Ferrari Purosangue: The thoroughbred from Maranello

Purosangue, Italian for thoroughbred – Ferrari already makes it clear with the name: This is not a cold-blooded horse for difficult terrain, but a racehorse. “This is not an SUV, this is a supercar with more ground clearance,” emphasizes Ferrari. And it’s the first Ferrari with four doors. In fact, fewer people would think of driving off-road with the Purosangue than with the SUVs from Lamborghini, Bentley or Porsche.

Nevertheless, Ferrari did not want to completely ignore the trend towards a slightly higher seating position – but then, as befits a supercar from Maranello, appropriately motorized, with twelve cylinders, 725 hp and acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds. Of course, there is no trailer hitch.

Unlike Porsche, where more SUVs are now being built than sports coupés, Ferrari wants to limit the proportion of thoroughbreds to a maximum of 20 percent. This should be good for the manufacturer’s CO2 balance, because with 393 grams per kilometer (according to WLTP), which corresponds to a consumption of 17.3 liters, the Purosangue emits as much carbon dioxide as two Ferrari SF90.

However, the four-seater will not play a major role in the global climate balance of road traffic. The quantities that Ferrari wants to build from the Purosangue are too small: no 3000 per year will be built in Maranello.

As befits a Ferrari, the first year and a half of production have already been sold. Since the twelve-cylinder will not stay in the program forever – Ferrari also has to electrify – the Ferraristi blindly buy every new model with the iconic number of cylinders and pay almost any price for it. In the case of the Purosangue, that’s a whopping 380,000 euros.

You won’t be disappointed after the first drive: the free-breathing 65-degree engine with a displacement of 6.5 liters sounds as hoarsely hissing as one would expect. The machine rotates up to 8250 revolutions. The approaching speed limit is then displayed by LEDs on the upper steering wheel – as in Formula 1. The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission on the rear axle quickly shifts up in sport mode and down again with double-declutching. Only in comfort mode are throttle response and shift times a bit hesitant.

The road holding is befitting: the balanced weight distribution on the front and rear axles (49/51) and the very direct steering make winding mountain passes a pleasure at a high level. The rear axle steers in tight bends, and one thinks the wheelbase of the 4.74 meter long car has shrunk. The high weight of 2170 kilograms for a Ferrari is hard to believe, even if changing lanes doesn’t work quite as digitally as with the mid-engine sports cars from the Thoroughbred stable.

The active chassis is height-adjustable, in case you have to cross a field path or through a snowdrift. Traction is also plentiful, because the engine supplies – if necessary – the front axle with torque directly via a separate three-speed gearbox. The reverse gear is also housed here.

If the Purosangue were an SUV, it would not only be the strongest, but also the most elaborately constructed in the automotive world. With rear doors that open forward electrically like on the Rolls-Royce. The aerodynamics are designed to be similarly demanding: part of the cooling air is diverted next to the bonnet to generate additional contact pressure. Forgotten is Enzo Ferrari’s famous maxim that aerodynamics were invented by people who know nothing about engines.

The company founder would also have found the Burmester sound system with 23 loudspeakers and 1420 watts superfluous. Who needs music when you can listen to a twelve-cylinder? But times are changing. Today, customers even ask Ferrari dealerships about such comfort – and what about environmental protection. Ferrari has an answer for that too: the Alcantara, which is lavishly processed in the interior, consists of 68 percent recycled polyester. At least that. (cen/Guido Reinking)

Data Ferrari Purosangue

Length x width x height (m): 4.97 x 2.03 x 1.56
Wheelbase (m): 3.02
Drive: V12 petrol engine, 6496 ccm, RWD, 8-speed automatic
Power: 533 kW/725 hp at 7750 rpm
Max. torque: 716 Nm at 1400-3000 rpm
Top speed: over 310 km/h
Acceleration 0 to 100 km/h: 3.3 seconds
WLTP average consumption: 17.3 l/100 km
CO2 emissions: 393 g/km
Curb weight: min. 2033 kg (dry)
Base price: 380,000 euros