The four-seat Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is a great car, but not our favorite Ferrari. Launched in 2004, it’s getting long in the tooth, and the curvaceous body, lacking in tension, never really grew on us.
At this year’s Geneva auto show, though, Maranello will debut a Scaglietti successor that is not only visually exciting in a way the 612 never managed to be, but departs from the Ferrari gospel in two tremendous ways: It’s the first all-wheel-drive prancing horse, and it’s a two-door station wagon, or shooting brake.
Say What?!
The Pininfarina-styled four-seater folds futuristic shapes and detailing into classic front-engine proportions. The front end is dominated by a hood and headlights that are inspired by the 458 Italia, while the greenhouse sits far aft and flows into a rear end with recessed taillights and a low tailgate. It is long (193.2 inches), wide (76.9 inches), and relatively low (54.3 inches), and to our eyes, it is absolutely stunning. The FF, says Ferrari, seats four comfortably and offers ample space for luggage.
Business as Usual
The shape and drivetrain layout may be unusual, but the engine is pure Ferrari: a 6.3-liter, naturally aspirated 65-degree V-12 that produces 651 hp at a screaming 8000 rpm and 504 lb-ft of torque at 6000. The power is channeled through a dual-clutch transmission, and performance, as you would expect, should be extraordinary. Ferrari claims that 0 to 62 mph will take just 3.7 seconds—we suspect that is a highly conservative guess—and top speed will be a lofty 208 mph. Magnetorheological shocks will help the FF handle, and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes will bring it to heel. Fuel efficiency is rated at 15 mpg in the European combined cycle, which is invariably more optimistic than the EPA cycles in the U.S. So the FF isn't quite the green Ferrari we’ve been expecting.
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