Ian Lamming enjoys the iconic Italian brand’s first four-door four-seater, a Ferrari Purosangue…
The videographer sums it up nicely when she says her cheeks are aching with smiling all day. It’s true, no matter where you go in the Ferrari Purosangue it provokes a joyous response, whether that’s among the lucky passengers, or driver, or interested passers-by.
Any age, gender or race, all simply stop to gaze in wonderment at this pure blooded Italian masterpiece, a car that trumps virtually everything else on the road. Those lucky enough to gain access take multiple selfies both inside and out and share their experiences virally.
Ferrari is not just a car it’s a brand unrivalled by any other; a lifestyle, an aspiration, a joy. Even in the depths of the M6’s infamous logjams the Purosangue gives pleasure and distracts from the malaise of motorway driving.
Lorry drivers wave courteously, white van man hangs out the window to give double thumbs up while pilots of other luxurious brands nod their respect.
All Ferraris are special, of course, but this one is a first. It’s the prancing horse’s first proper four-door, the first to have four full-sized seats, the first four-wheel-drive FUV (Ferrari Utility Vehicle).
From any angle it is simply gorgeous. The bonnet seems to stretch to the horizon yet the rear is nicely truncated with minimal overhangs and jacked up on larger alloys to give the sense of speed and forward motion even at rest.
It’s wider than a Land Rover Discovery and higher than any Ferrari that has gone before but none of this extra girth detracts from its svelte lines.
What look like headlamps are in fact vents and this clever design continues into the wheel arches which are among the cleverest on the road. They are there to alter air pressures and pass wind efficiently around the sensuous body in order to reduce drag.
Ferraris are made to be driven so it would be rude not too. It is 272 miles home from the brand’s UK HQ in Slough starting with urban clutter which it shrugs off with disdain. Given that 725 horse lie under the curvaceous bonnet, generated by a mid-front mounted 6.5 litres of V12, Purosangue is surprisingly docile in town and easy to manage.
On the motorway there’s a hint of its performance as it accelerates down the slip road, the roar from the V12 asserting itself.
But off throttle and cruising at the legal limit, a civility comes over the Purosangue and it becomes an exceptionally comfortable ride. The motor takes a back seat to the glorious Burmester sound system and the stunning electronic suspension masks the vagaries of UK’s pothole strewn roads.
The tedium of the motorway and the many snarl-ups en route home give time to explore the various function interfaces which are different to anything else you may have used. They are a tad fiddly so, as advised, a lot of the functions are done at rest.
Most controls are on the steering wheel where there is a cross that has to be stroked to activate many functions. The indicators are thumb switches on either side that must be pushed to start and cancel. The windscreen washers lurk on a switch on the bottom right hand side of the wheel while the lights, flasher and full beam sit on the left.
On the dash is a small circular control. Press, and it emerges electrically and you can turn it to control the heated seats and climate temperature.
There’s also a small icon which activates the photochromatic glass roof depending on how much light you want to let through.
The slick gearbox is operated by large F1-style paddles behind the wheel. On the transmission tunnel are the switches for reverse, manual/auto and launch control (which I didn’t dare use).
The interior is opulent and sporty. Forget the utility vehicle tag, this is pure sports car only in a more practical form. The virtual dash can be switched between conventional looking clocks and maps which are directed to the display from your phone.
The rear seats are firm but comfortable with the ability to recline. They get their own set of controls as does the front seat passenger who can change all manner of things on the left-hand touchscreen.
There’s even a serviceable boot and the ability to drop the back seats, electrically of course, for luggage storage.
To drive, this is no SUV, it’s a sports car, a Ferrari from tip to toe. When asked, the V12 roars, the power pours in and the active suspension and electronics keep everything in check. It is exhilarating.
If there could be such a thing, the ‘basic’ Purosangue comes in at £313,501 but owners can enjoy optional extras such as winter pack wheels and tyres, copper weave carbon fibre inside and out and even airbrushed painted Ferrari shields on each wing that cost £9,500. Coloured special stitching will cost you an additional £1,000 or so, the embroidered prancing horses on the head rests an extra £1,600. Titanium wheel bolts? Yours for £1,454.
The glorious total of ravaging the accessory catalogue pushes this car close to £500,000.
Only Ferrari has the skills and provenance to command such decadence which is yet another reason why Purosangue makes me smile.
