The Ferrari GTC4 Lusso is the replacement for the 2011 FF Ferrari's attempt to "get a slide on the even-then-burgeoning SUV market", says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph.
Ferrari tells us that this is the closest we'll ever get to a Ferrari SUV a "shooting brake", or a cross between an estate and a coup. When the design is right, shooting brakes can be gorgeous and much-loved cars think of the Reliant Scimitar GTE. And Ferrari's design is "super".
Sadly, the execution isn't entirely perfect. The gurgling engine is magnificent, and the car "gathers speed like a foreign wind". But the handling is complicated by rear-wheel steering, which adds an abrupt, twitching sensation we could have done without. This should have been a simpler and better car.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
But still, it's hard not to love it nonetheless. Sean Carson in AutoExpress disagrees. The car is "mesmerisingly good to drive", he says, and "brilliantly useable with it". The rear-wheel steering effectively shortens the car's wheelbase, giving this vast four-seat GT the agility of a much smaller car. It takes some getting used to, but once you have, the car "shrinks around you" and inspires huge confidence to use all the monumental performance at your disposal.
It might cost nearly a quarter of a million pounds, but rivals can't compete with what the GTC4 offers: supercar performance and everyday useability in one package. This Ferrari is in a class all of its own.
Price: from £240,430. Engine: 6,262cc, V12, all-wheel-drive. Power: 681bhp at 8,000rpm. Torque: 514 lb ft at 5,750rpm. Top speed: 208mph. 0-62mph: 3.4 seconds.
-
What happens if you can’t pay your tax bill, and what is "Time to Pay"?Millions are due to file their tax return this Friday as the self-assessment deadline closes. Though the nightmare is not over until you pay the taxman what you owe - or face a penalty. But what happens if you can't afford to pay HMRC your tax bill, and what is "Time to Pay"?
-
What does Rachel Reeves’s plan for growth mean for UK investors?Rachel Reeves says she is going “further and faster” to kickstart the UK economy, but investors are unlikely to be persuaded
