Ferrari FF

The simpletons of the automotive blogosphere are in a tizzy.  It seems that Ferrari has “stunned” the automotive world with the new replacement for the 612 Scaglietti.  It is called the FF, which stands for Ferrari Four (4 person, 4WD).  The reason it seems to be causing such a ruckus is not because it will be the first four wheel drive car ever made by the marque(which is huge), but because it has a massive ass.

Simply put, every automotive Perez Hilton is hysterical because the FF is a “shooting brake”(or here in America, a station wagon).   They love saying shooting brake, because it makes them feel European.  Of course, it really isn’t.  It is as much a station wagon as a BMW M coupe, or an old Toyota Corolla.  The FF is actually a cool looking supercar with a long roofline and a lift gate, that costs about the same as five hundred old Honda Accord hatchbacks.  I know, technically it qualifies as a shooting brake, but I think that gives it less respect than this car deserves.

While the car may look like a photo of Kirstie Alley from the back, it is still very much a Ferrari.  It is charged with replacing the 612 Scaglietti, a fabulous V12 grand touring car reminiscent of Ferraris of old.  The Scaglietti was based on cars like the Ferrari Daytona and the Ferrari 375MM.  In fact, Carrozzeria Scaglietti was commissioned by film director Roberto Rossellini to design a grand tourer for his wife, Ingrid Bergman (parents to Isabella Rossellini).  The car was called the 375MM Ingrid Bergman, and later mass produced as the Grigio Ingrid.  That car led directly to the car named after Sergio Scaglietti himself, the 612 Scaglietti, which led to this.

A classic grand tourer is a large four seat sports car, usually with a massive V12 front-mounted engine.  These are not the knobbish cars driven by rap stars and basketball players.  These are the GT cars you see cruising Cote d’Azur, Marbella Spain, or the hills of Monte Carlo.

The new FF offers some interesting updates to the classic design.  It’s lightweight 4WD system is an engineering marvel, patented by Ferrari as 4RM.  It is about 50% lighter than a conventional system and provides power intelligently to each of the four wheels as needed.    The system is turned on through a manettino dial on the steering wheel, otherwise the vehicle is a standard RWD grand tourer.  If you are interested to learn more, check out this link: Top Gear.

Styling is similar to the 612 Scaglietti from the doors forward.  The exceptions being the addition of 458 Italia “angry” headlights and side skirts, plus the new double taillights, a departure from the standard four light setup.  From the doors back, it’s all new.  The rear end is similar to a BMW M coupe, and features a hatchback, and fold down seats with enough room for golf clubs and skis.

Inside, its standard Ferrari fare, with Daytona style seats all trimmed in beautiful Italian leather.  There is even small television screens on the back of the front seat headrests, for passengers bored with Ferrari V12 power and handling.

The Ferrari FF will have the largest capacity engine ever produced by Ferrari, a 6.3 liter 382.1 cubic inch naturally aspirated and direct injected V12.  It will produce 651 horses and 504 pound-feet of torque, or about the same as the Enzo.  Transmission will be a 7-speed double clutch semi-automatic paddle shift system, similar to the California and 458 Italia.

Did I mention it will be expensive?  It should place in the medium priced luxury vacation home sector, or about 700-800 thousand dollars.  But place your orders now, there is sure to be a long waiting list. Look for more on shooting breaks in an upcoming post.

Article courtesy of Chris Raymond

Photos courtesy of Ferrari.com and carscoop.blogspot.com