i guess they are planning/expecting a large number of sales to the Chinese mkt
I've been told the V6 going in the Dino is a reworked Maserati unit with a flat plane crank and pushing 550bhp in a car weighing in at 1300 kgs so will go like a scolded cat. The same unit with a 90 Degree crank and lower max Rev and lower down the range torque is going in the new Guilia quadrofiglia plus it will be in the revised Ghibli in the spring. The Cali V8 is a cracking engine which will also go into the new Granturismo again with a 90 degree crank. But.....and it is a very big BUT.....FF buyers are smitten with the whole package and what it offers. It is the most practical super car ever built and putting a V8 under the bonnet/hood takes it out of the super car league by virtue of it being the sensible choice rather than the hearts desire choice. I too was told there would be a V8 but also it was aimed at China etc but now China is in serious decline or rather less than spectacular growth Ferrari may be just keeping its powder dry on that one but for now....we will see. They are very well practiced at smoke and mirrors press releases and have been known to infer one thing to hide another.
Agree that until the announcements are made we're all in the dark. From a brand perspective I would hope they would stick with tradition and keep a v12 4 seat at the pinnacle of the range. However we've seen v8 2+2s before as well (Mondial, 308GT4) so it's not a big leap. Basing it off a previous v12 would be something new, and simultaneously offering v12 and v8 would be a big leap in a new direction... I guess this is where we will start to see where Mr M plans to take the brand... My hope is that we see a v12 hybrid drivetrain, plug in range of 20-30 miles. Makes huge sense. Also it preserves the current car as last of the v12s giving it a long term appeal. It's pretty unlikely though given the engineering effort for a mid life model refresh. I'd figure this is on the cards for the FF replacement though. The 4 seat coupes have been the place to test new manufacturing ideas and innovations (ally construction, 4wd etc) so hybrid here first taking the la Ferrari drivetrain would be an obvious development... If I was a betting man I'd put my money on new front and rear bumpers, restyled dash an HGTS option 21" wheels and an extra 20bhp with slightly improved emissions... Not long to go to find out
If they're building this in the hope to sell more in China, then expect it to have 4/5 doors and an extended wheel base.
Way off topic but I just had to say it: With or without a 12, I would be ear to ear grins if another FF ever pulled up next to us while in ours.
Statistically speaking that would be an amazing coincidence Although I was driving a silver phantom one time and an identical one went by the opposite direction.That was a crazy moment especially the look on the other guys face
I have had 30 F12 around me at the Green Hell. That was beautiful. ... but no coincidence as it was a Ferrari F12-only event
I've still never met another FF on the road... On my first day of ownership I went for lunch and came back to the restaurant car park to depart and found a Grigo Ferro FF parked next to me, but I don't count that as it wasn't moving....
But will the California T market really buy another Ferrari? The California T doesn't seem to be really selling very well and I would argue thats because their market is California buyers who have already bought their California and the new model isn't moving them to buy a new Ferrari. Why would they double down? I agree offering a less expensive model probably helps a little- but is this in Ferrari's best interest for their brand? I would argue no. But that's just me. To my mind, they have the California T, they should make the 4RM system an optional extra and maybe rework the power just a little bit. I think that would address your slightly lower price tier Ferrari with 4 seats and AWD. I would keep the flagship GT car V12 only. I don't mind it losing a little bit of space if they make it better looking.
There are the poor sales figures. The lack of long waiting lists. A very telling sign when the car debuted. The FF looks as though it will not have a special place in history.
The car was new, not just for a company with the image and base of Ferrari, but given it's unique abilities - in the history of automobiles. Of course it had a slow start. Do you own an FF?
The FF is the 1st AWD Ferrari, that fact itself will cement it into Ferrari's history forever. FF was never meant to be a volume car. Ferrari made it for their existing customers first. It target a very very specific segment of the market. They see their existing customers bought other brand's AWD cars for winter, go skiing or whatever, and they found a segment that they can tap. And that's how the FF was born. There are many many Ferrari owners who don't mind using their Ferrari year round, the only limitation before was that traction as an issue, the FF solved that. Dealers used it as a bait to get customers is just a side effect. They 'asked' people to buy the FF just so to prove to Ferrari that they can move cars and so they deserve to have more allocations of other cars. I proudly takes the FF to my place in Whistler to ski, beats driving the G63, the driving feel is night and day. Look around, see that dirty FF thread? Most of us used the car as it was intended.
(I've owned a 360, a Cali, and now have the 458 spider. I'd like a12 cylinder next. I've driven 200k miles in Fcars. So yes, I drive'em I was offered the FF. But it didn't meet any need I had. Maybe if I lived with snow then I would have a need for four wheel drive. But to be honest, I felt that there were better options. First I would want four doors. I don't like two doors servicing four seats. And then there wasnt the storage you get with an SUV. Time will tell how well the FF ages
It took a hit up front but is picking up steam, as it's the best GT car they've ever made. It's barely slower and bigger than the F12 and does so much more. The 360 and Cali are a joke in comparison, not really the same league. The 458 is fun, love it on the track.
Too bad Ferrari didn't post a lap time at Fiorano for the FF. They also didn't post one for the California. I never called the FF a joke. Your calling some of my cars jokes only points to your arrogance. That's the whole reason I made a post. You tell other people that they don't have taste. Only a small man does stuff like that. Anyway let's not converse anymore. Your ego is too big for anyone else.
That's amazing - exactly the same happened to me at my local pub on my first day of ownership a week ago! Except it was some sort of dark blue, and not your average pub...
Just before I bought my FF I saw the first ever on the road. It was a weird moment. Looked great in off white, sounded great. Such a badass car on the road.
