Skip to main content
HOME   |   ABOUT   |   NEWS   |   TECH ARTICLES   |   AT THE TRACK   |   REVIEWS   |   VIDEOS   |   CONTACT ME

Ferrari "SUV" Coming in 2022

Image
By



Yep, it'll have four doors, more ground clearance, and AWD. No, it's not an SUV or a crossover. Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said during an interview conference last week: "I abhor seeing SUV in the same sentence as Ferrari. It just doesn't sit well with our brand and what it represents." He refused to call it an SUV or a crossover. So what is it? Well, it's code name Purosangue, meaning Pure Blood, in case you're worried it will be anything but a Ferrari. He apparently wasn't even on board with the idea at all, until he saw the internal design.

That bodes well, although not much is known about the looks. Drawing inspiration from the GTC4Lusso is probably a safe bet. The GTC4Lusso (pictured) is Ferrari's only current car that has AWD and 4 seats, although it's only got two doors and doesn't have room for much else. It is basically a shooting brake of a 2+2 GT car and packs a Ferrari V12 under the hood. Although the GTC4 is technically AWD, it is unlike any other AWD system you can buy. AWD systems typically provide power split after the transmission. There is either a power takeoff unit, an internal differential, a transfer case, or some other means of transferring power to a second axle. BMW x-Drive system is illustrated below; axles, driveshafts, and centre clutch pack or "diff" highlighted in blue, showing the front driveshaft running below the engine to the front axle. In the GTC4, though, this wasn't acceptable.


That's because in a traditional RWD-based, longitudinal engine layout, the second driveshaft (prop shaft) would have had  to run below the engine to go to the front axle since power takeoff behind the engine. This would have meant having to raise the engine which is bad for dynamics, looks, etc. Ferrari's solution, put simply, was to do a second takeoff from the front of the engine with a small 2-speed gearbox/transmission to drive the front axle. Two power takeoffs, one from the rear (traditional) to the rear axle and one from the front to the front axle. That kept the engine low and Ferrari looks and dynamics minimally compromised by the added driven axle and, more importantly IMO, gave the PR team something critical. Ferrari went out of its way and innovated something completely unique to preserve what a Ferrari is. It was hardly a chink in Ferrari's armour while offering something a little more practical with AWD against Porsche's (a long time ago) addition of outright sedans/hatches and SUVs and the rest of the industry confirming SUVs (Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls Royce, etc.). This time, it’s different, though..

If this Purosangue vehicle is anything more than a stretched GTC4 Lusso with 4 doors, it will at least have higher ground clearance to achieve the claimed function of offering "revolutionary accessibility" (for a Ferrari, presumably) and being a vehicle for "multiple occasions and passengers". While that alone could be a Ferrari crime, higher ground clearance means a traditional, simpler, and more functional AWD system is possible, removing the air of exotica surrounding the GC4's unique AWD system. Making matters worse, base drivetrain will be a turbo V-6 hybrid. Now, the Ferrari-derived turbo V6 Alfa is using in its Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio has some pedigree and the noise is very unique but in an Alfa, that elevates the brand, in V8 and V12 land of Ferrari, not so much. With that said, a V8 (presumably turbocharged, and perhaps hybrid as well) will be made optional and possibly a V12, which may be the only saving grace for this car as being anything but Ferrari finally caving to where the market's appetite for higher riding vehicles.


At least the car will be built on an all-new platform, according to Ferrari, which will also be the basis of Ferrari's next generation of front-engine cars. It will be one of 15 new Ferrari models to debut between 2019 and 2022 and one of 9 models that will be hybrid by then. Look for it to launch by 2022. I don't see it taking on any stupid body cladding or fake diffusers, plates, etc. that are common on today's SUV's and crossovers. And if the Alfa Stelvio reviews are any indication, it should drive a lot more like a car than a crossover. If Alfa can do it, so can Ferrari, but I am still mourning the death of yet another SUV-free lineup; Ferrari's no less.

Source: Ferrari & Car and Driver

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment






Does An Aftermarket Grille Really Increase Airflow?
I put a Saleen S281 grille to the test to answer that question.

Stock Suspension S197 Mustang With Square 305/30/19's
What you need to fit a proper size square tire setup.

How Limited Slip Diffs Make You Faster on Track
What you need to know about how they put power down and pros and cons.

Can Telemetry Explain Schumacher's Talent?
A comparison between Schumacher's and then team mate Herbert's data.





Cayman GT4 Track Review
The first Cayman with proper (911-challenging) power.

Is an EcoBoost Mustang any good on Track?
Two days at the track in a Mustang short 4 cylinders.

2016 BMW M4 DCT Track Review
It's quick (properly quick). But is it fun?

Can a stock Golf Diesel handle a Track Day?
Not your every day track beater.



🔥 Most Visited This Week

Falken Azenis RT615k+ Street and Track Review

By
Last year, I picked up a 2009 Lancer Ralliart to do a long term test with it as a dual duty track/daily. One of the first things I knew I was going to do was put a decent set of tires on it. The car came without OEM wheels which was actually good because I didn't have to hesitate about getting a good set of aftermarket wheels to support going wider. Thankfully, my friends at YST Auto Halifax  set me up with a great set of Superspeed RF03RR wheels. The Wheels I had never even heard of Superspeed but I trusted the good folk at YST Auto who mentioned some customer cars running on track with them. These wheels are rotary forged which is basically a prerequisite to be taken seriously in this market populated by companies like TSW and Fast Wheels. The wheels looked like a high quality, well finished wheel and each had a "QC" check sticker on. Just for appearances? Maybe, but I found no defects. The wheels seemed easy to balance (didn't need many weights) and at 18.1 lb. f...
5 comments
Read more

2007 Saleen Mustang S281 SC Super Shaker Track Review

By
"Who's your green student today?" asked a friend and instructor at the BMW Club Atlantic Advanced Driver Training (HPDE) weekend in June this year. I said: "The Saleen." The response was: "Oh, boy." Mustangs, generally, have a reputation for being more power than chassis. Mustang drivers have quite the reputation for.. how to put this nicely? Taking advantage of said power/chassis imbalance. To make matters worse, this particular Mustang was a supercharged Saleen, with a honkin' Shaker scoop sticking out of its hood. Did I mention it was also a convertible? And the owner was someone who's never been on track before but clearly has the speed bug. Having had a Mustang for years and driven a few on track, they don't scare me - generally speaking - but the combination of being convertible and supercharged with a new and excited owner worried me a little. Nevertheless, I shrugged it off and got excited about chatting with the owner to find ...
Post a Comment
Read more

2004 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro DSG Track Review

By
Before getting into this, I have to confess something... I had never driven an Audi TT before. Not until this one, anyway. But that hasn't stopped me from forming an opinion about it from the comforts of my own couch while reading and watching reviews online. After all, if you've never done that, do you even know what the point of the internet is? Now, we all interpret reviews differently. Call it confirmation bias if you will, but if you like a car, you'll read a review and look at the positives as what makes the car great and the negatives are but a few quibbles you have to live with. If you don't like a car, the positives are a few things the manufacturer got right while screwing up everything else. It's a bit harsh to put the TT in the latter category, but that's where it ended up for me... I never took the TT seriously. The problem with the TT for me isn't that it's a Golf underneath, per se. There is nothing wrong with a performance car sharing a...
2 comments
Read more

All Mainstream AWD and 4WD Systems Compared and Explained

By
Mitsubishi Evo X GSR at Atlantic Motorsport Park - Kevin Doubleday  © If you live in Canada or the US, you'll find that plenty of people hold sacred the terms '4x4' and '4WD' to describe a 'true 4x4', where you have a butch transfer case with a low speed, perhaps a body on frame chassis, and ideally a solid axle or two. I'm not sure how that translates to the rest of the world. My extensive research into the motoring industry in Europe (which exclusively consists of watching Top Gear and The Grand Tour...) concluded that most people across the pond simply refer to any vehicle that is capable of sending any power to all four wheels as a 4WD vehicle, further muddying the waters. Where I grew up, 4x4 was more or less synonymous with 'Jeep' so that's not much help either. However, despite all various systems attempting to do the same sort of thing - distribute power between all four wheels instead of two - not all systems are created equal,...
8 comments
Read more