Ferrari California 30 -- Technical Analysis

Gruppo Montresor Wines & Luxury

More about our sponsor for the 2012 Challenge Season

The Cantine Giacomo Montresor Company was founded in the second half of the 19^th century by Giacomo Montresor the great-grandfather of the current owners and directors.

The Montresor Family has its roots in France. The Count Claude Montresor had a prominent important historical position during Cardinal Richelieu days and he took part of the political events as prime counselor of Duke d’Orléans, the cousin of the King. He supported a moderate and less conservative monarchy.

The Family is also mentioned in a famous Edgar Alan Poe’s tale: “The Cask of Amontillado”, where a member of Montresor dynasty is described as a great wine connoisseur with an excellent palate.

The Montresor have been involved in vine-growing since the second half of the 16^th century, when the ancestors came to Verona from France, where the Montresor’s village and castle still stand. Today, Montresor sells 60% of its production in the Italian market, with a network of over 90 representatives located across the country; 40% is exported throughout the world to markets where fine wines are know and appreciated.

The winery exports operations began before World War II exporting to European countries, mainly Switzerland and France. After the war, Montresor was one of the first Veronese producers to introduce its wines into the US market. Exports are currently directed to the UE and other European countries, some Middle East countries, North America (USA and Canada), Central America (Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, the Caribbean Islands), South America, and some of the Pacific countries (Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia), South Africa.

The Montresor production is based on DOC wines typical of the Verona and the Veneto region: Soave, Valpolicella, Bardolino, Bianco di Custoza, Amarone and Ripasso; a selection of exclusive wines coming from single vineyards (i.e. Monte Fiera, Campo Madonna); a range of natural sparkling wines: Chardonnay, Pinot, Prosecco and Rosé Royal Pinot Noir.

The company boasts extensive export experience as well as the quality control service, such as a daily supervision of the raising process of the grapes and the biological stability of the wine in the bottle, taking special care ensuring a long-shelf life considering the distances involved when the product is exported abroad.

The winery is certified ISO9001:2008 and ISO14001 and it has implemented a sustainable chain of production, from the vineyard to the bottle.

The Montresor marketing is mainly oriented to the “on-premises” customers; however, a special line of products has been studied for the “off-premises” market.

Main data:

- Total Production per year: over 5 million bottles

- Total storage capacity: 4 million liters (1.2 million in wooden casks and barrels)

- 140 hectares of specialized vineyards owned by the Montresor Family.

- Montresor Family owns some other wineries in Italy and more specifically:

o Brovida Cordara: Wines and sparkling from Piedmont

o Conti Wallenburg: Wines and sparkling from Trentino

o Vidussi Gestioni Agricole: Collio and Friuli wines

o Monti Guidi del Carmine: Wines from Abruzzo

How to Live the Ferrari Track Day of Your Dreams

As published in Yahoo Autosby Marco Della Cava

On a recent weekend in northern California, a traveling circus of Ferrari faithful pulled into Infineon Raceway, just another stop in the factory's Corse Clienti racing program. Far from being a contrived tribute, this celebration of Ferrari's world salutes the company's racing roots with four versions of on-track fun mixed with reminders of all things Maranello, from food to model cars.

But the focus is decidedly on the tarmac. Things kick off with non-passing laps for Ferrari owners in their own cars, followed by real racing featuring gentlemen drivers of both Ferrari Challenge-spec 458 Italias and race-only 599XX coupes. And finally, there's the chance to see recently retired Formula One cars scream down the straights, only instead of Michael Schumacher or Rubens Barrichello being at the wheel, it's an exceedingly successful private owner who can afford to play Schumy for the weekend.
"Ferrari takes its customers seriously, that's why I'm here," says Marc Gene, an ex-F1 hot shoe who since 2004 has been the Ferrari team's lead test driver. This weekend, he's helping a client set up his 2003 ex-Barrichello F1 rocket. "Getting into these cars is always unbelievable for me, and I do this all the time. So I can only imagine it must be mind-blowing for a client."

In more ways than one. If you're racing under Ferrari's banner the price of admission is hefty. For the entry-level series - Ferrari Challenge - there's the cost of the race-ready car (around $300,000) and then another healthy five-figure sum per race weekend for comprehensive support from dealership-organized teams. But for those dozens of F1-car owners, things multiply quickly, starting with the seven-figure price of the vehicle, plus whatever it takes to fly both the machine and a small crew of F1 technicians to wherever you're racing.

Many Challenge drivers prefer not to chat. "A lot of them aren't here to advertise their wealth, but they're all successful in their fields and want to be the best they can be out here," says San Francisco team advisor Scott Sharp, an ex-Indy Racing League racer currenting running a Ferrari 458 in the American Le Mans Series.

"In the old days, racing feel was something you got from the seat your pants," he says. "But today, technology lets us tell these guys exactly what they're doing right and wrong. The data collection is impressive, and we've got video that lets us overlay their line with one I've run as a baseline. It's fun to bring a little ALMS tech to the amateur world."
Sharp says his pupils this year include a spine surgeon and a gaming-industry executive. "Ironically, the spine surgeon, who obviously is cautious and meticulous in his work, tends to go for it out out there. And the gaming guy, who you'd think might roll the dice a bit, is far more conservative," he says. "It's fun to see how different personalities adjust to the track."

Personality is on display big time at Infineon this weekend. A few cars go flying off the road in heated attempts to pass competitors on what is fundamentally a difficult track full of elevation changes and hairpin, off-camber turns. For a few drivers, the weekend's fee will be somewhat in excess of that standard as-long-as-you-don't-wreck fee.

Things are far less dicey during lap sessions for regular Ferrari owners, who clearly don't want to make a mess of their garage queens. One exception is John Evilsizor, who is pushing his snarling 599 GTO as if he were in the final laps at Le Mans, slightly freaking out the plodding driver of an older Ferrari just up ahead.

"I'm just trying to show him the racing line," says Evilsizor, whose success in commercial real estate has allowed him a to house a number of Ferrari's in his California garage. "Too bad we can't pass."
That frustration aside, Evilsizor enjoys coming out to Ferrari events like this one. "You get all kinds here, from arrogant to super nice, but overall it's great to be with folks who appreciate the same car you do," he says.

True enough. That famous yellow-and-black shield logo appears everywhere, from the flanks of massive trailers to the smallest of espresso cups. There's a Ferrari boutique peddling everything from baby onesies to luggage, and a VIP lounge serving caprese salads and pasta primavera. And if you can't afford a real Ferrari, there's even the chance to buy a 1/8th scale version for a mere $5,000 to $7,000.

"We can't keep up with demand sometimes," says Sandy Copeman, managing director of England's Amalgam Fine Model Cars. His company's run of hand-assembled (300 hours per model) 458 Italias have already sold out. Next up: making five models - at $10,000 each - of Ferrari's iconic 1960s GTO, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

"About 3,000 development hours go into each of our models," Copeman says while model maker Gary Solan makes tweaks on a small 458 door. He adds that many customers like to have models of their own cars made, and Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo has been known to give them out as gifts.

Perhaps the coolest thing about dropping in on an event like this is that you don't have to be Montezemolo or a Fortune 100 tycoon to partake. All day long in Sonoma County, streams of average Joes and Janes and their kids flooded through Infineon's gates, soaking up a scene that may forever remain a dream. Except on this Corse Clienti weekend, when Ferrari's small world opened up.

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/live-ferrari-track-day-dreams-161124440.html?page=all

2013 Ferrari California

by David Gluckman

First Drive Review: 2013 Ferrari California

More power, less weight, new handling package. All of these are good.

After a morning spent driving the revised-for-2013 Ferrari California in and around Maranello, we’re sitting in a cramped storage/conference room in a nondescript building near the company’s fabled factory gate. Test driver Raffaele De Simone wants to know what we think of the two cars sitting outside. Our take: There’s a noticeable difference between the car equipped with the new Handling Speciale package and the non-HS 2013 California—but that difference is small. “Good,” he says. “We didn’t want them to be too different.”

To understand why Ferrari chose to limit the differences between the cars, however, we must first learn about the clienti for whom this model is intended.

It’s a Ferrari, and Everyone Knows It’s Fast.

In the California’s first three years, 70 percent of buyers were new to Ferrari. Offering everyday usability with its all-weather retractable hardtop and large-for-a-Ferrari trunk—a fifth of owners use their car on a daily basis, which is 50 percent more than the brand’s average—the car is tuned softer than the rest of the Ferrari range. Buyers get Ferrari performance, a Ferrari badge, and everything else that goes with the ownership experience, but the car isn’t an inconvenience for them. It’s civil. In Ferrari’s words, the California offers ingress and egress similar to that of “a normal car.” Imagine that.

And although it’s somewhat hard to believe, a majority of buyers claim they bring their kin (plural) along. Since an adult could really only fit their head in the tiny rear seats, Ferrari says that they’re best for emergency use or kid storage. If you don’t anticipate either in your future, then it’s probably best to order your California with the available rear parcel shelf instead.

There’s Always Room for Faster

A minority, but apparently a vocal one, wanted more power. Cue upgrades for the fantastic-sounding 8000-rpm V-8: a one-way reed valve in the crankcase that lets blow-by gas and oil escape, thereby reducing pumping losses; new exhaust manifolds that reduce backpressure; pistons with revised crown machining to match the other changes; and new ECU tuning. The net is 483 hp (an increase of 30) and 372 lb-ft of torque (up 14).

In these hard economic times—in this case, “hard” meaning “strictly regulated” and “economic” referring to fuel usage—automakers are often obliged to accompany any increase in output with a reduction in mass. Great for greenies, great for performance. Say grazie to Ferrari’s aluminum mavens, who have kept the efficiency scale balanced with a 66-pound weight cut. Where there previously were eight alloys used in constructing the California’s space frame, there now are 12, with the additional four coming into play via parts and design revisions. As an example, the previous car’s steel engine cradle has been replaced by one assembled from aluminum castings and extrusions. Thirteen pounds saved. Ferrari also is using a new core casting process that lightens and strengthens hollow pieces—according to the company, it’s the first application of its kind for an automotive space frame. As part of the lightening process, the front crash structure was redesigned to improve impact- and suspension-load paths.

Is the weight change noticeable, and what of its effect on the car’s 47/53 front/rear weight distribution? There was no early car on hand for comparison, but another comment by De Simone is telling: “You’ll feel the weight [distribution] change more putting the top down than you will notice the change from the last car to this one.” Fair enough. With the seven-speed dual-clutch auto’s launch control engaged, we expect the increased power and reduced weight to yield an improvement of up to 0.2 second in the 0-to-60-mph dash. The last California we tested hit the mark in 3.9 seconds.

Make Mine a Handling Speciale, Easy on the Speciale

Back to changes that are easily noticed. The newly available Handling Speciale package ratchets up the car’s sporting character for the small number who want more from their GT convertible but aren’t yet interested in a 458 Spider. It’s a bone tossed to the near-enthusiast.

The HS package starts with a different steering rack; it’s quicker, about 2.3 turns lock to lock as opposed to the standard rack’s 2.5, and it has slightly higher effort. Not that the base steering is sloppy, but we much preferred the Speciale version. It’s most noticeable in tight switchbacks, and the added heft isn’t a bother during relaxed cruising.

Next is a set of stiffer springs. The fronts increase by 15 percent and the rears are turned up by 11. They’re coupled with Ferrari’s magnetorheological SCM dampers (an option on the base car), which get a specific tune to complement the spring change. Again, we could feel the difference, with less body roll in cornering, an issue we noted in our previous experiences with the car and even saw with the 2013 non-HS car. Ferrari admits that the suspension sacrifices some ride comfort, but the active setup means the firmness never crosses the line into harshness, even in its most aggressive setting; it’s still nowhere near the racier setup on a 458. If you want, Ferrari offers a no-charge option that paints the HS car’s grille, side vents, and hood scoop mesh a silver color called Argento Nürburgring. And if you really want, you can get any Ferrari in any color with whatever insane interior you’d like through the Tailor Made studio and more cash. (How about an FF with pinstripe-cloth seat inserts, a cashmere headliner, and a teak-lined trunk? It exists, and looks way cooler than you think it does.)

By design, the HS makeover is nowhere near as comprehensive as the HGTE package that came at the end of the 599GTB’s lifespan. While that package saw a take rate of 70 percent, Ferrari projects just 15 percent of all California buyers will go for the HS kit. A slightly higher proportion may choose it in the U.S., especially because the package adds just $7227 to the car’s bill, while the magnetorheological dampers by themselves, albeit with a different tune, pull $5200.

HS or not, the adaptive SCM damper system has been overhauled with a faster ECU, new control software, and reduced internal friction from a lubricated piston rod. You still get adjustability from the steering-wheel-mounted manettino to control various characteristics. In SCM-equipped cars, the HS’s Comfort setting basically overlaps with the base car’s Sport setting, and the two modes also vary transmission shift characteristics, the behavior of the exhaust valves, and stability-control intervention. The ESC off mode remains and continues to deliver the Sport chassis settings without a safety net.

Bene e il Male

There’s good news and bad for the 8000 or so current California owners. Ferrari says these slight changes to the car shouldn’t hurt residual values of pre-2013s; for better or worse, there are no aesthetic changes inside or out, save for the Handling Speciale’s optional gray accents. The bad news is that the HS pack can’t be retrofit to older cars. First-time Ferraristi can place an order for the new California starting in June.

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

The 2013 F12berlinetta Is The Fastest Ferrari Ever

As published in Forbesby Hannah Elliott


The wait is over: Ferrari’s new F12berlinetta will be the fastest Ferrari ever built.
According to specifications released today, Ferrari’s 599 GTB-replacement coupé will go 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds and 0-100mph in 8.5 seconds, demolishing what the 599 can post for the same.
The mid-engined V12 coupé gets 730 horsepower with 690 Nm of torque peaking at 8,700 rpm. A dual-clutch transmission aids the weight-to-power ratio of 2.1 kg/CV; the car weighs 1,525 kg (3,472 lbs)–70 kg less than the previous V12.
F12berlinetta (yes, Ferrari spells it that way) uses 30 percent less fuel than the 599, with CO2 emissions of just 350 g/km. Ferrari says the improvement came by refining efficiencies throughout the entire vehicle, especially with the engine, aerodynamics, tires and weight.

Also new on this car are a transaxle layout with a shortened wheelbase and lowered engine, dashboard and seats. The rear of the car is smaller, thanks to changes in the suspension system and gearbox, so the whole thing looks much more compact and drives lower than the 599. Scaglietti designed the aluminum chassis and body.
What’s more, Ferrari has updated the carbon-ceramic brakes and a “magnetorheological” suspension control system. Standard in the F12berlinetta are other previously seen driving systems like E-Diff, ESP Premium, F1-Trac and high-performance ABS.
Inside, Frau leather, carbon fiber and aluminum air vents line the redesigned dash. The car is a two-seater but has extra space behind the seats that will fit medium-sized bags, which can also be reached through the tail gate.
All told, it’s a fine performance. And comes on the crest of what must be an exciting time at Ferrari. Marco Mattiacci, the president of Ferrari North America, just received the prestigious 2012 Automotive Executive of the Year Award–in no small part due to the fact that Ferrari sales in North, Central, and South America have increased more than 20 percent since 2010.
Here are the full technical specifications of the F12berlinetta:
Engine – 6262cc V12
Maximum power output – 740 CV at 8500 rpm
Maximum torque – 690 Nm at 6000 rpm
Length – 4618 mm
Width – 1942 mm
Height – 1273 mm
Dry weight – 1525 kg
Weight distribution - 46% front, 54% rear
Weight-power ratio - 2.1 kg/CV
Speed – 0-100 km/h 3.1 seconds; 0-200 km/h 8.5 seconds
Fuel consumption - 15l/100 km
Emissions – CO2 350 g/km

http://www.f12berlinetta.com/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahelliott/2012/02/29/the-2013-f12berlinetta-is-the-fastest-ferrari-ever/
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Ferrari Plans to Replace Iconic Enzo With Super Hybrid

Ferrari SpA will turn to fuel-saving hybrid technology to create its most powerful and expensive model, showing that even elite performance cars are under pressure to get greener.
The Italian automaker’s first hybrid, dubbed the F70 in trade press and blogs, will probably surpass the 660,000-euro ($850,000) price of the limited-edition Enzo, said a person familiar with the plan.
Using technology developed for Formula One racing, the model will combine two electric motors with a 12-cylinder gasoline engine to produce more horsepower than any previous Ferrari, while cutting fuel consumption 40 percent.
“Dedicated Ferrari drivers look first at power and technology,” said Fabio Barone, chairman of the Passione Rossa owners’ club, who has two Ferraris. “The new Enzo will satisfy their appetite.”
The model is part of a wave of green supercars as high-end automakers step up efforts to make their models environmentally palatable, while still maintaining or boosting performance. As more models become available and emission rules tighten, sales of hybrid supercars may surge from less than 100 this year to more than 2,100 in 2015, according to IHS Automotive.
Porsche AG, which currently sells hybrid versions of the Cayenne sport-utility vehicle and Panamera four-door coupe, plans to start deliveries next year of the 768,000-euro 918 Spyder. The top-of-the-line Porsche sports car will combine a 500-horsepower engine with 218-horsepower electric motors to hit a top speed of more than 320 kilometers (199 miles) per hour.

BMW Hybrid

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) will roll out the i8 plug-in hybrid in 2014. The BMW supercar will be able to drive up to 35 kilometers on electric power and accelerate to 100 kilometers per hour in less than 5 seconds.
“If you want to sell a vehicle in the U.S. and Europe, you must show you want to make the difference in terms of lower emissions, even if you sell a 100,000-euro car,” said Ian Fletcher, an analyst at IHS Automotive in London. “Even a supercar becomes more usable for city driving if it carries a hybrid engine.”
Toyota Motor Corp. (7203)’s Lexus, which has led the way among luxury-car makers in introducing the technology, offers five hybrid models, ranging from the $29,120 CT to the $112,750 LS. Daimler AG (DAI)’s Mercedes-Benz sells the $91,850 S-Class hybrid and introduced a diesel-electric version of the E-Class in Germany this year. Volkswagen AG (VOW)’s ultra-luxury Bentley brand is considering a plug-in hybrid version of a planned SUV.

Limited Supply

The Ferrari hybrid will go on sale starting next year, with the U.S. likely to be the model’s biggest market, the person said, declining to be identified because the plans have not yet been made public. Ferrari will produce a limited number of the model, with the final price yet to be decided, the person said.
Ferrari, based in Maranello in northern Italy, will show the heir to the Enzo later this year, Chairman Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo said in a May 10 statement. Ferrari declined to comment on the vehicle beyond the statement.
The original model, which sports wing doors, a carbon-fiber body and 660-horsepower engine, was named after Ferrari’s founder. It is limited to a run of 400 vehicles between 2002 and 2004. Because of its rarity, it now sells for about $1 million, according to website infomotori.com.
Enzo owners include singer Eric Clapton and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Some have been destroyed in spectacular crashes around the world. A red Enzo was found abandoned in the desert near Dubai last month.

Tailor Made

Ferrari, the most profitable unit of Fiat SpA (F), is rolling out the new flagship as part of a strategy to boost profitability with high-end versions while restraining deliveries to about 7,000 cars a year to guard its exclusivity.
The supercar brand is also seeking to boost revenue with its “tailor made” personalization program, adding touches like cashmere-covered seats to increase prices by 20 percent to 60 percent. Ferrari’s first-quarter operating profit rose 13 percent to 60 million euros helped by “good” results from the program, Fiat said last month.
The Enzo successor will be powered by the Hy-Kers hybrid technology, which was developed for the brand’s Formula One team. In the system, an electric motor delivers an extra 100-horsepower to the wheels by operating through one of the gearbox’s two clutches. The setup transfers power“instantaneously” between the 12-cylinder engine and the electric motor, Ferrari said on its website.
“Boosted by the electric motors, the new supercar may have more than 900 horsepower,” Ferrari club chairman Barone said.“It’s going to be a sensational car, and it also lowers emissions.”

for original article http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-14/ferrari-plans-to-replace-iconic-enzo-with-super-hybrid

2012 Ferrari FF

Ferrari builds a four-wheel-drive wagon- and it's just as thrilling as anything else prancing out of Maranello.by Michael Austin

As I’m driving through hairpin corners in the Dolomite Mountains of the South Tyrol region of Italy, the Ferrari FF’s two-door wagon body style is the last thing on my mind, which is interesting because it’s probably the first thing anyone else would notice about the latest four-seater from Maranello. Instead, my most pressing thought, besides not dropping a $300,000 GT car off a cliff, is the FF’s four-wheel-drive system, which has so tamed the 651-hp V-12 engine that a tail-out hero photo of a drifting FF requires serious commitment with the stability control fully switched off. When the back end finally does come around, though, it does so in a predictable, gentle manner. In sport mode, the sportiest of the five chassis settings accessible via the steering-wheel-mounted manettino knob, the back of the car hardly wiggles on dry pavement.

But the first roadgoing Ferrari to put power to all four wheels doesn’t understeer like so many other four-wheel-drive sports cars. It’s actually mostly neutral through corners. Ferrari engineers repeatedly explained to us that the front wheels are used mostly for traction in bad weather and that power is otherwise shunted to the rear wheels as much as possible. Based on a cockpit display of power to the front wheels (we were told the display won’t be on customer cars), however, that’s not entirely true, as the system activates on almost every uphill corner if you request full power. Without the display, the only clue the FF isn’t rear-wheel drive is the aforementioned lack of oversteer. There’s no torque steer, no power-on push. And so it seems that the biggest compliment we can pay to the FF’s groundbreaking four-wheel drive is, paradoxically, that it’s not really a big deal.

What is a big deal, of course, is the FF’s body, a shape known to most of the world as a three-door hatchback, or a shooting brake. The latter term dates to the days of horses and carriages. In more modern times, it represents a sporty car in which a gentleman has enough room to carry his guns and hunting dogs. But Ferrari doesn’t necessarily prescribe a tweed jacket and a couple of hounds for customers (of which there will be about 1000 per year worldwide); it sees the FF simply as an evolution of the GT car with more cargo space and more mobility than its predecessor, the 612 Scaglietti, had. Heck, this Ferrari even has cruise control and cup holders. How’s that for progress?

Evolutionary Styling…and Chrysler Nav?

The V-12 sits entirely behind the front axle, and it resides within a snout that brings to mind cars like the original BMW M coupe or even the Jaguar E-type. Aside from the rear and its familiar round taillights, the Pininfarina-styled FF is an evolutionary step in styling away from Ferrari’s California and 458 Italia, with headlights that stretch back along the front fenders and functional vents and ducts scattered about. Inside, the nozzle-shaped vents recall those of the 612 Scaglietti as well as the 599GTO. But living among the vents on the dash, we find the FF’s biggest disappointment: a stereo-and-navigation unit common to the entire Chrysler family. It’s not only disgracefully downmarket but also not very good. Primary map functions, such as zooming in and out, must be done with fussy touchscreen buttons. The steering wheel, like the one in the 458 Italia, houses the turn-signal and wiper controls, leaving the giant paddle shifters as the only protrusions from the steering column. The instrument cluster features a giant center-mounted tachometer flanked by two high-resolution LCDs. The right display shows speed as a digital readout or a conventional dial, and it displays the rear camera’s feed when reverse is engaged. The left display shows accessory dials, navigation and trip information, and any warning lights. Front-seat passengers can be entertained by an optional screen that shows engine and vehicle speed or trip information.

The rear seats are accessed by pulling up big aluminum handles on the side of each front seat to move them forward electronically. Ingress to the rear involves basically falling into the snug seat, although once you’re planted, there’s plenty of head- and legroom. Rear passengers sit slightly higher than those up front, stadium-style, and well-behaved sub-six-footers should last a few hours without complaint, or perhaps longer with the optional rear-seat entertainment system. Taller folk will fit, albeit less comfortably. The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split and feature a center-section pass-through. Seats up, the FF’s 16 cubic feet of storage beat the Porsche Panamera’s 15.7, but the FF loses to the Porsche with the seats folded, 28 cubes to 45.

More Space and More Power than an Enzo

The FF’s engine shares its bore spacing and 65-degree -V angle with that of the Enzo and 599, but the FF gets a new block and heads plus direct injection. That and a 12.3:1 (!) compression ratio and an engine stop/start system result in a claimed 25-percent reduction in fuel consumption. We expect the FF to travel a few more mpg than the 612’s 9 mpg city/16 mpg highway EPA ratings. The FF’s V-12 is the most powerful Ferrari road-car engine ever built, with 651 hp at 8000 rpm and 504 lb-ft of torque at 6000 rpm. The latter seems lofty, but 369 lb-ft are available at 1000 rpm. The FF’s engine doesn’t lurch if you lift off the throttle near the 8000-rpm redline. Such behavior is particularly appreciated when you’re jumping on and off the go pedal just to hear the exhaust run through the six-into-one headers as you blast through a tunnel, which we did endlessly—or, for that matter, during a launch-control-enabled acceleration run, which we estimate will propel the FF to 60 in 3.5 seconds. We still have chills 24 hours after returning the keys.

The FF’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox sits at the rear of the car and is partly responsible for the 47/53-percent front-to-rear weight distribution. The electronic rear differential has been integrated into the gearbox housing, and all the chassis and powertrain control systems—for the magnetic adaptive shocks, stability control, four-wheel drive, and electronic differential—are integrated into a single module.

At the front of the engine lies a second transmission, and it’s this unit that makes the FF’s four-wheel-drive system so revolutionary. This so-called power transfer unit (PTU) consists of two forward gears (plus reverse) that route power through computer-controlled clutch packs, one for each front wheel. The lower of the two front gears is about six percent higher than second gear in the rear transaxle, and the higher gear is similarly taller than the rear’s fourth. For the first four forward gears, the PTU slips the clutches in low or high gear to match the rear-wheel speed and provide extra traction. At most, 20 percent of available torque can be sent forward.

Exorbitantly Priced Cars, Elaborate Demonstrations

As we mentioned, Ferrari stresses that the four-wheel-drive system is primarily intended to offer all-weather capability, even going so far as to helicopter two cars to the top of a ski slope and build a small winter-weather test track. On factory-approved Pirelli winter tires, the FF moves around without much trouble. In the manettino’s ice-and-snow setting, the FF stays well within the limits of grip, and the stability control acts so smoothly that little of the tussle for traction makes its way to the driver. (In the other settings—wet, comfort, sport, and ESC off—the FF demonstrates a more rotation-happy nature.) In low-grip situations, most cars generally understeer as the front tires lose traction, resulting in frequent car-on-snowbank action. In dry, high-grip situations, however, understeer is generally considered good for less-skilled drivers, in that it can be corrected by a person’s natural instinct to hit the brakes. Keeping this in mind, we find the snow driving reveals a neat trick in the 4WD system’s programming: The FF uses its four-wheel drive to reduce understeer in the snow and keep the handling predictable in the dry.

Absent wetness, the FF moves through corners effortlessly. Actually, the FF does pretty much everything with a smooth effortlessness. Whereas the 599 and 612 exhibit body roll and some reluctance to change direction, the FF’s front end responds sharply, and its cornering attitude is more composed. Some of this is due to the quick (2.3 turns lock-to-lock), perfectly precise steering, although it does lack some feel. Through corners, the steering wheel loads up only slightly, and bumps are completely isolated from the driver. It’s refined and suitable to the long-haul gran turismo driving mission of the FF, but we’d like a little more information for our fingertips. The brakes also want a bit for tactility, with a long pedal travel that requires increasing force to achieve ABS-level stopping. We’d prefer a shorter, stiffer brake pedal. But there’s no shortage of stopping power, and the third-generation Brembo carbon-ceramic discs are as easy to modulate as any carbon binders we’ve tried. Luckily, things like the brakes and transmission (it refused to downshift below fourth gear at highway speeds in full automatic mode) can still be tweaked before North American deliveries start in November.

Not Already in Line? Bummer

Of course, if you’ve been waiting to read our review before putting in your order for an FF, you’re going to wait a lot longer than November, as the first year of production is already sold out. But if you have the money, the FF is worth the wait. It’s not an all-out sports car like the 458 Italia (nor is it even as sporty as the Porsche Panamera), it doesn’t have the all-conquering comfort of cars in the Mercedes-Benz CL-class, and it’s not a wholly emotional car that transcends all subjective measures. But if you consider any of these things a priority, you can look elsewhere and find a number of more affordable and possibly quicker options. Those who remain in the Ferrari camp, however, will be rewarded with a highly exclusive car that has world-class performance, all-day comfort, and newfound all-weather capability. In evolving its GT car, Ferrari has hit the mark.