12 Ferrari FF V2015 Coupe Review
Ferrari made a splash when it unveiled the FF at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. I know because I was there but couldn't see the FF until half an hour after the covers were removed. That is how long it took for the astonished crowd to disperse. Keep in mind we're talking about a bunch of cynical automotive journalists who've seen it all before, and you'll really understand the sensation the FF made.
Ferrari FF stands for Quadruple All Wheel Drive. This is a big car aimed at the grand touring buyer. "GT", which originally meant "grand touring", meant traveling around Europe at high speeds in a lot of styles.
Design
Interestingly, the Ferrari FF can be classified as a kind of wagon, or, in the term "shooting break", from the past, which has recently been revived. We've even heard some say that the FF could be called Ferrari's first SUV. The latter isn't as silly as it sounds, as even companies like Bentley are joining the current SUV craze, so why not Ferrari?
…the hardest steering wheel this side of an F1 Ferrari.
Inside, it's a pure Ferrari with quality materials, very Italian styling, electronic dials with a huge centrally positioned tachometer, and the most complex steering wheel ever compared to an F1 Ferrari.
Engine / Transmission
What's under the hood of the FF and what's it like to drive? First, it's easy, it's a 12-liter V6.3 with 650 horsepower. This drives all four wheels through a relatively simple system, designated 4RM, which sends power from the rear of the engine to the rear wheels and from the front of the engine to the front wheels. This is the first Ferrari car with all-wheel drive.
Between the rear wheels is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The gearbox at the front has only two speeds; FF uses all-wheel drive only in the first four gears. In the fifth, sixth and seventh strictly rear-wheel drive. (Told you it was easy! There are some good explanations on the internet if you really want to get into the details.)
Driving
What a sensational car. The moment you press the big red start button on the steering wheel and the V12 engine comes to life with a loud screech, you know something special is coming.
Ferrari's patented "manettino dial" on the steering wheel provides multiple driving modes: "Snow" and "Wet" are self-explanatory and only used in fairly severe weather conditions; Comfort is a good compromise for everyday commuting.
Raise the tachometer to the top of the dial - marked with a red line at 8000 - and its angry growl is sure to put a smile on your face.
Then we get to the serious stuff: the sport allows you to have a lot of fun, but Ferrari steps in to help you stay out of trouble if you really push. ESC Off means you're on your own and it's probably best to leave it exclusively for track days.
The sound of the engine is to die for, it's not quite F1 in its sound, but it has the tinge of scream you used from F1 Ferrari before the last too quiet "powertrains" were introduced. Raise the tachometer to the top of the dial - marked with a red line at 8000 - and its angry growl is sure to put a smile on your face.
Pressing the gas pedal while the car is stationary causes the rear end to squirm violently as the tires fight against the tremendous force suddenly thrown at them. The front parts grab within a few tenths of a second and take away all the fun. In just 3.8 seconds you'll be speeding almost everywhere in Australia except for the Northern Territory. Love it!
The response from the transmission is almost instantaneous, and the dual clutch takes just a millisecond to get the engine into the powerband. Downshifts don't have as many "flashes" of rev matching as we'd like; they are perhaps a bit too German in their precision, instead of taking the Italian "let's have a few hundred more revs just for fun" that we would like.
Not being able to use the race track during our all-too-short two days with the FF was a pain. Suffice it to say that we liked the quick-acting steering, which keeps your hands on the wheel in all but the very tight corners. And the grip on our favorite mountain roads was just what we expected.
The brakes are huge, as you'd expect from a car capable of 335 km/h, and push you forward into your seatbelts when the FF decelerates surprisingly quickly.
Ride comfort? It's hardly a priority for a supercar, but you can feel the dips and bumps as they pass under the big tires. In performance modes, you can press another button on the steering wheel, labeled - believe it or not - "bumpy road". This softens the situation well enough for you to continue enjoying life.
While the Ferrari FF is certainly not an off-road SUV, you can check out YouTube to see the FF drifting through snowdrifts and similar rough terrain. The all-wheel drive system certainly does its job.
Although one of the "F"s in the big Ferrari's name stands for four seats, the pair in the back are hardly big enough for adults. Again, FF is more than 2+2. If you want to get serious about hauling four around often, you might have to find extra cash for an Alfa Romeo or Maserati Quattroporte as a second car to back the $624,646 FF.
