Ferrari has finally capitulated and designed a family-friendly car for the masses. Well, the masses who can afford to spend over half a million on a daily driver, at least. The Ferrari Purosangue marks the first four-door vehicle in the Italian marque’s 75-year reign, joining the likes of the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne Turbo, and Aston Martin DBX.
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But fear not, the Purosangue isn’t a sedate baby carrier: it’s still a Ferrari. Seeking to divorce itself from the SUV label, the Ferrari Purosangue (pronounced ‘puro-son-gway’, it’s Italian for ‘thoroughbred’) is fitted with a naturally-aspirated 6.5-litre V12 petrol engine. Rather than the classic front-mount system employed by most GTs that sees the engine almost in line with the front axle, the Purosangue adopts a mid-front-mounted engine system. The arrangement sees the engine sit behind the front axle line with the gearbox at the rear, creating a transaxle layout that allows for ideal weight distribution; this results in a 49:51% weight distribution, similar to mid-front-engined sports cars.
The gearbox is an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, with a 48-volt active suspension system. According to Ferrari, the Purosangue is able to race from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds, with a top speed of approximately 310km/h. Coupled with the heady purr of the naturally-aspirated V12 engine, it would be a crime to relegate this four-seater to school-run status.
Likely the most comfortable Ferrari ever made, the Purosangue retains the DNA of the Italian marque in its bodywork, eschewing the typical tall and wide proportions adopted by SUVs in favour of a leaner, lower silhouette. The chassis was designed from scratch, made from high-strength aluminium alloy and sitting close to the ground, with the intention of creating a rigid yet lightweight structure. Despite being larger than Ferrari’s previous four-seaters, the chassis of the Purosangue is lighter, with marked improvements in rigidity and beam stiffness, which works to increase comfort by absorbing roughness in road surfaces while providing a feeling of structural integrity.
The bodyshell is crafted from aluminium and carbon fibre, as well as high-strength steel in crucial areas. Notably, the Purosangue differentiates itself from other luxury four-door vehicles by incorporating rear-hinged back doors, which open frontwards to welcome passengers into a surprisingly generous space.
So, an SUV or not an SUV: that is the question.
Words by John Deckard
