Ferrari FF Revealed

The Ferrari FF – the 612 replacement will debut at Geneva

Ferrari reveals the Ferrari FF, a Pininfarina designed, four wheel drive, Shooting Brake-style replacement for the Ferrari 612.

We’ve been wondering for a few weeks what exactly Ferrari were doing with the 612 Scaglietti. We were hearing conflicting stories about the direction Ferrari were heading, ranging from a Shooting Brake version of the current 612 to an all new Ferrari range-topper with a big, new V12 – and a Shooting Brake design. And it turns out the latter is the case – welcome to the Ferrari FF.

Ferrari has revealed the Ferrari FF on the Ferrari web site this morning, and it is a new direction for Maranello, make no mistake. Not only is the design a departure, but it is Ferrari’s first ever four-wheel drive car and its most powerful ever four seater.

The FF has Ferrari’s patented 4RM (four-wheel Drive) which is said to weigh 50% less than a conventional 4WD system. Ferrari says the 4RM system has “…perfect weight distribution (53 per cent over the rear axle)… integrated with the car’s electronic dynamic control systems, the four-wheel drive technology delivers record levels of performance on all terrains and in all conditions via continuous and intelligent predictive torque distribution to all four wheels.”

What we don’t have is any real detail on exactly how it works. Is it done by way of traditional driveshafts to shove the power where it’s needed, or has Ferrari employed electric motors on the wheels? No doubt we’ll get more information by the time we get to Geneva, but on the face of it this new 4RM offers advances as interesting as that other FF – the Jenson FF – offered 45 years ago.

The all-new, naturally aspirated V12 we expected has arrived in the FF. A 6.3 litre (6,26cc) V12 with 650bhp and 504lb/ft of torque, it can hit 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and tops out at 208mph. The extra power helps the FF beat the performance of the 612, but so too does a less weight. Despite the 4RM system the FF actually weighs 50kg less than the 612. No mean feat.

More detail as Geneva looms.