Ferrari FF Test Drive
It's a hatchback with all-wheel drive, designed to carry you up to your skiing chalet. But is the FF a real Ferrari where it counts?blazing fast cars ferrari released a new - this new More detail
Competitor 2012: Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera 4
Powertrain: 6.3-liter V12, 651-hp, 504 lb-ft; seven-speed twin-clutch transmission, all-wheel drive
EPA Fuel Economy (city / hwy): 11/18 (est.)
What's New: With a two-door architecture, aluminum space-frame and 651-hp, 6.3-liter V12, on paper, a new Ferrari GT FF looks like another great from Maranello. But this car marks a big departure for Italy.
The first departure is a three-door hatchback body (known as a shooting brake in Europe), which recognizes the special official who has built similar to the super-rich customers for years, if you check the waves big enough, Ferrari will build you a cart. Even the rogue nature of the slender body shape back to 1962 Drogo / Bizzarrini Ferrari 250 SWB Van Roti Le Mans racer and continues through the style of Harold Radford shooting brake Aston Martin DB5 Lancia HPE and the sword that GTE Reliant. Compared with its predecessor 612 Scaglietti, the new FF is lighter, faster and more economical, but also has more interior room, which is one advantage of shooting-brake-sorry, hatchback body.
FF is also Ferrari's first four-wheel drive car. While Ferrari may balk at the description of "crossover," FF will get a snow-covered hill as effective as most SUVs, but most likely much faster. But under the skin, this system is about so much more than just traction.
"With a system that will get the owners up to their ski chalets, but then we find out what you can play tricks with it," said Ferrari test driver Raffaele de Simone.
Tech tidbit: Unlike most AWD cars, which use some kind of power takeoff shaft power transmission to the secondary, FF has two transmissions, one on either end of the machine. Seven-speed transmission main hooks to the back of the engine and power rear wheels. The second two-speed gearbox is connected to the front of the engine and links to the front wheels through a pair of computer-controlled wet clutches, one on each halfshaft. This secondary gearbox to operate only when the main transmission gear is in the first four and the vehicle speed is under 124 mph. There was no differential; electronic monitoring wheel slippage, speed, yaw, steering angle and inclination, and predict when it will happen wheelspin. The system then spread the transmission, selecting gear and shaft slip grip to provide the right amount of torque based on input the computer. In addition to helping traction with 651-hp, yes, traction is a problem, the front axle is also used to minimize and improve handling. Ferrari has developed a system of more than 10 years and the company claims it's about 100 pounds lighter than other AWD hardware
Read more: 2012 Ferrari FF Test Drive - Ferrari FF Review - Popular Mechanics - related ferrari - latest ferrari cars image
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