GTC4 Lusso vs FF

Hey guys,
thanks for the warm welcome!

@Lukelikey I understand your point of view. After all, we´re in a sector of luxury cars, where every owner likes or dislikes different things about the cars. As for generalizing that any new generation (or in this case: more of a concealed facelift) of a car is better in most or all aspects than the predecessor - I beg to differ.

Think of the BMW E39 M5 - even from todays perspective a wonderful designed car with a very nice interior and great quality everywhere - that eventually got replaced by the E60/61. While the E39 is becoming a sought after young timer that plays out it´s design qualities in the long run, the E60/61 with it´s akward proportions and formal language might soon be forgotten.

Another well known example is the Mercedes Benz S-Class W140, that was the pinnacle of "heavy" german engineering. It used a lot of steel and will last forever, the ride quality was incredible smooth. The successor, the W220, is known as decrease in quality - that goes for the interior, ride quality, faulty electronics - actually, too many aspects to be listed here are ****ty on the W220 generation S-Class.

For VW enthusiasts, the Golf I and II are still great, while the Golf III wasn´t great at any time.

I could go on with this list, but won´t as we are all people around here, that prefer fast things. They bring us together here, don´t they. Anyhow, I wish everyone a safe ride on their magnetotheologic dampers, wether in a FF or GTC4. Have a nice weekend guys!

 

Finally got the summers on and wow does it transform the Lusso even more so - like driving on a moving train tracks. I had the Soto winter package on before and they for obvious reason they are a tad bumpy and too grippy for the nicer weather. If there is one way to describe the Lusso (even compared to the FF) is that it really could be the only car you ever need. A brilliant Ferrari for almost any occasion and for what was accomplished and how they improved on an already incredible FF is very cool (IMHO). My absolute and only qualm with the LussoV12 is the ultra docile nature under 3000rpm.. its almost half asleep and then suddenly 3500+RPM it just wakes up roaring/responsive and now your grinning wondering what the heck just happened!
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Very nice!

 

I'm curious what are your guy's opinion of the Lusso having a lack of a "rawness" factor that the FF has. I'm keeping an eye on the FF personally as I'm considering it in the future. I'm sorta turned off at the whole refinement or Lexusification some cars have been taking as of late, so if that's my stance, would I be more satisfied with the FF's personality (aka rawness)? To be clear I haven't driven a Lusso yet.

 

I agree 100% on the exterior styling cues.


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Lusso 12 way too tame, Lusso T great! See post on the greatness of the Lusso T for more detail. Huge character difference in the two cars. The 12 is more GT, more heavy, and more expensive.

 

It's rubbish as far as I can tell. I have a Lusso and have had an FF. The Lusso is nowhere near the 'Lexusification' of an FF. The Lusso has better insulation from the road - i.e. a little less tyre roar. Of course, if you enjoy the sound of tyre roar then this is a bad development for you. My guess is that you prefer the engine's sound to be loud and scintillating and other noises - suspension, tyres, wind - to be low. In this case, the Lusso is ahead of the FF.

The Lusso's engine sound is a little more raucous when you are above about 3k rpm. The start up sound is quieter - apparently by customer request - which is neither here nor there for me. It's the sound when under way that I'm interested in, and here the Lusso is marginally ahead of the FF. The handling is also easer to connect to, especially if coming from the mid-engined cars (most of the Ferraris I've had are mid-engined cars). The front-engined FF and Lusso are much more manly cars to handle than the 458 and 488. With the FF, the eagerness to invite you into the turn that the mid cars possess was almost completely absent. It can feel a little unnatural on turn-in with the speed of the rack acting against the heavy weight of the front. The Lusso's RWS restores some of that natural feeling as the wheel weights-up nicely with cornering attitude, though it's still not as nicely balanced as a 488.

I drive all my cars fast and don't hang around if the road is clear. The Lusso is a preferable driving machine to the FF, though both cars fall in the 'sporting GT' category. Sporting because you could call a Bentley Continental a GT car and both the FF and Lusso are quite a long way ahead of that car in terms of sportiness.

One more thing I have noticed about the Lusso. There is some magic going on with the suspension. A few years ago a road near me had around 8 sleeping policemen or 'speedbumps' installed - some of them very aggressive. The Lusso can take them at the speed limit (30mph) without let-up. It deals with the bumps better than any other car I have driven over them. This is not softness. We have a RR autobiography and that is soft-ish but is nowhere near as accomplished as the Lusso over these bumps. The answer is the body control of the Lusso I believe. When you have a high speed compression of the suspension, a soft suspension will tend towards secondary movement - feels like a subtle 'bounce'. The Lusso, hitting these bumps at speed experiences heavy compression (perfectly normal) but replies with absolutely zero secondary movement (not at all normal). It shows that the car is well planted and that the suspension system is able to control the car's mass in an outstanding way. The FF could not do this as well. Eventually the power of the car means that you can easily drive it to the point where the chassis is struggling to control all that mass but it is deeply impressive all the same.

 

@Lukeylikey - extremely well said! I have very similar reactions to both cars. The FF is just less refined but I would never use the word "raw" with any of these cars. If you want raw, see a 430 Scuderia.

 

Appreciate the thorough feedback Lukeylikey

 

I'm going to make a broad prediction. If you own an FF you are going to support the FF as superior. If you own a Lusso, or traded newer from an FF, you are going to support your Lusso decision. Who wants to admit they made a mistake, hahaha

 

It’s easy to say that but cars do tend to get better since the development engineers already have the previous version’s learnings to build on. Reasons to not want to change up; finance limitations, finance justification - you don’t see the value in it, you prefer the look of the older car. They don’t really include “Ferrari wanted to make their car worse”. Some exceptions to this are where legislation interferes, such as 458 to 488 with the addition of turbos. But even then it’s debatable because Ferrari are working to such a high level that this is not a barrier to them but an obstacle to find a way around. There is also cost saving but the interior of the Lusso seems miles ahead of the FF to me. Not really a debatable point IMV.

Some cars have a personality that allows them to defy logic - F40 v F50 for example. The F40 should be hugely inferior to the n/a V12 F50, yet there is just something about it that most prefer.

I don’t really think any of this applies to FF v Lusso. So that leaves finance justification (not finance limitation since most here can afford to if they want to) and looks as the main reason not to trade up, not that Ferrari failed to improve the FF.

 

It's not about admitting mistakes (there is no mistake about choosing a new, improved car over used, previous tech car sombody else specced).
People just have a tendency to defend what they own at the moment.

 

i dont think anyone is trying to argue superior. The lusso does a few things better than the FF. A CS does everything better than a dino but today the dino is worth more. in 2009 that wasnt the case and it may not be the case in 2028. Everyone has a different size checkbook. If you have tons of money and space you keep both. If you like a car to be refined go with the lusso if the premium is palatable. Its certainly fair to say an FF for 50% less than a lusso gets you atleast to 90% of the lusso in terms of ownership experience.

 

Hi guys! …. So .. after some years now .. what is ageing best? Gtc4 or FF ?

 

I would argue both are aging well.

FF driving is more sporty vs Lusso. Lusso is more refined. But its also a little more capable. Isn’t that usually what happens with successor models?

Values on both are on the rise from what I can tell.

Both have their quirks and issues- but so does every car ever made. I would say as long as you are well informed you can’t go wrong and the key thing is finding which one best aligns with your preferences.


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To throw a spanner into the works i would add;
My 2015 FF was a great car but flawed in that it did shuffle the gears a bit too often at low speed, it was noisy on start up. the fit and finish was far from perfect, the radio was rubbish due to combining the VHF aerial with the DAB and only achieving static most of the time but i still loved it for what it was.

Trading up to the Lusso showed how much the FF could be improved as an all round GT which is what I wanted for those long runs 5000 miles or more to Sicily and back, so much so I put 17000 miles on it in the first 18 months until a clinically insane lady decided to end it all by driving head on into the oncoming traffic at 70 plus causing the demise of my beloved Lusso.

Problem with that was Ferrari had stopped building them and I wanted a Lusso but wary of buying a used one due to the achilles heel PTU and with only 8 for sale in the UK my prefered spec was not on offer.

Having been to many test and track days with the FF and Lusso where the cars are supplied by the dealers from their demo stock it becomes quite obvious that Launch starts where the first 4 gears are doing all the work, the scrabbling for grip, massive torque pressure being put on the front clutches and oil seals could be the catalyst for the PTU failures later on. Without absolute knowledge of the provenance, who owned it before, what kind of driver were they etc etc I became paranoid about taking on a used V12 Lusso.

I had never even considered a V8 Lusso but after testing a late 2000 miler in what was my perfect spec owned by the most fastidious collector i have had an epiphany.

Lighter on its feet, Just as quick in real world driving, more punch in the 50 to 90 range, better economy (27 mpg on a run) Quieter when cruising, turn in much sharper, top speed easily 200. Having said that there is no sound quite like the V12 howl which is something I miss most of all. Maybe Ferrari should have made a V12 rear wheel drive only version.

 

I own a 2015 Tailor made FF...and absolutely love it, hence no willingness to upgrade to Lusso. Love its quirkiness, Pininfarina design, the spec I have. To me it still feels very special. I think it ages a bit better than Lusso as a collector car. Would I drive daily and many miles...would get a Lusso straightaway!