Finally, it’s officially out, the new Ferrari Purosangue and easily the most hotly anticipated car of the summer. Just don’t call it an SUV…
Ferrari has been contemplating an SUV for what seems like years now, and teasing us relentlessly with suggestions of a four-seat, four-door Ferrari. While other manufacturers have long ago ‘sold out’ and added SUVs to their ultra-luxury portfolios - including the likes of Bentley, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce - Ferrari has been holding out for longest in order to get the design just right.
After all, they don’t even call it an SUV. In Maranello, the home of Ferrari, that term is taboo, and in the entire 7000-word press release for the new Purosangue the dirty acronym is mentioned only once, to refer to other rival models in a condescending tone.
So what do we call this high-riding, four-door, four-seater car? Ferrari is so pleased it’s literally calling it the Pure-Blood, as the Purosangue comes with the company’s legendary 12-cylinder engine producing 725 horsepower. So they may have a point…
The Ferrari Purosangue could undoubtedly become the best-selling model from the company now that it’s finally out, but the Italians will curtail availability to the rarefied few, limiting the SUV (oops…) to roughly one-fifth of all production in order to satisfy the exclusivity of its supercar heritage.
The first ever Ferrari for the family promises state-of-the-art dynamics not unlike the manufacturer’s other low-slung offerings, while combing first-class seating in a sumptuous body penned by designer Flavio Manzoni at the Ferrari Styling Centre in Italy.
Naturally, this being a vehicle teetering on the edge of practical daily use, the cabin is where a lot of the focus went during the development process with top-notch furnishings and materials on show. Ferrari wanted the cabin to feel like a sporty lounge, emphasising the sense of space. The driver gets the traditional cockpit display, but so does the passenger, with an additional 10.2-inch screen showing information to the passenger so they too can gasp at the speeds achieved.
Rear seat occupants also get a cockpit concept with just two seats at the back and wraparound forms. The luxuriously trimmed interior additionally features elegant cup holders made of glass, and offers buyers sustainable options as well. Instead of either and carpeting from animal-sourced materials, you can have recycled fishing nets or durable fabrics usually used for military uniforms. It’s all about the luxury of choice in the $400,000 SUV stratosphere…
