الرئيسية
By Arab News
JEDDAH: Ferrari, the Italian sports car manufacturer, unveiled through Fast Auto Technic in Jeddah its first four-wheel drive supercar, the Ferrari FF. Dubbed FF for its four seats and four-wheel drive, the FF aims to attract a Ferrari buyer with a penchant to drive at “any-time in any-weather.”
The FF is designed by Pininfarina under Ferrari’s chief designer, Flavio Manzoni.
The FF replaces Ferrari’s flagship 612 Scaglietti and made its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Ferrari General Manager for MENA Pietro Innocenti said that the FF had infused the results of the company’s sporting heritage into its new grand touring car, which by definition had to be able to deliver both performance and endurance.
He said that in the past, Ferrari was sometimes perceived as an extreme car where reliability “was not always there because the cars had come from the racing world.”
This however had dramatically changed in the last 15 years through engineering advances and quality assurance measures.
“This is the reason why we offer a three year warranty and seven years of maintenance for free for our clients. This is a measure of how confident we are in the reliability of our product,” he said. The result is that the new generation of Ferraris including the FF stays loyal to the marque’s sports DNA yet provides an extremely reliable car.
The new, exclusive four-wheel-drive system weighs half as much as typical systems and keeps the GT coupe at ideal 47/53 percent weight distribution for its nearly 1800 kg. Magnetic damping systems keep the car balanced and responsive.
Brembo ceramic brakes, magnetic damping, a dual-clutch transaxle and a 6.3-liter, direct-injection V-12 pump power through a with its transaxle dual-clutch F1 gearbox can power the FF from 0-100kph in 3.7 seconds and attain a top speed of 335kph. The drive system uses predictive torque distribution, which shifts power distribution before slip occurs.
The spacious interior and very non-Ferrari back end ensures that it can comfortably accommodate four people and their luggage, thanks to the robust cabin space and boot capacity (450 liters extendable to 800).
The latest generation system of Ferrari’s Magnetoreological damping system makes the FF more compatible with the new generation. Innocenti added that the FF adapts even quicker to different surfaces allowing diverse usage power to the driver.
Pietro Innocenti said the marketing strategy of Ferrari with the FF is very specific and the car should not be mistaken to be a SUV.
“We remain loyal to our tradition, which is to develop sports cars. A Ferrari is a Ferrari.”
As with any Ferrari, all the customizing options and cabin trims are available. It is a brave venture for the sports car manufacturer but it looks like a fierce competitor, as Ferrari always is.