When your mission is to pick up a Ferrari for extended road testing, it’s hard to resist the impulse to dress up a bit. It’s an extraordinary moment in your motoring life, after all, and you can also bet that everyone you meet on such a mission will be pin-striped.
Ferrari dealer Marcus Uzzell certainly was when I stepped over the threshold of Maranello, his Egham dealership just outside London’s orbital M25, to collect the 13,700-mile Ferrari FF we’ll be running through the summer.
The car looked magnificent, of course, resplendent in the same metallic red Ferrari designed for its 2007 grand prix cars, when a colour adjustment was needed to the livery in order to make the cars extra-red on digital television.
The FF (for Ferrari Four) is the marque’s rule-breaker of recent years, a two-door four-seater with a novel on-demand four-wheel drive system that takes drive to the front wheels directly from the front of the mighty front/mid-mounted V12, but only when the rear wheels have already begun to slip. The car was born out of a perception among Ferrari’s bigwigs that the firm’s cars weren’t being used day to day like those of some competing marques. Indeed, the brochures show FFs forging up snowy hillsides, evidently bearing their owners towards ski chalets.
This is probably the most sensible Ferrari you can buy, with its roomy cabin and big doors, its snug but useable rear seats and its long-wheelbase chassis built for stability and bristling with sophisticated electronics, plus, when needed, that four-wheel drive system. Our own tests have already shown the combination confers on the FF all the high and low-speed traction a supercar needs, even when powered by a 651bhp 6.3-litre V12 and endowed with huge performance (for the record, 0-62mph in 3.7sec and a top speed of 210mph).
Ferraris and four seats have never had a massive take-up, not least in the UK. When the Ferrari FF was launched in 2011 by company CEO Amedeo Felisa, its production target was given as 800 units a year worldwide, which (given that the UK regularly takes about 10% of total Ferrari volume) indicates that only about half a dozen FFs a month find new owners in the UK. So it’s a rare car.
Still, the thread of our enquiry over the next few months won’t primarily be about the spectacular side of Ferrari driving, ever available though that is. The idea is to take this extraordinary machine and apply it to ordinary motoring situations, to discover what living with a Ferrari V12 is really like. Ferrari’s steady contention is that the car works well in a wide variety of situations, which is why it is allowing a car priced at just over £300,000 a couple of years ago (and able to command about £180,000 today) outof its sight for more than a few days.
The Maranello dealership is located in a recently restored art deco showroom on the Egham bypass, well known to generations of visitors because it was once the lair from which the Colonel Ronnie Hoare, the UK’s legendary Ferrari importer (reputed to have a direct line to Enzo himself) ran his business for several generations.
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One hundred and eeeeeighty
https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/family/ferrari_ff
Pointless
Free Ferari FF for a few months ? You'll love it.
No depreciation costs or other expenses. Who wouldn't
It's not what the car is capable of
Unfair
You generalise unfairly. It is a magnificent car, and in my experience, bought in many cases by utter petrolheads. I did a Ferrari track day at a wet Donnington in March. I hadn't previously tracked mine, and I was astounded by the breadth of its abilities. 7 twenty minute sessions later, I was knackered, but the car completely unstressed. There were 4 FFs running that day. I have no idea how wealthy their owners were.
I reckon if it was all about telling the world how wealthy we are, we'd have arrived by air.
I'm sure there are owners who are not 'car people' but I don't think it's justified to consider anyone lucky enough to own one as necessarily buying it as a statement. I don't get tarred with that brush when I'm in my Amarok :-)
Enjoy it and good luck to you
gigglebug wrote:dunce
In summary, owing to having some nice cars, I am a chronic under achiever. I have some Audis, including 2 estates, but in order to maintain my image of mindlessness, sometimes I prefer to drive a Ferrari.
Need to read it twice
Ah sorry, being a dunce, I now understand where your post is coming from!
liquidgold wrote:gigglebug
That's ok, irony doesn't always come across too well when written! Just out of interest what other cars were on your shortlist or was the FF the only choice for you?
gigglebug wrote:liquidgold
Didn't really have a shortlist to be honest. Ferrari are brilliant at keeping customers, and encouraging them to increase their 'fleet'. I went along for a day at Millbrook in the FF and was staggered by what it can do. Ordered one the following week, and don't regret it for a second. If anything, I spend much less time driving an SUV than I used to. I recently met a guy who owns a lot of cars, but has put 18000 miles on his FF in just over a year. True day to day driver.
liquidgold wrote:gigglebug
That's very cool, from this can I induce that you already had a Ferrari and this was the next stepping stone? I think I still prefer the styling of the 612 to be honest which has really grown into a very elegant car as the years have rolled by but it would appear that the FF is quite a leap forward from a technical point of view and it has grown on me too from a styling perspective. It's good to hear that there are people like you who are prepared to get it all wrong and buy cars like these, long may it continue!
612 coming into its own
I love the 612, I think it was a bit ahead of its time. For me there is something really special about Ferrari - the cars seem to make me smile more than any other manufacturers' do, even though there are far more cost effective solutions. You cop a lot of stick online if you have expensive motors, but I often wonder if all these people wear watches they paid 3 quid for. After all, they tell the time, don't they?? I've bought a few Ferraris, and don't intend to stop any time soon...
DBtechnician wrote:There is
You are a penis.
@ WC
289 wrote:Christ WC...still
For the same reason you do, cock.
@ WC
Oh
I seem to have got under your skin, cock. You follow me from thread to thread spitting feathers. Calm down, son.
@WC
289 wrote:...don't flatter
This is called trolling. As we all thought.
@WC
And by the way you say 'ALL'. This is where you go wrong, you think you speak for many....you only speak for yourself....cock!
289 wrote:...No, its called
Might i say the best way to treat trollers is to ignore them,resist the taunts,ie, don't reply to them!
289 wrote:...No, its called
I thought you said it was sport? Come on 289, you can't have it both ways. Are you on a moral crusade for the benefit of the forum (hahahahaha) or trolling? You're not credible. In fact, you're ridiculous. As I said, you need to calm down. Take a breath.
I really do think this car is
gillmanjr summed it up....
AHYL88 wrote:...It is an
You and gillmanjr are still talking like people who have to rationalise every financial decision you make like 99% of the rest of us do. Can't you understand that there are those who don't have to worry if you could buy X, Y and Z cars for the same amount of money as they could buy them all at the same time if they wanted to. You automatically assume that they have no sense or logic just because they can afford to spend a lot more on a car than you can. Did you ever consider the fact that they might have worked really hard to be in the position that they were able to say "Do you know what, I really like that car and I'm going to buy it. I've earned it and can afford it"? If I could afford to do so I'd be exactly the same and sample the cars I was genuinely interested in without worrying about hypothetical variations or just plain stupid things like the cost of tax and insurance.
gigglebug wrote:You and
Millionaires don't become that way by being stupid with their money. Ferrari is pushing this car as a practical, everyday driver. It is MY OPINION that it doesn't fit that role very well. It is a niche car and obviously people are going to buy them, after all it still has a 650 HP Ferrari V12 in it. But even if I was a trillionaire I wouldn't buy a car unless I thought I would use it for something, even if that something was taking it to the track once a year, and I'm just not sure I could find a use for the FF.
gillmanjr wrote:gigglebug
I've no problem with anyone not liking a particular car I just don't always understand some of their reasoning for doing so. Explain two things; Firstly what makes you think that the FF can't be a practical everyday car. It seats 4 in comfort which is more than most people will ever use regularly and it has a large enough boot for the majority of everyday circumstances, hell even the rear seats fold flat if more space is needed. It has very good traction making it as/if not more usable in differing driving conditions than any of the other road cars you mentioned and it would make you feel special every single journey even at very normal everyday speeds. The only thing I can think of that might reduce it's everyday usability is the fact that it's a very large motorcar but none the ones you mentioned are compact. Secondly what makes it a niche model compared to any other coupe on the market?
PS: If I were in the position I would also be trying a Quattroporte, an S class with a massive engine, a 612 and an M6 Gran Coupe among others just in case you were thinking that I'm some sort of Ferrari fan boy
gigglebug wrote:I've no
You obviously don't have children or you wouldn't be asking me why the FF isn't practical as an everyday car, and I already mentioned it in my first post. TWO DOORS. If you had kids I wouldn't have to explain to you why two doors doesn't work.
Yes I do have children and
gillmanjr wrote:gigglebug
Yes I do have children and they are both capable of getting into the back seat of a coupe or a small hatchback let alone a car with the generous rear accommodation that the FF has thank you so I'll ask you the question again to see if you can come up with an answer that isn't based around you thinking that everyone in the world must have very young children or indeed children at all?? Again why could the FF not be a practical everyday car???????
gigglebug wrote:Yes I do have
I never really said that it isn't capable of being practical to a limited amount of people, it just would never be my choice no matter how much money I had or what my social status was. In MY OPINION it is a niche vehicle. As a person with young children I would NEVER EVER drive a 2 door vehicle. I don't think I could conjure up a worse nightmare than having to get a child in and out of a car seat every day with a coupe. If you choose to do that with all the options available on the market, have fun. For those without children and not planning on having children, why not just drive the F12? Again, MY OPINION, I'm sure there are those who can find a practical use for the FF but I call that a niche market. Don't bother asking me any more questions because my opinion isn't going to change. The FF is lovely for what it is, but I could never find a use for one.
gillmanjr wrote:gigglebug
Well there's obviously no point in asking you any questions is there as your clearly not capable of seeing past your own blinkered view. It's fair enough if you couldn't find a use for one personally but to assume that because it isn't relevant to you that it couldn't be relevant to anybody is just narrow minded. Now your even assuming that anyone without children would never have the need for more than a 2 seater so that would be plenty enough?? Some people have partners, are part of large family's and have lots of mates so more than 2 seats can come in handy you know?? I'll quote you directly "Ferrari is pushing this car as a practical, everyday driver. It is MY OPINION that it doesn't fit that role very well." It fit's that role perfectly and I have provided far more arguments to show this than your single argument that it isn't going to be the obvious choice for anyone with babies and their car seats to contend with as if that is now the only gauge of whether a car is practical or not. And just for the record a 4 seat coupe is hardly a niche model is it??
gigglebug wrote:Well there's
You are obviously a person who acts as if everyone else has to share your opinion or it is some kind of personal attack on you. My point from the start has been simple and has clearly gone over your head. So allow me to sum it up for you: if you are a person who wants to have four usable seats, for WHATEVER reason (children, large family, friends, etc etc etc), why would you buy a coupe? To make your life more difficult? If you don't need it, have no kids, wife, etc, and want a fast sports car, why would you buy an FF? In both scenarios the market is literally flooded with alternative options that would be a better fit. There has been no time in my life that I feel like an FF would have been a good option for me as an everyday driver. Sorry
gillmanjr wrote:gigglebug
Again just another post eluding to the fact that if you personally don't see the point of something or have no want for it then in your opinion there possibly couldn't be any point of in anyone else wanting it either. All I can say is that it's lucky that manufacturers don't use someone as narrow minded as you as the template for their model ranges as the world of cars would be a far less interesting place
Two doors, no mither
I regularly put my two seven year olds in the back of the FF. It is no issue at all. Ferrari have come up with an incredible system whereby the front seats fold and slide forwards, allowing easy ingress/egress from rear seats. Genius. Nothing wrong with an M5 of course - I just think a normally aspirated 6.3 V12 revving towards 8k, knocking out 660 horses, is now probably on a limited lifespan, so want to enjoy it while I can. Each to his own.
liquidgold wrote:I regularly
I picking up your sarcasm. I've owned an Audi A5 so I am familiar with the incredible system of folding and sliding seats. In fact I was single and had no children when I had my Audi and I still found it to be a hassle every time I wanted to have more than one other person in it. But like you said, to each his own. If it doesn't bother you than have fun, you are correct about the normally aspirated V12, we are probably seeing the last of them now.