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Ferrari FF is the first prancing horse that is equally at home in icy mountains and dusty deserts. You can thank the all-wheel drive system for that.

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How many cars can you name that can fit four people and a bunch of suitcases, and still reach 335km/h?

According to a certain Italian automaker, there’s only one. The Ferrari FF just launched in South Africa unashamedly claims the mantle of the world’s fastest four-seater Grand Tourer. And, with rivals such as the Porsche Panamera Turbo S managing a “mere” 306km/h and the Aston Martin Rapide a comparatively emasculated 295, we won’t argue the point.

But top speed isn’t the only attention-grabbing point of Maranello’s newest machine - such a speed is unattainable to most owners anyway, unless they find a quiet desert highway that they’ve pre-scanned for the absence of traffic-department money traps.

Apart from being Ferrari’s most powerful toy the FF - it stands for Four seats and Four-wheel drive - is also its most versatile. Its four seats can take four full-sized, six-foot adults in comfort, while the boot is large enough for 450 litres worth of suitcases (800 litres with the rear seats folded down).

FERRARI’S FIRST FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE CAR

Replacement for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, the FF is the Italian firm’s first all-wheel drive car. This is not only to better harness those rampant 485 kiloWatts on dry tar but, together with its raisable ride height, also exposes Ferrari owners to heretofore-unknown driving scenarios such as gravel roads and icy mountain passes, surfaces on which the average two-wheel drive, low-riding Ferrari can be a bit of a handful.

Its four seats can take four full-sized, six-foot adults in comfort.

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To underline this ability, the FF’s press pack is full of photos and videos depicting Ferrari engineers testing the car in unlikely places like the arctic circle and in deserts. Maranello, almost alone in the motor industry, is standing firm in not offering an SUV in its range (for which purists will be ever thankful), but the FF’s the closest the prancing horse has ever come.

Those who might throw up their arms in horror at the thought of all-wheel drive creating an understeery Ferrari, fear not; the rear-biased system still allows plenty of power-sliding and opposite-lockery.

Ferrari’s novel 4RM all-wheel drive employs a rear-mounted seven-speed gearbox supplemented by a second two-speed transmission mounted at the front wheels, a setup which has two main benefits: it’s 50 percent lighter than a converntional four-wheel drive system, and it allowed Ferrari to achieve the ideal 47/53 front/rear weight distribution it was after.

6.3-LITRE V12 SCREAMER

The Italian firm continues to resist the turbocharging craze sweeping through the world of high-performance cars, and has given the FF a normally-aspirated, V12, 6.3-litre screamer that redlines at a heady 8000rpm.

Apart from threatening to blow your socks off with sheer sonic charisma, the front-mounted V12 is designed to shoot the car from rest to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds, and deliver great big lumps of midrange pulling power - consider that 80 percent of its maximum torque is already stomping away at just 1750rpm.

The power’s fired through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with F1 paddle shifters, and the FF is also equipped with active damper control and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes.

The Pininfarina-styled oblong station-wagon body has been a source of controversy since the FF’s unveiling, not least because of its resemblance in side profile to the first-generation BMW M coupé.

MORE STRIKING THAN THE PICTURES SUGGEST

Also, there is the question whether it would still be recognisable as a Ferrari with the badges removed, but I can confirm that the car is more handsome and striking in the metal than the pictures might suggest.

The first four FFs to land in South Africa were unveiled at Viglietti Motors in Bryanston last Wednesday, three of them already sold at R4-million apiece.

The fourth car is a demo unit which we hope to get our hands on shortly for a driving impression. - Star Motoring

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