WORDS
Amy Miles
For Ferrari purists, the idea of a utility-inspired car with Prancing Horse insignia is, to put it lightly, sacrilege. The Maranello-based marque is about going fast, being agile and looking slick while doing so – not fuel economy and cargo space. But this is 2022, and there’s no ignoring the fact that premium SUVs are continually growing in popularity.
Ferrari’s answer to the automotive world’s question of how it will keep up with the likes of Lamborghini, Porsche and Aston Martin in this category is the new Purosangue – its first ever four-door, four-seater car which, the manufacturer says, is unlike anything it has done before, but is most certainly not an SUV.
Where the Purosangue differs from competitors is in its pricing (at £350,000, it’s miles more expensive than others), and the purposeful engineering which incorporates sportscar-specific features and ensures that the Purosangue still feels and drives like a Ferrari.
Let’s start with the V12 engine (what else?), which is mid-front mounted with a gearbox at the rear (a different setup to the standard front-mounted engine of most competitors) making for better weight distribution. Many elements of said V12 engine have been completely redesigned for the Purosangue, including the crankshaft and combustion calibration, which is derived from Formula 1 engineering.
There has also been extensive aerodynamics development and a focus on ensuring the car has a low centre of gravity and low driving position, to offer a feeling of being at one with the car when you’re at the wheel. To achieve this, Ferrari has built the chassis from lightweight, high-strength alloys and employed a carbon-fibre roof, which can be switched out for an electrochromic glass one on purchase. And it’s fast, of course. Think, 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds and 80% of maximum torque available at just 2100rpm.
Back to the body, then, and the exciting news that the boot is the largest one ever on a Ferrari – plus, the back seats can fold down to give you even more space, so there is plenty of room for golfing equipment, suitcases and the like, opening up the Purosangue to a range of practicality-focused customers who’d never have considered a Ferrari before. Inside, the cabin features a 10.25” display in the dual-cockpit, Burmester 3D Surround Sound, heated seats, and Alcantara upholstery, which is made from certified recycled polyster. In fact, 85% of the Purosangue’s rims on launch are sustainably produced. The sculpted body, meanwhile, has the attention-grabbing elegance that Ferrari’s design is consistently admired for, and is a clear reference to bygone models and sportscar styling.
Yes, the Ferrari Purosangue has everything you’d want in a crossover vehicle – just don’t call it an SUV.