First road test is out...
From Autocar.com
Ferrari FF 6.3 V12 First DriveTest date 23 March 2011 Price as tested TBA
What is it?
The all-new four-seat Ferrari, which is also the replacement for the 612 Scaglietti and the first production Ferrari to feature four-wheel drive. And if that wasn’t enough to be contending with, the FF is also an estate – or shooting brake.
While the FF retains an aluminium spaceframe, the wheelbase is 40mm longer than the 612, to help increase cabin space. Power is provided by a 651bhp 6.3-litre V12 engine; a development of that used in the Enzo and 599 GTB. The addition of direct injection and stop-start helps bring a 25 per cent improvement in emissions over the 612, too.
What is particularly interesting about the FF, though, is how it delivers drive to the road, because unlike a conventional all-wheel drive system, there is no centre differential. Instead, for the majority of the time, the FF is effectively a regular rear-wheel-drive Ferrari, with the power directed to the back wheels via a seven-speed, dual clutch transaxle gearbox.
Only when drive is required at the front axle is power taken directly from the engine into a second gearbox, one with just two forward speeds plus reverse. The fascinating aspect to this system (which Ferrari has patented) is that neither of the two front ratios are a match for those in the rear gearbox. The wheel speed mismatch is then managed by slipping two clutches in the forward gearbox – one for each wheel.
These clutches also provide the role of the front differential, not only to manage traction but also provide torque vectoring for improved handling. The obvious question here is – don’t the clutches overheat if they are constantly slipping? The answer, apparently, is that in practice drive is being delivered to the front axle only for short periods.
The main advantages of the system are that it is compact, light (Ferrari claim it adds just 45kg) and that the absence of a front differential means steering feel corruption is minimised.
What’s it like?
Before we discuss the dynamic performance, the first thing to note is how successful the packaging is. As an example, the 450-litre boot swallowed both our stills and video equipment, after which we travelled three-up for approximately seven hours, with no complaints from those in the front or back.
While you could conclude that a 4.9m long car should be able to offer decent space, the Maserati GranTurismo is only 20mm shorter and yet provides significantly less space.
Like the 612 that went before it, the FF is a car you’d happily drive serious distances in: it rides well (despite excellent agility), it’s quiet when you want it to be, and it’s got a conveniently large 91-litre fuel tank. But most of all, because it’s powered by an epic engine.
Next to the 599 GTB perhaps it doesn’t feel quite so insanely ballistic in the lower gears, but in third and above it’s mighty, and since 80 per cent of the engine’s 504lb ft of torque is available from 1750rpm it feels every bit as effortless as a serious GT should.
Against the clock the FF accelerates from 0-124mph in 11.0sec, exactly matching Ferrari’s claims for the 599 GTB, despite the 599’s superior power-to-weight ratio. In part this can be explained by the FF’s seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, but also its superior traction. And in real world use, on anything but completely dry roads, the FF is likely to be the significantly quicker car across country.
While from a refinement perspective the four-wheel drive engages imperceptibly – although a tell-tale dash graphic displays when the front axle is being called upon, information relayed to the front passenger on a display just above the glovebox – the effect on the corner behaviour can be felt. Through fast corners the FF retains the sense of being rear driven. But in slow-to-medium speed bends – just at the point where the FF is about to transition into oversteer – the front drive intervenes and there is a sense that the FF is being pulled as well as pushed.
The result is that for a 651bhp car it comes with remarkably little intimidation, just the ability to dispense its performance potential extremely effectively. Which I guess for a GT car makes sense, as does the fact that the 4wd system means the FF needn’t be sidelined during the winter. I tried it briefly on snow (with winter tyres) and it coped well enough.
However, I can’t help but feel that from an emotive point of view the addition of all-wheel drive has eroded a little of the interaction that personally I expect with a Ferrari. Sure the FF is extrovertly styled and sounds sensational, but just sometimes I’d like to be a little more involved in the job of managing and exploiting what fundamentally feels like a nicely sorted rear-drive chassis.
Because for such a large car the FF hides its size and weight impressively well. It can take a little time to get tuned into the FF’s surprisingly quick steering ratio (only slightly slower than the 458’s). Initially I found my first steering input was often too large, meaning I then had to unwind a little lock, which served to exaggerate the sense of body roll. But with time, the steering becomes almost, if not completely, instinctive, at which point the FF changes direction with very little body roll, beyond the first initial weight transfer (particularly with the adjustable dampers in their firmer setting, achieved by moving the Manettino to Sport).
The only slight disappointment is that the dual clutch gearbox on this particular FF that I tried didn’t feel quite as slick as those I’ve sampled on Ferrari’s V8 cars. High rev, high torque upshifts are not as fast, nor low-rev downchanges always as smooth.
Should I buy one?
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the FF is the absence of a direct rival. Especially when you consider the price - £227,026. Probably the closest competitor is the Bentley Continental GT, but in truth they are very different cars. The Bentley heavier, more obviously four-wheel drive, and not as agile or fun to drive. The FF is not only quicker, but perhaps surprisingly also the more spacious.
Given all this, it is impossible not to be impressed with what Ferrari has achieved – in particular that it has incorporated the security and versatility of all-wheel drive while avoiding many of the traditional technical downsides (specifically weight).
The only word of caution though, is that the FF is a different type of Ferrari to a 599 or 458, and for anyone contemplating a purchase that is key to understand.
Jamie Corstorphine
With that type of power (660hp), a highly advanced AWD system, massive carbon brakes, well balanced chassis, and a curb weight only slightly more than the GT-R...I expect to see some truly astonishing numbers for such a GT oriented car 👍
So, with fuel, fluids and driver it'll easily go over two tons.. 
While I still like the looks and performance, that weight figure is bit of a turn off..
