The article was originally produced on February 14, 2019, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Ferrari GTC4 Lusso

If the family has grown but you still want to drive a car with a powerful V12 engine and with a galloping horse on the front emblem, then the GTC4 Lusso is for you.

It is nothing new that Ferrari has built V12-equipped models with room for four. Already in 1972, the 400i model came, which was 4-seater and 2-wheel drive. But in 2011 it was time for the Ferrari FF which was a small sensation. So it must be considered relatively new to equip a Ferrari with 4WD. The FF model that preceded the GTC4 Lusso was the first Ferrari to be equipped with four-wheel drive. A slightly different one that Ferrari has patented. What sets it apart from other four-wheel drive systems is that, just like on the GTC4 Lusso, drive to the front wheels is disengaged when fifth gear or higher is engaged. A simple explanation for this is that power is supplied to the rear wheels conventionally via a transaxle from rear of the engine while the front wheels are driven from the front of the engine. Via a two-speed gearbox and two wet plate clutches, the power is distributed to the front wheels. A little different and not always completely easy to handle, but means that the car retains its nerve in classic Ferrari fashion. 

What is also completely new and which was introduced with the FF is the so-called shooting-break body, simply translated combi but definitely a word Ferrari does not want to be associated with. What this means in practice along with the four seats in the GTC4 Lusso is that four people can actually fit and also a pack. However, we are not talking about a pack for a whole family going on a ski holiday, but a suitable, smart pack. If there are two of you, however, you can load all the more. Maximum luggage volume is 800 litres. If you want to optimize your packing, you should buy the specially made bags from Schedoni, but at a price you can buy a smaller car for. 

The jewel in the GTC4 Lusso is the 690 horsepower V12 engine. This is an engine that conveys emotion throughout the register. It can be low-key and unobtrusive, changing character in just a split second to a loud howling wolf that wakes up everything in its path. When the revolution exceeds 5,000, every hair on the body stands up in euphoria. In the cold and wet road conditions that prevail when the test drive is carried out, a part of the person sitting behind the wheel is required. Despite four-wheel drive and a system to keep the car on the road, you have to parry the rear end, which likes to dance here and there. This may be perceived as negative for some to read and experience, but personally I think it is absolutely right. Too many performance cars have become too tame and easy to drive, so the description that this car can be driven by my grandmother without a problem figured too often. No, a Ferrari, even if it can be called a family and all-year-round car, must have some hot-tempered nerves and personality. 

Since it is not every day that I have the pleasure of test driving a Ferrari, the handling of all controls is not as familiar as with other brands that you drive more often. However, it is something that is completely a matter of habit and quickly disappears as soon as you get used to them. A fun detail for the front passenger is that you have a display in front of you where you can control certain things and get current performance information such as rpm and speed and more. Like most, if not almost all other car brands, the GTC4 Lusso has Apple CarPlay which makes it easy to connect your iPhone to the car. Ferrari was actually among the first car brands to introduce exactly Apple CarPlay and that in the FF model before the GTC4 Lusso.

As previously mentioned, Ferrari is not a brand that is driven all year round or by me on a daily basis. With the GTC4 Lusso, one of these things is a thing of the past, unfortunately not the latter, which of course would have been the case. But taking a Ferrari on a really long trip, regardless of whether it concerns the Riviera or up to the mountains, is now a fact. The GTC4 Lusso is the answer.