The wheels on the Maserati Levante mule give us one more clue. This wheel model isn't from Maserati and can be found on the Ferrari GTC4. Image Unavailable, Please Login
And the wheel base does seem much longer on the mule than on the Levante. Lot of space between the front wheel and the front door. Rear shell is definitely a Levante but the underside seems to be something different.
Might be. It might also be to fit all the prototype engine controls, computers etc that are necessary during the development, until it's packaged in a nice ECU box.
I agree with you Olivier! How many of the SUV's are actually taken off road? Must be a very small percentage so why would one waist energy to 'satisfy' that small number as it will not be decisive whether to buy the FUV or not?
I'm afraid that Maserati is missing out on sales dues to its cockpit design, technically behind all of its competition even after the last update.
William that's a very good point and myself I am a perfect example of what I presume to be the majority of SUVs owners. During the last decade I've had two different SUVs both with AWD, therefore having off road capabilities and driving settings for this purpose. As far as I can remember I used them off the tarmac road two or three times and always on dirt roads where any car with a normal ground clearance can drive. In my case the AWD is of no use off-road however, the great benefit I find is when the road is very wet because one can continuo driving at high speed while the SUV feels really very safe and glued to the tarmac. Then why do I need an SUV if I never drive off-road ? In my case I can think only about three good reasons to have an SUV. The first one is the more obvious an concerns the large interior space it offers that can't be matched by any other type of car since five persons seat very comfortably (seven alternatively) and there is huge space for luggage. The second reason is the AWD system and the safety it originates, in my case specially when the road is wet. The third and the last reason is the high driving position that is something I really fancy on longer journeys and the comfort and flexibility associated to an SUV with air suspension. From these three reasons I've pointed my guess is that the Purosangue FUV will be short just on the interior space capacity . Having AWD, probably rear wheels steering and if equipped with an air suspension system of the last generation that can move the car up and down at least 10 cm, the Purosangue will be keeping all the road capabilities of the GTC4 while gaining some extra off-road competences.
Absolutely. In fact this thought is a part of a vast debate I have with many people. Why the hell drive a SUV ? I doesn't have the Off-road capabilities of the real offroaders it's inspired from (G, RR) and it doesn't have the driving dynamics of a coupe/sedan They are the WORST of both worlds So I really don't understand what can motivate somebody to buy a X5M over a M5 for exemple.
Well, some of us actually use their off roaders off road. Oh, the places my Discovery has been to... Granted, it is a hobby of mine, not a necessity, but then again a sports car is not a necessity either. I wouldn't take a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, or a Maserati SUV on very tough terrain (I reserve that "honour" for my Land Rovers), but for an SUV to be an SUV, it needs to have some off road capability.
I have a lot of land out in West Texas with oil wells and two rut roads all over the place. The regular SUVs can't really get around well because there are too many deep holes. Then in East Texas we have a lot of acreage with forest land and the RR is great for those roads also. They tend to be sandy and soft so the RR is great in those conditions. I have been through mud holes that got a pickup truck stuck. This latest one I bought can do all that but it's a bit too nice so I will have a dilemma when taking it to any of those places.
I have sport cars like Ferrari 812SF and Mercedes AMG GT roadster and I love them for a one day trip . Very exciting and emotional. When I drive everyday in town or I drive to UK from Italy my favourite car is a SUV . I used to drive station wagon cars like Audi RS4 and RS6 but when I tried SUV like Macan I can’t drive any other cars for that use . I don’t use off road at all and Mai characteristics required is enough room for luggage , handling , speed , comfort to drive and go in and out and driving on a upper level . No way IMHO to compare such a car with others for daily use or long distance . I can add I don’t like bigger SUV like Cayenne or Levante or MB GLE or X5 . They are too heavy for me and poor handling and brakes are suffering too much . I had a Macan Turbo and I’ve been very happy with . Ten hours driving from Milan to London 1350 km no problems . I have now a MB GLC 43 AMG coupe’ and I drove it from Milan to Chamonix today (260 km 2 hours and other 2 hours coming back ) and I’m back home really relaxed . You can drive very fast (260 km/h) tracking is perfect , braking too and driving not at standard low level is another world .
You drive your RR on the West Texas 2 track rut roads?? Complete with mesquite scratches down the sides? Very impressive indeed! How about flats, which tires do you run and what size wheels? I only use the truck or Jeep for ranch duty, so this is impressive. Have always stayed away from RR due to the reputation of poor reliability. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
I am on the fourth one since I decided to get something that could handle that rough terrain. I use the standard tires because I am mostly here in Austin but they have a full size spare so I don't worry about a flat out there. I bought the first one in late 2014 and wanted a Raptor but they were selling for over msrp and I was trading my m5. The Ford people wanted me to give them $2500 plus my m5 and instead I traded the m5 to bmw and got a $12k check and a 2012 RR Sport. Here are some pictures of them out there. As you can see, the Raptor is much larger. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I think many people enjoy SUVs for all kinds of reasons- one of the big reasons seems to be the elevated seating position. They also tend to be pretty safe. Mario, I think your sense of stability at speed is less due to AWD and more due to (likely) your car having good tires in good condition and a heavy enough vehicle to press it into the road/ also good aero. The AWD will really help you if you need to get up a hill or perhaps if you are getting aggressive coming out of a bend. Anyway, as to Ferrari SUV- lets see what it actually is before passing judgement. I have the same worries and skepticism as everyone who is a passionate Ferrarista, but maybe they will surprise us! I am sure they have not taken all this time to present just a rebadged Levante (nice SUV as it is). Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
Very safe and secure. Look what happened to the 2015 sport. My wife was sitting at a stop light and a Tundra hit her at about 50mph. Hit the right rear and drove the front left into a construction barrier. Made the car into an accordion. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Under that body there is a Ferrari 120%. Yes, that mule is recent and have been on Maranello streets several times.
Not seriously but she had a strong impact on her left side with the airbag and her left knee took 6 months to quit hurting. Otherwise she was fine thanks to the solid RR.
Reliability ok for you? Asked another way, if you lived 4 hours from nearest dealer, would you still get one? And what are your thoughts about the new models? (Sorry for a bit of off topic or at least side topic...) Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
The development of the Purosangue seems to be following a logical trajectory. Ferrari's last year mule was a GTC4 with bigger wheel arches and slightly lifted-up. Now the recent pictures show a Purosangue travestied of Levante with a ground clearance substantially smaller that the one of a normal Levante. This smaller ground clearance associated to the GTC4 wheels we see on the mule, could be a sign that Ferrari has been focusing essentially on the development of the road capabilities of the Purosangue. Now Ferrari seems to be testing a Purosangue with a heavier body with more height than the one of the GTC4, in order to assess if a similar degree of road performance is achievable. When they'll get to the stage of providing the Purosangue with some off-road competencies, we probably will see a mule that has more ground clearance. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
It almost is like I am reading something I had written myself So fully agree! During 2021 I would like to buy a new SUV, so no real off-road capability needed (but good 4x4 seen the snow we might get in CH) ... on top of my list currently is the AM DBX, followed by the less luxury Audi RSQ8 (other brands are close behind but did not my cut for several reasons). Still wondering whether the renewed Range Rover and the FUV can make that shortlist but don't know whether I am prepared to wait until 2023 before actually getting one. Time will tell!
Well obviously the 4 hour trip for service would be somewhat annoying but you could have another shop do the work. It's just been brakes and tires for the most part. They had a software update at one point and one of the cars when we first got it had some electrical system issue with a leaky circuit that was draining the battery but they fixed that quickly. Other than that, it's been routine maintenance. The new Defender looks like an off road monster. I didn't get in one because I was specifically looking to get an AB this time but that one looks interesting.
Thanks! I’ll look at the Defender. Before they stopped the USA version I wanted one so badly but was strongly dissuaded due to reliability issues. Good to hear no big deal. Routine annual stuff is fine. I deal with that for the F Car stable. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
We have had almost no problems with our long wheelbase RR Autobiography (a power seat wouldn’t move all the way forward) but are relegating it to our mountain home where we are replacing our G63 and are substituting the RR with the Aston DBX at our main residence. The DBX is now scheduled for delivery the third week of November. I am pleased I reserved my build early as my dealer tells me they have over 40 DBX’s on order and delivery times are growing. Surprising as I live in an area that doesn’t get snow so SUV’s are not a necessity. Bet a lot of the buyers are tired of waiting for the FUV from Ferrari.
