Overview
Ferrari unveiled the FF at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show as the successor to the 612 Scaglietti, and it did something no Ferrari had done before: it put four-wheel drive into a road car. The name stands for Ferrari Four, for the four seats and the four driven wheels. Pininfarina’s design is one of the most unusual in the company’s history. It’s a shooting-brake body, with a long bonnet, a sloping roofline and a wide hatchback tail that opens onto a proper luggage area. Some people found it odd at first, and others saw it as a bold and practical reinvention of the grand tourer. It’s a Ferrari you could take on a ski trip, which was exactly the idea.
Engine and Performance
Up front sits a 6.3-litre V12 with direct injection, producing about 660 PS (485 kW) and 683 Nm of torque. It revs to around 8,000 rpm, and it has the smooth, deep and then ringing character of a classic Ferrari twelve, with a lot of muscle at low speeds. Power goes through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and no manual was offered. The FF reaches 100 km/h in about 3.7 seconds and tops out at roughly 335 km/h (208 mph), which made it the fastest four-seat car in the world at the time.
Chassis and Handling
The big story is the four-wheel-drive system, called 4RM. Instead of a conventional layout, Ferrari used a compact second gearbox at the front of the engine to drive the front wheels, and it works only when needed. In normal conditions most of the power goes to the rear, so the car feels like a rear-drive Ferrari, and the front axle steps in when grip runs low, such as on snow or wet roads. The system saves weight compared with a traditional setup. Magnetorheological dampers, carbon-ceramic brakes, an electronic differential and the manettino dial complete the package. It’s a big car, but it feels calm, quick and surprisingly agile, and it can be driven hard in almost any weather.
Interior and Comfort
The cabin is the FF’s other great strength. It seats four adults in real comfort, with supportive leather seats, good headroom and a clear, driver-focused dashboard. The hatchback gives it far more luggage space than any Ferrari before it, and the rear seats fold flat to make it larger still. A rear-seat entertainment screen was offered, and the car works as a true long-distance tourer. It’s the most practical Ferrari of its era by a wide margin.
Production and Legacy
Production ran from 2011 to 2016, and the FF was followed by the GTC4Lusso, an updated version with a revised design, more power and rear-wheel steering. It’s often seen as a car that was ahead of its time, and it appeals to buyers who want a V12 Ferrari that they can use all year round. It remains a distinctive and capable choice among modern Ferraris.
