Purosangue Ferrari, the first four-door Ferrari with a V12 Powertrain

PUROSANGUE FERRARI

The First Four-Door Ferrari with a V12 Powertrain

| BY SOMNATH CHATTERJEE

Ferrari is a name reserved for low-slung two-door rockets along with being wrapped around a distinct layer of Italian zeal plus dripping with the latest technologies. Aside from making supercars, Ferrari is also known for its illustrious GT history in terms of making comfortable yet fast Grand Tourers for covering vast distances with ease. The V12 Ferrari GT is etched deeply within the company values but Ferrari is now looking ahead and expanding that in a radical way.

Meet the Purosangue, Italian for ‘thoroughbred’ and that ushers in a new wave of Ferraris. However, it is not hugely different when it comes to core Ferrari ethos in being equipped with a glorious naturally-aspirated V12 and sprinkled with the very best of technology which Ferrari can conjure up.

Before we dig deep into the technical prowess of this 4-seater GT (it isn’t an ‘SUV’), let us take a look where the big Purosangue fits into the Ferrari range. It is a flagship model for sure and is their first four-door car although it follows in the philosophy of the earlier GT4 Lusso albeit with a more SUV like personality.

The Purosangue in all honesty is not a regular SUV and is not an SUV within the regular definition of one. It is big and is fitted with a 4WD system but everything is pure Ferrari. Dare we say it terms of others in this sector, its closer to its makers roots.

The body panels are all new along with the structure which is a mix of aluminum and carbon fiber. Much has been done to make the Purosangue as stiff and as light as possible with a standard carbon roof and improved NVH over the earlier GT4 Lusso.

The design is sleek and not an off-roader while being peppered with traditional Ferrari cues linked to past V12 models. It is a big car but hides its visual bulk admirably along with a relaxed sense of restraint with its elegant lines. The shape is certainly crossover like with big wheels.

Inside, Ferrari has tried hard to not graft an SUV-like driving position hence, you are cocooned inside rather than sitting on it. Typically, tech-laden Ferrari interfaces are there in being all digital along with touch controls but it is cleaned up and has a less racy outlook when compared to its supercar stablemates. The materials and the overall fit/finish is right up there and makes its asking price seem somewhat justified. The Purosangue is a strict 4-seater but these are four comfortable seats with ample legroom while the rear-hinged doors make for excellent ingress/egress as well. A glass roof is optional but the upholstery inside shuns traditional leather or carpeting as instead it uses dark brown semi-aniline leather along with an optional new carbon-fiber weave integrating copper wires.

In-fact with the launch trim of the car, sustainability has been a focus just like other luxury car-makers with a roof-lining with recycled polyester along with Alcantara also derived from recycled polyester.

Interestingly, this is a Ferrari also for the passenger since they also get a dedicated display! A further nod towards the Purosangue in being a luxury car is that it is the first Ferrari to have a standard Burmester 3D Surround Sound System.

However, we think the sound of the 6.5-liter naturally-aspirated V12 will pique more buyer’s interests and unlike modern Ferraris which are getting a hybrid V8 or a V6, the Purosangue is a V12 with no electrical assistance.

With 725 rampant horses, the Purosangue will gallop from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 s and from 0 to 200 in 10.6 s. An 8-speed dual-clutch transmission will also no doubt will give the car a smooth driving experience.

A streamlined design with clever aerodynamics reduces the drag coefficient of the car while a complicated Ferrari active suspension technology is designed to give the Purosangue the agility of a Ferrari while also being handy over bad roads.

Further technical highlights include an updated 4RM-S system from the GTC4Lusso and independent 4WS seen on the 812 Competizione.

In short, the Ferrari Purosangue is a thrilling prospect for any Tifosi as it changes many things but it also stays true to its roots in other ways. We expect first cars to trickle in by the end of next year- ample time for us to take in the concept of a Ferrari with two more doors.