You'll have no trouble filling all 4 seats in Ferrari's practical yet wildly fun FF
By Nick Jaynes -
March 13, 2015
There are cars... and then there are Ferraris. I know it's a cliché, but every car I have driven that bears the prancing pony badge has felt different, special. None more so than the Ferrari FF, a truly unique take on the grand-tourer breed, a vehicle type created for the most discerning and power-thirsty buyer.
Yes, there are other V12 grand tourers out there, like the Aston Martin Vanquish. And there are also all-wheel drive V12 supercars, too, like the Lamborghini Aventador. Each is a wondrous thing, in its own right. But each has shortcomings owners must overlook to truly enjoy the car. Not so, the Ferrari FF.
Unlike its relative competitors, Ferrari hasn't simply added a supercar engine to a grand tourer or supercar kit to a luxury coupe; it's literally reshaped what a four-wheel drive GT can look and act like.
By the numbers:
Arguably, the FF is more than its figures. They, though, are nonetheless impressive, so let's indulge, shall we? Under the hood, Ferrari has nestled its 6.0-liter V12 engine, which produces 650 horsepower and 503 pound-feet of torque, which is mated to a seven-speed F1 transmission, much like the 458 Spider. 0 to 60 is surpassed in around 3.6 seconds on its way to the 208 mph top speed.
Most normal four-wheel drive vehicles route power from one central gearbox out to all four wheels. In the FF, the front and rear wheels each have a separate gearbox. If that sounds complicated, that's because it is. And, as I mention in my video review, explaining the system -- called 4RM -- properly would take longer than inventing it did.
Suffice it to say, though, that when Ferrari says it worked hard to retain the rear-drive feel while also adding the versatility of four-wheel drive, it has. That's because the incredibly intricate system keeps the extra driveline weight low, close to the road.
I feel I should mention that Ferrari engineers actually conceived of 4RM in the 1980s but the technology to properly implement it didn't exist until the mid-2000s. This, to me, proves the men in Maranello aren’t just grown eight-year-olds with a penchant for power, they're also technical visionaries.
When Ferrari says it worked hard to retain the rear-drive feel while also adding the versatility of four-wheel drive, it has.
Driving:
Even with its extra door and driveline components, the FF still drives like a Ferrari. Stomp on the throttle, look where you want to go, and the FF got there... fast.
When we shot the FF video, it was pouring quite heavily. Right before Christmas, I had taken a Lamborghini Huracan through the hills outside San Francisco in similar conditions. Though it, too, offers all-wheel drive, it couldn't handle the saturated pavement. It was slipping and understeering all over the road. I couldn't enjoy any of its 610 horsepower in any meaningful way. In fact, I ended up keeping pace with more plebian automobiles.
Click here for the 2015 Ferrari FF Review video