Geneva Motor Show, March 2012. Ten years ago, Ferrari was driven by Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and at the press conference, a classic event of the past that was in the most beautiful show in the world, we at Sole 24 Ore dared to ask “Ferrari will make an SUV ? ” The answer was a curt and indignant «No! never!”. And even among the colleagues, many illustrious, choruses rose between amazement and disrespect: «Oh my God! A Ferrari SUV, what a horror! ». In reality we knew that, due to the laws of the market, things change and nothing is written in stone. Then came Sergio Marchionne, who at first was horrified at the idea of an SUV, then, understanding its potential, for the growth of the brand. He wanted to go well beyond the 7,000 quota imposed by Montezemolo and SUVs, as we know, are all the rage, and a house cannot go against market demand. And so he opened to the hypothesis of a high-wheeled sports car. Since the term SUV smacked of heretic, then we opted for “Fuv, Ferrari utility vehicle” and gradually the project, started 48 months ago, took shape: Purosangue was being born. And now here it is at its debut. The name, Purosangue, known for some time, is all a program, as if he meant it. “I know I’m a different Ferrari from everyone else, but my DNA is full of the Cavallino genes.” The first 4-door 4-seater of Maranello with 4-wheel drive exhibits breathtaking lines with doors that open to closet, unique technical solutions for 2-seater GT performance, without compromise, thanks to a naturally aspirated 725 horsepower V12, without electrification with a pair maximum of 716 Nm at 6250 rpm, but 80% is available from 2100 rpm.
The gearbox, located on the rear axle, is automatic with double clutch and 8 speeds.The V12, new according to the manufacturer, was chosen because it is an iconic engine that offers historical continuity to a model that marks a point of no return.
All this translates into numbers of absolute importance. Top speed over 310 km / h, a zero 100 of 3.3 seconds, sprints from 0 to 200 in 10.6 seconds. Not bad for an object almost 5 meters long and with a dry weight of 2 tons.
And it’s hard to put Purosangue in a category. The top management of Ferrari do not like to call it suv, and in fact it exhibits not only the features of a super suv coupé or a crossovere but also those of a fastback. In fact it is 1,589 tall, less than other competitors, such as Lamborghini Urus, which in reality are not real competitors. Purosangue, for performance, style, mechanical architecture and construction technique, especially the super innovative active suspension, is defined by the top management of Ferrari as “like no other”, like no other. And the price also confirms it: it starts from 390 thousand euros.
It is a game changer, a model that changes the rules of the game (like Porsche Cayenne in 2003), creates an unprecedented segment thanks to the architecture with front central engine, placed behind the axle, rear transaxle gearbox.