The BIRTH of a THOROUGHBRED

The new Ferrari Purosangue isn't exactly an SUV, but it does break new ground for the Italian marque...

- NICOLAS STECHER

The lion does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep, a cunning father once grunted angrily to his ne’er-do-well scion. For some reason the words echo in my head as we climb sheer Italian mountain roads, furiously working the F1-inspired, eight-speed/dual-clutch paddles like a PS5 controller. And while Tywin Lannister may have been discussing the diabolical machinations of Game of Thrones while he cleaned a freshly killed stag with surgeon-like precision, the words now seem to take on a stronger meaning – a direct result of gripping the wheel of Ferrari’s latest ode to über-performance: the Purosangue.

Because we’re not just passing luxury SUVs on the Dolomites as if they’re standing still, we’re doing it as we zoom uphill – making short work of Porsche Macans and Audi Q5s as we climb some of the steepest mountains known to man.

There’s an embarrassment of riches to fall hard for with the Purosangue. Ferrari’s first lifted performance crossover – don’t dare call it a “Sports Utility Vehicle,” or face the admonishment of Maranello’s execs – boasts two singular elements that particularly shine in these harrowing circumstances, and a third when you nearly zero – unloading 80% of its torque from only 2,100 rpms.

There is no other high-performance SUV – sorry, Ferrari Utility Vehicle – on the planet equipped with a V-12, nor any other engine, that can eclipse 62 mph from a standstill in just 3.3 seconds, and keep going all the way till it taps the 199 mph top speed. It not only sounds glorious bouncing off the mineral- heavy dolostone that lines these vertical roads, its delicious, deep low-end torque helps swallow traffic like a competitive eater.