and planted confidence.

The only scary part is wondering who, in the real world, is going to hose snow and ice from those hulking, staggered wheels, with 22-inch forged alloys up front and 23’s in the rear. A sympathetic glance at our slushy Ferrari reveals its myriad air-management strategies. What looks like decorative SUV body cladding are actually composite, floating wheel arches that help smooth air turbulence. A subtle roof spoiler directs air through dual channels, and helps clear the wiperless rear glass.




Ferrari’s active suspension tech deserves mention, since it’s never been tried on a car before. In collaboration with the Canadian gurus of MultiMatic — perhaps best known as constructor of the Ford GT — its TASV (TrueActive SpoolValve) dampers incorporate a worm gear and screw inside the dampers. Networked into a vast range of F1-derived systems, the dampers’ 48-volt electric motor adjusts body roll, yaw, pitch, and dive in 50-millisecond intervals. That eliminates any need for air springs or weighty, relatively one-note anti-roll bars. For the first time, a car’s body operates on a fully independent, multi-directional control circuit rather than the suspension and wheels. The worm gear and screw respond to handling forces and apply active force to the body or wheels to counter them, even as wheels drop into holes or the suspension chatters over a washboard surface.Storm into a curve, and the Purosangue automatically lowers itself and dispatches every road imperfection, even as the body stays uncannily flat. A practical upshot is that drivers can leave the Ferrari in its softest suspension setting — even on track — with zero loss of performance. There’s even now a separate push-button suspension control on the Manettino, though the only reason to choose a firmer setting is if you’d like to feel more bumps and jostles through your hands.

I try it myself, hoisting the Purosangue up the devilish winter switchbacks of Monte Bondone, whose auto-hillclimb legends date to the 1920s. Skiers on adjacent hillsides again go goggle-eyed at the approach of their homegrown hero, as the big Ferrari hooks up four winter tires — required by Italy’s seasonal regulations — and howls like a madman. As ever, the V12 has to take a breath before it sprints, because its lungs aren’t being stuffed with turbocharged air and fuel. The solution is to keep the engine in its sweet spot, and then it’s all la dolce vita.

The backside descent proves much more desolate, and it’s time to rock: The Purosangue flies past 130 mph on its salt-crusted downhills, 12 cylinders zinging to their addictive redline. On these steep, tricky downhills, I mentally thank the feelsome brake-by-wire system, inherited from the 296 GTB, for its ability to rein in this weighty beast. On a later stretch of Autostrada, I let it fly, LED shift lights flashing like Christmas trees across the steering wheel’s rim.

Rest assured, then, it’s a real Ferrari; one that delivers the everyday space and versatility the FF two-door shooting brake and its GTC4Lusso successor couldn’t quite provide. It has decisively more power and performance, too. And where Lamborghini, Bentley and Aston Martin immediately built enough SUVs to make them brand best-sellers, Ferrari vows the Purosangue will be limited to no more than 20% of total production. That means roughly 2,000 copies a year for the world, almost all of which are intended for card-carrying Tifosi with a history of owning previous new Ferraris. Makes sense. Thoroughbreds should be rare.