Now that I have traded in my Lusso 12, I wanted to very clearly state how much more I love the Lusso T. For me, the softer nature of the Lusso 12 versus my old FF was not appealing and made the car too boring to drive. I tried to like it, putting over 1,500 miles on her, but it was just uninspiring. Flash forward to my first test drive in the Lusso T: whole new ballgame! Back again was the always available torque. No down shifting necessary to pass on a steep grade. The car also is much lighter which makes it feel much more small than it actually is on the road. Once again, I love reaching for the keys of a four seat Ferrari! If you have yet to test drive the Lusso T, please do yourself the favor of trying it out.
Very nice review, thank you for sharing. I will definitely have to give it a go. I love my V12 Lusso - especially when it gets going but I must admit that the CaliTHS is much more suited for my type of city driving. Its that wonderful torque and nimble ways you speak of that are the real standouts for me. Did you order your T custom or did you buy off the lot?
Like you I really enjoyed the nimble, sharp turning, front/mid engine feel to the car. Delivery in June I hope.
Dang.... That makes me want to cancel the 12 and get the T. We recently had a good client of ours come by and have the Novitec N-Tronic Unit installed (from his previous Cali T) and i got to drive that around the block and with the now 690HP in the V8 with the N-Tronic i was impressed. I was really hoping that sticking with the V12 and doing exhaust etc would wake it up, so well just have-to wait and see.... Congrats on the new car!
Taking the T out on Thursday although from just initial startup and Rev it's so hard to love over the 12.
My neighbors disagree about loud start ups and revs, I had enough trouble with the sports exhaust on the Cali T. The pitch forks, the flaming torches, the material envy...it was quite scary. You are right though, nothing will be as characterful as a Ferrari V12, but the twin turbo V8 doesn't win all those awards for nothing. The way to view the Lusso T is as a totally different car, a rear wheel drive, four wheel steer, nimble, torquey and very usable GT. In my house its replacing the Cali HS with extra seats and luggage space. The awesome pano roof replacing the seldom used drop top. On my test drive the car felt so much more capable than the HS on the poorly surfaced rural roads around my weekend place and the bigger fuel tank and range makes a big difference to me. Rather than get tribal, the owners of Lusso GTC4 and Lusso GTC4 T own different Ferrari yet can discuss common issues such as interior and exterior specs, what strange objects you can get in the back, and why parking spaces in Europe are just too darn small.
Right. That's the BIG difference, right there. One could easily say the same thing about Chicago, for months on end. The FF and the Lusso 12 allows you to greatly expand the driving season.
Fair enough I also owned (just sold on Saturday) a CalitHS but as you can see I was simply responding to the original post. At the end of the day I am confident I will really love my test drive on Thursday alongside the Portofino. Hopefully my post doesn't discourage anyone from what you and I both know is one heck of an engine and car. We are splitting hairs here but at $435k+taxes I am allowed to As per your CalitHS, top never went down? I had mine down so much it's bitter sweet that it sold now that the weather is turning.
England my friend, South West England at that. On the rare dry days it was either too hot for my bald head or too cold for my wife, another reason we went Lusso instead of PF
Ha, its funny you mention all this because its my wife that happily reminds me that I did not put down the top as much I wanted because on the nice days I was already in the sun (golfing 4+hours) and the rest of the time on my phone Times that stick out for the CaliTHS was night time driving, or with my kids so happy to be in a vert - really nothing like it!
For those who own or are driving it, it's interesting to note that between sport and ESC off, not only does it turn off the traction control (duh!) but it also spools the turbo up faster, decreasing lag even further. The car is a monster in this mode. But, given the grip of the Michelin PS4, the linear but stump pulling torque of the engine, and the playful chassis, the power is so easily and delightfully managed. It's almost shocking how much fun the car is in this mode. Sample and enjoy!
So I finally got to drive the LussoT and my LussoV12 (back to back)... its really amazing how different they are. I am not sure I can put it all in words but the T from the start is an agile ride that definitely feels lighter in a more playful mood right from standstill. When driving you get some great exhaust cracks (like Portofino and CaliTHS) at high revs and wonderful notes of exhaust/engine with great rev matching. It really is a very sporting ride but at no time do you feel that its "too much" or overwhelming.. it almost reminds of a 458 in its fun power and handling management. Its confidence inspiring and smiles all around, a great car from Ferrari. Then you get in the LussoV12 and you do the same exact route and you realize that this car MEANS business, once the REVS go above 5000k the car is an absolute maniac monster searching for traction fighting its weight and you taken over by the V12 screams, the exhaust snaps, the 4wd pulls, and transmission lighting pace. It goes from docile sheep to screaming lion.. and its making your hairs stand on your back and drips of sweat start to form over your body. That is really the main differences between both very magnificent cars, the T is more playful and fun from the start and it just molds nicely around you while the V12 needs room to rev, scream, and unleash at that point it becomes an exhilarating experience and can literally overwhelm. One thing I might add is that the T steering was the heaviest I have ever tried on a modern day Ferrari, not sure if that is the norm. Driven both cars not sure what I would go with as they are both magical in their own right so I think it really comes down to what you are looking for and maybe your environment and whether you have another V12 or V8 in garage. Image Unavailable, Please Login
My pleasure, I figured I could add some good context! I just took the beast out for a quick run tonight and yup I summed it up pretty good in my post. One thing I will mention is that the LussoV12 has the absolute best steering of any modern day exotic I have ever driven. Not sure what the heck Ferrari did here but its bloody perfect, feedback, speed, accuracy, and pushback from the road. I tell my wife I am ruined for life, once you drive these Maranello machines it will be so hard to break the addiction!
Had my T now for a Year and chose it after my V12 Lusso was written off in a head on crash (not my fault). Wanted another v12 but couldn't find one with a spec that suited. Only 8 on the market at the time and some were definitely not for me. Came across this very low mileage T in Silverstone/Terra Bruciata with lots of carbon etc owned by a chap who had many others but Covid caused him to rethink his garage. Not sure about it when I took it out for a test around the block but there was something about it that felt right. James May wrote a piece about the T in the Times https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/james-may-review-ferrari-gtc4lusso-t/ and summed up exactly what i was feeling. Now I'm used to it and have put 6000 mls on it in a year i have to say it is terrific with torque throughout the range, plenty of power and in 'everything off' you can light up the rears at 80 mph. It is much more agile than the V12, turn in is noticeably quicker with the engine very nearly in the centre of the car it feels very Ferrari. plus 26mpg on a run and quiet if you want it to be. Still prefer the howl of the V12 but that's all really......oh and the wheels Image Unavailable, Please Login
You aren't the first to have made this observation and, surely, you won't be the last. But I wonder why this is. The V12 has a better weight distribution than the T (48:52 vs 46:54) and is only 50kg heavier which is less than a tank of fuel!