The unthinkable is happening: Ferrari is making an SUV.
Okay, maybe it's not that unthinkable. After all, these days, Lamborghini makes an SUV; Bentley makes an SUV; Rolls-Royce makes an SUV; Aston Martin makes an SUV; hell, Porsche makes two SUVs. And while traditionalists have cried and moaned, adding four-by-fours to their lineups hasn't hurt any of those makers; if anything, adding a profitable high-riding family car has raked in new profit streams that have helped them build better sports cars than ever before. So it's not surprising that publicly-traded Ferrari is following suit.
Ferrari teased a V12 engine for an upcoming vehicle it had to clarify was "unmistakably Ferrari at heart." And the brand has confirmed that V12 power is coming to the Purosangue as a way to distinguish it from the luxury SUV competition.
But there'll also probably be a V8 version
Ferrari
The V12's days are likely numbered, though, due to increasingly tightening emissions regulations and other obstacles. Besides, some buyers prefer their everyday cars with more tractable turbo V8 power; that's why Ferrari offers the GTC4Lusso in both V8 and V12 forms, and that's why it's expected to do so with the Purosangue — although the SUV will likely boast a hybrid version for added efficiency and usable power.
Electric spinoffs will likely follow
Ferrari
These days, you can't plan out new cars without planning to make them electric at some point. As such, according to CAR, Ferrari is already planning EV variants — perhaps different sizes, perhaps different shapes — for the 2024–2026 timeframe. These will likely be the first all-electric Ferraris...but almost certainly not the last.
Will the Purosangue get all-wheel-drive? Of course
Ferrari
Ferrari first brought AWD to its lineup more than a decade ago with the FF, and it's been a staple of the company's large GT hatchbacks since. Considering that four-wheel-grip is basically de rigueur in the SUV segment, we assume the Purosangue will be so equipped, as well. It remains to be seen, however, whether it'll use the FF/GTC4Lusso's complex system (which integrates a second gearbox for the front axle) or a simpler setup.
Autocar expects the Purosangue to get a height-adjustable adaptive suspension, an anti-roll system for better stability on and off-road and higher ground clearance than a typical Ferrari. It won't follow a Jeep Wrangler up the Rubicon Trail, but there may be a gravel road en route to the ski chalet.
The new SUV will probably be based on the Ferrari Roma platform
Ferrari
Ferrari, like most automakers, is consolidating platforms to save money. Per Autocar, the Purosangue will run on the Ferrari platform for front mid-engine GT-style cars like the Roma. That platform is fairly flexible, so don't expect it to share much apart from the distance between firewall and engine.
Escaping New York in the Ferrari 812 GTS
Hunter S. Kelley
Appreciating fresh air takes on a whole new meaning behind the wheel of a drop-top V12 Ferrari.
