Is the Lusso really 4 wheel drive?

I wondered the same thing. I am about to try different snow tires.

 

Do you have v12 or v8t?

 

very odd. FF with pirelli sottozero has been a tank in the snow for many winters since 2012

 

Wikipedia the 4rm system. It only functions in comfort or snow/wet mode. If u manually shift above 4th gear as well, all power is back to the rears only.

 

In the ff even in normal (comfort) the car is great in the snow with the right tires. I pretty sure the awd works in comfort on the ff also. did they change this on the lusso to functioning only in wet/snow?


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As far as I know it is not a real 4 wheel drives . It is essentially a rear traction car . In front of the engine there is another output where it is connected a fixed ratio gearbox and just in case ( in case of a slip) two clutches are connecting to two front axles . Then it is not a real 4 wheel drive where you have always traction on four wheels .

 

If you are sloshing around in auto mode and the gear box is putting you in 5-7th gears where the system is no longer engaged, I can see this being a problem when you are creeping around at 30mph in 7th gear and go to the gas pedal. I only ever remember using manual paddle shifting and making sure if I wanted 5th gear, that I really wanted 5th. It has been a couple of years though. From what I remember, it was great in snow with snow tires. There was a great top gear moment where the Stig went off the snow track and Jeremy laughed at him and asked if he went to 5th.

 

The Lusso works great in snow, in snow mode (and with winters). The four wheel drive system gives great traction and works pretty seamlessly. In the higher modes and on tarmac it is a little less satisfactory but then it is designed as a rwd first and foremost. In comfort mode you can feel the fronts come in and it is not like a Subaru for instance. But as a V12 rwd GT that handles all weather conditions it is pretty amazing, like nothing else out there. By the way, even full-time 4wd doesn’t always run all the wheels simultaneously, unless you have rear and centre diff locks. And if you switch them on the car would be undrivable unless on a loose surface.

The Ferrari 4RM system is a very clever and unique piece of engineering that gives the best of both worlds; four wheel drive and rear wheel drive response with low centre of gravity. Whether it is over complicated is a matter of opinion and I can understand if some feel that.

 

In Snow mode the car works well (talking about my FF) with Sottozero Winter Tyres, but Sport Mode you don't really have much traction at the front....

 

Something is not right with your car if this is happening. I have wonderful traction with my car on winter tires whereas I can spin my 812 tires at will. Even in sport mode I get good traction. In general on dry roads covered in debris/ dried road salts and chemicals, I drive in Comfort- unless I want to slide the car around more, and then its Sport. But if its wet out, I use Wet, and if its really snow, I use Snow. These modes are very well calibrated.

In gears 1-4 you should not be experiencing excessive wheelspin.