Finally here...

After three years its finally here, it was worth the wait. Here are a few pics from the showroom, they are not great photos but the car was anxious to share itself. The interior color is hard to photograph, I see it looks a bit green in these photos, its actually very neutral.


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Congrats! Can’t wait for more photos! Certainly unique!

 

Thoughts? Mine is stage 90 but based on port issues could be awhile. May fly it over. Curious to hear on the road feedback when you start using it.

 

Do not have any advise on delivery, mine took almost three years and not sure where the ports stand at this time.

 

Hey congrats. My major surprise was just how mechanical the car feels. That engine is such that you have to ‘awaken and massage’ it to life. Such a beautiful car to bond with.

 

Thanks…but wanted your thoughts on the car and how much you like it when you get some seat time I am thinking of flying it over !

 

Here is a little write up I put together for a few friends:


As they say, it aint bragging if you can back it up. And boy the Purosangue does just that. It is exactly what its shape promises: a new take on the Ferrari 4 seater that is made for the world of 2025 and thus, higher riding. You can drive it comfortably in automatic or you can really get on it. It always feels special, but it’s especially special when you get going.

In person, its hard to not say its beautiful, interestingly enough, most non car people say its gorgeous, even if it is not your classic sports car shape; I think its got some weird angles, especially to my eyes, the front ¾ view looks unduly heavy, and every now and then, it looks to my eyes at least, like they tried to put two cars together. However, if you just stop and look at it, you think- darn, thats a great looking SUV! (Sorry Ferrari!) Im surprised by how much people genuinely love it. I have yet to encounter anyone who snickers or has any negativity, even the die hard Ferrari people (of which I am one!) cant help but to say- wow, they did a great job. And more telling are those who haven’t digested the Kool Aid… they all love it.

The Purosangue is really something else as opposed to a continuation of the traditional 4 seater. The spread of abilities is much wider than the predecessor models. Thus, driving experience is a touch more relaxed than in prior Ferrari V12 models, it doesnt feel like it just wants to go all the time, even in the Lusso, you have the sense the car is saying: c’mon, lets go! The Purosangue is more than happy to play its role in thick traffic as it is on a mountain pass. And again, thats back to the perfect for 2025 statement above. My first day with the PS, I had to go to a lunch meeting and it was bumper to bumper traffic on the highway. No problem for the PS- comfort, soft suspension, automatic. The new 8 speed DCT is smooth and doesn’t put a foot wrong (the 7 speed in the Lusso was very good but would occasionally stumble, making it not quite a substitute for those wanting something that can imitate the best automatic boxes). When the speeds pick up, I find medium is a preferred suspension setting. As a matter of fact, medium is really the perfect setting unless you are going slowly over very rough pavement, then its soft; or if you really want to press on and want to feel that much more sporty, then select hard. Parking the PS is no problem, as you have 360 degree cameras and sensors, and the rear steer works with you to help tuck it into a parking spot. Easy.

The interior is features high quality materials and feels very nicely put together. So up until this point, however, you could be forgiven for thinking you are sat in any one of many really nice European super luxury sport vehicles, such as something from Porsche or Audi or Mercedes or BMW. You can change that by going to sport on the manettino and manual shifting. And then, wow! The engine, the gearbox, everything is perfectly judged, you can have a lot of fun with this vehicle. Like all Ferraris, you will want some revs to get into the thick of the power band and take some bends and whats astonishing is just how connected the front and rear are, you never feel like they are out of sorts- amazing for a fairly large and heavy vehicle, something that can be a problem for the predecessor Lusso, especially over repeating turns, and the steering feels so direct, so precise, and you feel a high degree of confidence to play with the weight distribution, little micro changes to throttle or brake to affect the attitude of the car. Here, your brain reads the goings on as if you were in a sports car, you might believe you are in an 812, except… the body control is even better! Yes. You read that right. You knew the engine would be the star, how could it not be- it’s the legendary Ferrari V12- but surprise- when driven with some gusto, the suspension is just as much of a star! To be fair, if all you do is drive around without exploring what the Purosangue can do, you may find the suspension, even in soft mode to be a touch firm, never jarring or harsh, but it is a bit firm. You won’t mistake it for a Mercedes or Range Rover, but it’s more than acceptable for giving you a nice daily driving ride, but it really comes alive when you are driving sporty. Just like the engine doesn’t really show its magic until the middle of the rev range, the suspension really shines when you are driving the car with some passion. And then, it is truly outstanding.

The engine is just what you’d expect. Except it surprised me as some reviews said they thought the engine didn’t feel as bombastic as in the traditional form factor 812, and thats initially true, but get to the higher rev range and you will find the engine is every bit as manic and bombastic. You just have to work it a bit harder to get there. However, even if you don’t, you will never think this is a slow vehicle. It’s fast, and if you press on it, it’s really fast! The sound is great as well. It is fairly quiet at lower RPMs, again, a sensible decision for today’s world. But press into the throttle and from mid RPMs onward, the engine noise in the cabin is wonderful, its that mechanical noise we all love so much, and the surprise is when I opened up the windows, the exhaust note is quite good. It’s very much on par with the 812 GTS. I was (pleasantly) surprised at the volume level of the exhaust. The engine, its sound, the gearbox, differential, etc, are all a wonderful wonderful wonderful drivetrain. Maybe the best combination ever.

The brakes are excellent, but the calibration is the one place Id like to make a change as they are very touchy. I enjoy the fact that the pedal has a firm feel from the initial bite. In this regard they are the opposite of the prior V12s, especially the Lusso, you have to really put your foot into the pedal to get meaningful stopping in the Lusso, and with enough speed, you might find yourself wishing for more bite earlier in the pedal travel, though you can always stop the Lusso. With the brakes on Purosangue, you will stop much faster than you think would happen with such a heavy vehicle, no doubt, the brake by wire system. A little more pedal travel might be nice to aid being smooth, but once you get used to how the brakes feel and work, you can be smooth with them.

The front seats are initially pretty comfortable, I found with a little effort by fiddling with the controls, they become very comfortable. The basic seat controls are the standard seat levers on the side of the seat, but the lumbar and bolster controls are inside touch menus on the central rotary screen or on the passenger display. The rear seats feel less comfortable to me, and I didnt really look to see if there are more controls, but based on my 5 minutes sitting in them, Id say the rear seats of the Lusso are more comfortable.

Wind noise is very low, I think some of the early reviews noted this, I don’t notice anything, they might have made running improvements.

The stereo is excellent, though you are getting a review by someone with 55 year old ears…. I did have to play with the settings to get it to my liking, but nothing extreme, a few tweaks here and there…. And it sounds really nice, one of the better stereo’s I’ve heard in a car.

Overall, I would say the Purosangue is a have your cake and eat it too vehicle. It easily delivers on the promise of the styling- which is the first thing you see- and that communicates- Im a useable Ferrari for the modern world. They really delivered something special for their most passionate Ferraristi. So it surely ain’t bragging, because it 100% backs it up.

Yes, it’s tremendously expensive, but it’s also tremendously unique. And drives much better, and with a wider spread of abilities than any of its predecessors. The question of whether the juice is worth the squeeze is really a personal one. For me, as someone who just loves engines, which is what brought me to Ferrari in the first place, and then appreciates a really well done car, well, I would say they didnt just fill up the juice bottle, they overflowed it! TThe British magazine “Car” used to give a rating for the cars they thought were true all stars, it was their highest rating, and I would say it’s appropriate for the Purosangue: “If you can, then you must”. If I were an editor at Car magazine, I would put that in bold letters for the Purosangue. It’s that good.

 

It’s interesting how long the throttle is; you really have to lay into it to awaken the motor. I’m wondering where they go from here. Agree it’s a unique machine. It’s almost even unique amongst other Ferraris. I hope they keep a semblance of the four seater in their line up but I can’t help but wonder if they switch to Ellettrica to serve that four-seater luxe niche once that car arrives next year and the former retires.

 

Flying is definitely quicker. And at the car’s price point, the cost of flying is a bargain.

 

Ferrari has had a V12 4 seater in their line up almost the entire history and it was Mr. Enzo Ferrari's preference to drive.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/g6602/ferrari-four-seat-history-list/

 

It was probably his preference to drive as he became an older man.

 

Thank you for great write up

 

Yes they have. Here is a photo of the pre-production show car for the launch of the first production 2+2 Ferrari, the 250 GTE. A car I know well .


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Thank you for sharing, I know this took some time to craft. My limited time with the Purosangue in the hills above Santa Barbara gave me the same feeling, it brought my brain and muscle memory to a place of driving my 430 Scuderia, the car feels way more "sports car" than "passenger car". I am anxious to get mine back from the wrap shop and on the road.