The
FF—an acronym for Ferrari Four (four seats and four-wheel drive) is the
company’s most powerful and versatile four-seater it has ever produced,
as well as Ferrari’s first four-wheel drive car. That’s a long time
coming, considering that Ferrari North America celebrated its 60th
anniversary in 2014.
The first time I drove a Ferrari was ten years ago. It was a Ferrari F430 around the spectacular Ferrari-Maserati test track in Fiorano, Italy. My Italian racecar instructor took me on a get-acquainted loop around the track and accelerated (to a blur) from 0-62 in four seconds. It sucked the wind right out of me. And just as I regained my composure to let out a slow scream, he dove into a half doughnut around a curve to demonstrate the vehicle’s gripping power. Intoxicating! It was then, and it is now.
Yes, even a Ferrari with four-wheel drive is a racecar at its roots. Our FF was appointed with buttery leather seats cocooned into a streamlined cabin centered by the trademark prancing yellow horse in the wheel and signature yellow tachometer. The FF even has a screen for the front seat passenger so he or she can watch your speed limit. Everything is within easy reach—the shifting toggles are on the sides of the wheel and one can also switch on the fly from city driving to snow, rain or track.
However, this time I was not slicing through wine country and the cobblestone streets of Italy. Truly, everyone from my dentist to my contractor wanted a ride in it. So, first I took my contractor for a spin on the West Side Highway. I wanted him to see the interior – because I want him to renovate my kitchen to look a Ferrari. Kemal was impressed with the nuances, like the way that the steering wheel is flat on the bottom making it easier to slip into the car, the comfortably slanted arm rests, the repetition of curvaceous shapes in the cabin and the sound of the engine. Who can resist that gutsy, primal sound that draws happy smiles from people on the streets and high fives on the highway? By the time Kemal got out he wanted to buy one for his son. No joke!
Next up, Long Island for lunch with my family of four. I had dreams of stretching the FF out on the Meadowbrook Parkway. That was not happening. First of all there were too many police around; secondly my family is too skittish and then, there was that problem of traffic. Bummer.
Ok, so here’s the scoop on the back seat. Yes, this vehicle can fit four people and their luggage. No doubt about that. My son is almost 6 feet tall and folded himself in quite well; my daughter is a pixie so the back seat was a breeze for her. Long journeys for the back seat…I don’t think so. The word on back seat suspension was bumpy. But, hey, this is not what we need from one of the world’s finest sports cars. What we do expect is a very well appointed four-wheel drive sports car with a V12 engine that can kick snow and ice and still bolt from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. We do not want a Ferrari to look or feel like an SUV.
more info about this car:
Horsepower: 651 hp @ 8,000 rpm
Torque: 504 lb-ft @ 6,000 rpm
0-60: 3.7 sec
Top track speed: 208 mph
Base price: $295,000
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