Ferrari FF
An all-new Ferrari would usually be enough to guarantee Best of Show status at any auto show. But the 2011 Geneva Motor Show is different this year, as Ferrari is facing competition from new supercar launches from Pagani, Lamborghini and others.
Even so, Ferrari's incredible 4-seat, 4-wheel-drive FF is more than enough to cause a stir, and points to a bold new strategy for the automaker as new markets open up.
How best to satisfy them, though? With the 458 Italia, Ferrari has raised the benchmark for traditional supercars. It could also act as the basis for hotter iterations to come.
Coming up with a product that breaks ground without diluting what makes the brand special is the challenge, and one that Ferrari has approached with typical gusto. The result: one of the most spectacular prancing horses in years.
More coverage from the Geneva Motor Show
2011 Ferrari FF
Ferrari FF
Ferrari FF
Ferrari FF
Ferrari FF
What is it? Ferrari's bold, 4-seat, 4-wheel-drive, family-hauling supercar.
What makes it hot? We've had 4-seat Ferraris before, of course — but with 4-wheel drive? Any fears that Ferrari was about to "do a Cayenne" and deliver a brand-stretching sport-utility vehicle are unfounded, though. The FF is much, much bolder than that. At nearly 16.4 feet long, the radical-looking, shooting-brake-style coupe-estate crossover promises luxurious accommodation for all four passengers. It also promises all the fire-breathing excitement you'd expect of a Ferrari. Under that long hood lurks a 6.2-liter V12 engine with 660 horsepower and 504 lb-ft of torque. Driving through a transaxle-mounted dual-clutch automated gearbox, the FF will gallop from zero to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds. It will do it whatever the conditions under tire, too, thanks to that 4-wheel-drive traction. Top speed is a suitably excessive 208 mph.
What causes concern? Spectacular, yes, but beyond a few oil sheiks and the new Chinese elite, who's going to buy it? Styling is admirably bold, too, and this is a conservative sector. The question is, has Ferrari gone too far?
How much and when? Yet to be announced.
Our verdict? Ferrari had to pull something special out of the bag, and it succeeded with one of the most spectacular cars at the show.
Read Blog: Ferrar Four: Arrogant or a Sign of Economic Life?
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