By Matt Bird / Wednesday, March 20, 2024 / Loading comments
The beginning of spring is actually the ideal time of year to put the Ferrari Purosangue through its paces and accurately assess the usefulness of this non-Ferrari SUV. Perhaps a ski trip would be the solution. walking, if there’s enough room, if you can traverse mountain passes, if the steering wheel controls make sense, if 20 mpg will be imaginable, etc. Unfortunately, this adventure will have to wait another year. Or potentially some other life if it’s skiing. This British review, after our much longer stay abroad, is drawn from a quick explosion on the roads near the Goodwood circuit, so complete that it wasn’t. But it was certainly memorable.
Because the how, what, why and when are very important when it comes to a Ferrari-built V12: you take the opportunity to drive it for as long as possible, wherever you are. Harry was lucky that he agreed to avoid him so that he could just take some pictures. Even with the V8 and new V6 as sublime as they are, there’s something so supernatural about a red car with a yellow Prancing Horse badge and twelve cylinders at the front. Or pressed against the partition, in this case. The excitement never wanes. It’s as intoxicating as road cars.
So the 6. 5 would dominate in any context, but on a day when you’re driving a turbocharged four-cylinder and a very giant electric vehicle, it’s absolutely compelling. Climbing mountains on an unforgettable liberation route, it was suspected that the lack of twin-turbo torque presented by some rivals was holding the Purosangue back. On smaller, narrower, more familiar roads, this isn’t a problem, as the Ferrari is incredibly fast even when presented with the shortest window of opportunity. That’s not fast enough, the eight-speed DCT slows you down before you’ve had time to think about it. Any trade-offs that arise are worth it and the chance to revel in what this engine can do.
It can drag and oscillate like many large-displacement engines of a modern automobile, without working, the machinations of the gearbox being imperceptible. It can also make an everyday Ferrari as simple to drive as anything else, without any drama. And on the other hand, it’s almost unbeatable in terms of excitement. It’s never happier than when charging at 8,000rpm, pretty loud in its middle order and really wild when the shift lights come on. The sound, of course, is sensational; Malevolent and melodic at the same time, as only Ferrari V12s tend to be. Many other similar cars can move with the same discretion, but no other is as exciting if you’re lucky enough to do so. The only explanation as to why what isn’t entirely incomparable is that the Lamborghini Revuelto’s V12 exists. Among four-door cars, nothing comes close to sensory appeal: a turbocharged V8 is rarely found in the same category.
Its manufacturer could have been excused for not making such a large investment in the way the Purosangue drove after installing the engine. That’s already a great USP. But perhaps the manufacturer’s greatest achievement is that it really feels like driving a Ferrari. Even if it didn’t have the V12 (at all costs), there are recognizable elements in the logo that identify it as a Maranello supercar, from the gentle but perfectly matched guide to the physically powerful brake pedal, from the skilful damping to the suspension aids. ideal driving. The sporty chassis evolved through Multimatic certainly leaves driving a little unforgiving on B-roads, although that’s pretty smart for a car this heavy at 22-inches, so it’ll probably be your quick A-road setup. Otherwise, the comfort will be enough, and anyone who knows a recent Ferrari will feel perfectly comfortable with the sensations of the Purosangue.
What’s even more impressive is that the front trim doesn’t seem to be affected at all by such a large engine or the implicit requirement to spend some of its time driving the wheels, and it responds and is exact to any command. Very quickly, we accepted as true with the concept that it can be placed on the road with unerring precision; A confidence that is remarkable in such a giant and beloved car, and in such a short time. Obviously, there won’t be any delay in using the throttle; Only your sense of self-preservation can prevent this ongoing tsunami.
As with the much lighter mid-engined cars, the way Purosangue communicates (and assists) you within and around your boundaries is something that is as wonderful as it is believable. For a company that discovered the benefits of four-wheel drive late, it has become an undisputed master of the game. On rainy roads, this means the Purosangue is more readily available and (somewhat) less scary than a two-wheel-drive V12 while also providing a more immersive experience than the old FF/ GTC4 thanks to its guidance accuracy, drivability, mass management and how the V12 (yes, really) sounds better than ever.
In short, it’s wonderful, and the more you drive a Purosangue, the less difficult it becomes to convince yourself of Ferrari’s lofty claims that it’s not what everyone says it is and that it’s unrivalled. The award rather assures that exclusive prestige anyway (and perhaps there’s only a certain amount of conviction that can be attached to a brief visit), however, it serves to make the Uruse and DBX of this global feel a little off guard. – either is very impressive – but the Ferrari is the only one that resembles a true supercar in the way it conducts its business. And on top of that, a Maranello. Se supercar manages to be a thrilling and slightly intimidating V12 monster in a confusing moment, and then a docile and docile circle of relatives that crosses paths the next day. It is this remarkable duality, alluded to elsewhere, but never to this extent, that gives the impression. that the Purosangue belongs to an elegance of its own.
As you’d expect from a £400,000 Ferrari, right? But after the lukewarm reception it received at first, plus the skepticism that comes from greeting any supercar manufacturer willing to do something different, the good luck of the Purosangue turns out to be even greater than the sum of its parts. Anything mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, and over 800hp will still seem life-affirming, but a two-tonne four-wheel-drive monster has no predetermined claim to be so epic. – so that’s all thanks to Ferrari. All we can expect for now is a depreciation comparable to that of its more traditional V12 predecessors. Oh, and it’s much longer. Maybe in the summer.
Engine: 6,496cc, V12 Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic, all-wheel drive Power (hp): 725 to 7,750 rpm Torque (lb-ft): 528 to 6,250 rpm 0-62 mph: 3. 4 seconds Top speed: 193 mph Weight: 2,033 kg (dry, with mild options, 2100 kg wet))MPG: 16. 3CO2: 393 g/km Price: £313 120