Resident contributor Andre Lam’s insight on the Purosangue.

Talk of Ferrari’s four door car has been around since the 1980 concept car, otherwise known as the Ferrari Pinin. It never officially ran and was shelved because it did not meet Ferrari’s exacting standards given the technology of that era.

But now, Ferrari’s worst kept secret has finally been unveiled. Its very first four-door, four-seater car has been revealed on its 75th anniversary. Speculation was rife that it could be a raised or an enlarged GTC4Lusso. But in reality, it really is a new larger standalone production platform that gets an entire catalogue of bespoke parts for its manufacture.

Ferrari waited this long not just to study the market, but to ensure they had all the right technology to deliver an uncompromised sportscar and not a mere SUV. They have high ambitions for the Purosangue, in that it should not just be for Ferraristas but to instead draw in more clients from outside the fold.

By the end of the previous decade, things fell into place and Ferrari felt confident they could pull this off as all the elements, like the growing acceptance of the SUV market, technology and styling genius came together to make this decision viable.

Also it was inevitable that a genuine four-door, four-seater Ferrari should exist. Ferrari refused to call this a SUV and insists that it is a sportscar, in the same way the FF and GTC4 Lusso are sportscars but ride with much higher ground clearance, 180mm vs the 120mm of typical Ferraris.

The styling is pure genius, and the proportions are well balanced, not looking like an adapted Ferrari or boxy SUV. Seeming more like a Shooting brake meets Allroad, the Purosangue is styled by the team under the watchful gaze of Flavio Manzoni.

Dictated primarily by aerodynamic requirements, the styling possesses clear familial resemblance to the Ferrari stables. There are elements that seems drawn from existing Ferraris but Manzoni explains this is merely design language or lexicon of current Ferraris. And while they look familiar, it is actually quite different upon closer inspection, notably the front headlamps.

There are many flow-through vents that either help reduce drag or exit to reduce turbulence, or just help keep surfaces clean besides the obvious cooling and intake requirements. Even the 22 and 23 inch wheels are designed with aerodynamic details to lower drag. The way the wheels are styled means there are actually 4 different rims on the Purosangue.

While complex, it is visually congruous and there is no angle from which the Purosangue looks awkward. It looks superb from all directions and is gorgeous in profile. Clearly it will be an object of desire.

And that is before even knowing the stats of the Purosangue. Ferrari has decided to begin production with the normal aspirated V12 in keeping with the pure-blood theme. Of course, it is inconceivable that it remains the only engine choice for the 6 or 7 years it will remain in production but Ferrari have been tight-lipped about any future variants. If we had to speculate, any engine that fits in the GTC4Lusso platform could be a candidate here. 

The 6.5-litre V12 produces 725PS at 7750 rpm and 716 Nm at 6250 rpm with 80 percent of max torque available from just 2100 rpm, giving it more of a GT state of tune rather than a racer’s edge. The front midship V12 is mated to an 8-speed F1 DCT which is mounted at the rear to give it a 49:51 front-rear weight balance.

It has a top speed of 310 km/h, a 100 km/h time of 3.3 seconds and reaches 200 km/h in just 10.6 seconds. Fuel consumption was not revealed except with speculations that it has been improved, so do not expect it to be especially frugal.

This nearly 5m Purosangue, while heavy for a Ferrari at 2033kg, is actually surprisingly light for such a large looking car with a height just shy of 1.6m. The spaceframe and most of the bodywork is aluminium with a carbon fibre roof. A full-length glass panoramic roof along with other weight-saving extra-cost options will be available as well. It will not have a tow hook feature (obviously) but there are bespoke accessories for carrying bicycles or skis.

The rear doors are rear hinged and open like coach doors. This was the best choice for easy egress and ingress plus it has a panoramic effect upon opening to reveal the well sculptured cabin. It is a strict four-seater with copious legroom for the rear passengers, though the rear headroom is relatively tight at the C-pillar due to styling and aerodynamic considerations. Sports seats are fitted all-round the cabin.  

Our attention was drawn to its new-fangled suspension system that can instantly vary ride height without air-springs and does away with the anti-roll bar as it actively counters body roll. The mechanics are fairly complex to be explained here, so we shall keep that for when we review the actual drive during the event next year.  

In Italy, the Purosangue will begin deliveries in Q2 2023 with a base price of €390,000, whilst no official price was released for our region yet. There is already a long wait list even though Ferrari expects the Purosangue alone to increase production by another 80 percent over current numbers.

Ferrari Purosangue

Engine: 6.5-litre V12, naturally aspirated

Power: 725 PS at 7750 rpm

Torque: 716 Nm at 6250 rpm

0-100 km/h: 3.3 seconds

0-200 km/h: 10.6 seconds

Gearbox: 8-Speed F1 DCT