FF++

Ferrari’s new Grand Touring Coupe adds luxury and technology to the FF’s successful formula.

- Dr Andre Lam

WHEN Ferrari introduced its first all-wheel-drive model, the FF, five years ago in 2011, many Prancing Horse fans didn’t approve of the controversial “shooting brake” styling.

But for actual customers, it was the only four-seater Ferrari they could buy. The break with the marque’s rear-drive tradition was inevitable, given how the horsepower war has crossed the 600bhp mark.

The replacement for the FF is the GTC4Lusso – “GTC” stands for Grand Touring Coupe, “4” refers to the car’s four-wheeldrive, four seats and newly specified four-wheel-steer, while “Lusso” simply means Luxury in Italian.

The newcomer also spells a return to Ferrari’s traditional alphanumeric designation, which stretches as far back as 1963 when the company introduced the 250 GT Lusso, a V12 grand touring coupe. The Lusso wasn’t made with 2+2 seating, but a variant called the 250 GTE was.

That was the earliest fourseater Ferrari produced on an industrial scale, and its success made it the blueprint for subsequent 2+2 descendants.

If we trace this lineage through the decades, we’ll find the 330 GT, 365 GT, 365 GTC/4, 400, 456, 612 and FF.

The FF’s controversial styling has been addressed by the GTC4Lusso. It still follows the original form of the FF, but looks far more attractive with its subtly sloping roofline, noticeably pinched waistline and appropriately slender side profile.

I find the rear design changes to be the most impactful. There are two pairs of round taillamps instead of the single units previously, and they’re positioned further out to the sides so as to emphasise the car’s broad shoulders and offset the truncated tail of the “shooting brake” shape. At the front, there’s a new grille and redesigned LED headlights. Together, they give the menacing appearance of a feline about to strike.