Ferrari Four revealed

After months of teasing and innuendo, Ferrari have officially revealed pictures of their 612 replacement, the “Four.”

So, this is Ferrari’s attempt at being grown up. They’ve given us a grand tourer, which replaces the 612, the most sobering and mature car in the Ferrari lineup. It’s got four proper seats, which would presumably seat four human adults and not two adults and two children or two adults and a medium sized dog for once. It has four wheel drive, which means no more driving everywhere sideways in a cloud of smoke. So, with its shooting brake styling and sensible features, is it a bit of a Volvo Estate?

No. The poweplant is a 6.2 V12 that produces 651 bhp, that’s 70 more than you get in a 458 Italia, with an expected top speed of 208 mph and 0-60 of 3.7 seconds.  Other technical wizardry includes the HELE engine stop/ start system to help save petrol in urban areas and a return of the completely unpronounceable “magnetorheological suspension system” first seen in the 599. With a near perfect 47:53 weight distribution it should handle beautifully too.

Design wise, it looks more or less like a 458 Italia “shooting brake’, the new rear has a fastback style to it. Only time and the internet will tell how the fans will respond to it, but after the radically pretty 458, it seems they should have tried something a bit different. The 612 was by no means the prettiest Ferrari, but it served its function well. It was restrained, elegant and a little bit grown up; it was a car for people that wanted a Ferrari but needed a limousine. The 458 looks great as a supercar, but in a grand tourer, I’m not so sure. If anything it looks a bit sinister.

In traditional Ferrari flair, even though it has four seats it still only has two doors, so any delusions of looking cool while two of your friends clamber into the back will be pretty quickly dispelled. Good news is that it will go directly into competition with the Maserati Quattroporte, Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera. If that isn’t an incentive for Lamborghini to build their Estoque concept then I don’t know what is.

The Ferrari FF website has got some interesting info on it, but they’re not giving away too much before the car is shown at Geneva in March. For videos, technical details and a feature where you can hear the engine from both inside and outside of the car, go to: www.ferrari.com/ff

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