My drive in the FF

I had a chance to drive the FF in the twisty back hill roads of Southern California -- a three hour jaunt to thoroughly get to know the vehicle.

Let me preface what I am going to describe by noting that that I currently own a 458, a BMW X5M running about 630 hp via extra boost software and free flow exhaust, and a Porsche Cayman S. I have extensively driven F430s, a 599GTB HGTE and a regular Fiorano, and a California.

The car itself is unique in my experience. I find its design handsome and interesting, with a couple of minor detailed quibbles in execution. But let's talk about driving comparisons.

The perspective depends on what I compare it to. Dynamically it reminds me of the 458, but the 'reflexes' are pared down from the Italia's lightening capabilities. The steering feels the same but is less quick; the transmission is the same but is less aggressive in its shifting, even in its 'sport' mode. Like the 458, it has that 'slot car feel;' it is balanced and neutral in the turns with no hint of front wheel drive. The front drive comes in only near the limit when the system senses rear wheel slip -- or of course in slippery conditions which we did not have. The instrumentation, the steering wheel set up, and headlamp treatment are all evocative of 458. So one way to think about the FF is that it has a lot of 458 DNA -- a kind of a 12 cylinder 458 'GT.'

But the FF is not a sports car; it is intended to be a capable, all weather cross country grand touring Ferrari that can cover ground quickly with four people and their luggage aboard. So a comparison to the X5M is not out of order. The BMW seems just as quick, but the normally aspirated FF response and torque availability are linear and extend over a wider range of engine speed, and -- oh -- that V12 sound. The FF ride is supple and comfortable -- a simply wonderful sense of contact with the road. Of course the BMW is harsh if only because of the huge run-flats (315s in the rear weigh 50 lb each). And the X5M, though much higher, has very high limits for an 'SUV' and is very comfortable overall. In driving the FF, I had a sense that we could keep on going and never get tired -- there is no trace of harshness, though the ride is reasonably stiff, and the road surface is communicating all the time. The seats are magnificent and the interior environment is fresh and luxurious, yet simple. My wife and I felt we could stow all our gear in the back, take off, and never look back. But that would leave us some $350K in arrears.

I have thought that another interesting comparison would be the Panamera. As luck would have it, one pulled into an aftermarket shop where I had stopped off to chat with the owner. We had a chance to just size up the two vehicles side by side. The two cars are almost identical dimensionally, but the Panamera has a shorter nose and thus accomodates its passengers further forward in the car. The FF schnoz has at least a foot of space that seems completely style-inspired, as the engine and front diff sit far back. Clearly the designers wanted to impart an emphatic statement of 'cab backward' or 'slingshot' which is brought out in spades when you look at the Panamera (which is not short nosed by any means).

In overall spirit the FF reminds me of the California in some ways -- kind of 'Ferrari lite,' but definitely a Ferrari and definitely 12 cylinders. It is also far more capable than the California. Yet it seems to draw some of its life dynamic from the 8-cylinder 458, and that is not bad.

 

Sorry, we didn't take pics. But the color is Grigio FF, slightly lighter than Silverstone, as shown in this non US car on display at Pebble Beach in August.

I forgot to comment on the brakes. They were of course strong and linear, but they did have a touch of that characteristic ceramic 'grabbiness' at onset. I wondered if the FF has the same 'pre fill' feature that loads the 458 brakes in anticipation of application. It works well on the 458 but was not evident on the FF. It is not a big deal but one does need to adjust to it.
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Thanks for the info. It just may not have been working in this example. I would not have noticed it unless I had experience with the 458. I became accustomed to the grabbiness of the ceramics on my ceramic-equipped 997 GT3; the FF was more like that than the 458.