Ferrari GTC4 Lusso T

Rear-drive V8 four-seater proves less can be more.

- Georg Kacher

RUMOUR has it that the Ferrari FF was the brainchild of former company CEO Luca di Montezemolo, born of his desire to source a suitable grand tourer for his younger wife and child. Despite its excellence at achieving the brief, its niche status meant it was the only model in the range not to sell like hot cakes. Ultimately it still is a bit of an oddball concoction for the Prancing Horse; aside from the brawny 6.3-litre naturally aspirated V12, ingredients like a four-seat, shooting brake body and all-wheel drive are alien to Maranello.

To spur demand for this least Ferrari-like Ferrari, the powers-that-be decided to add a cheaper V8 version alongside the updated V12, which revived the GTC4 Lusso moniker, referencing iconic four-seat Ferraris from decades past. The V8 is also rear-wheel instead of allwheel drive and has a pair of turbos to compensate for the reduction in engine displacement.

But while the price of the GTC4 Lusso 'T' has been cut by $75K to $503,888, it’s barely slower against the clock (0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 320km/h) and, as you’re about to find out, offers a very different experience to its big brother.

While it may not be quite as fast as the 507kW V12, the GTC4 T still receives a significant 449kW hit. Additionally, the 3.9-litre V8 does plot a more impressive torque curve, its 760Nm climax between 3000 and 5250rpm 63Nm more than the 6262cc engine can muster. Not surprisingly, the smaller powerplant also uses almost 25 per cent less fuel while in terms of intake growl and exhaust roar, the two tenors sound about as different as Caruso and Pavarotti.