In 2016 during an earnings call, the late Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne responded with “you have to shoot me first” when asked about the SUV’s prospects. Worried that the high-riding model would weaken the brand’s image, the head honcho completely opposed the idea of launching a prancing horse on stage. However, two years later, he changed his mind, admitting in an interview that the “Ferrari Utility Vehicle” would pay off.
Marchionne died in July 2018 and never saw the family-friendly model Maranello, which was officially announced that same year as part of the 2018-2022 roadmap. Purosangue (Italian for “pure race”) will close tomorrow, September 13th. Meanwhile, a prototype has been spied on for the last time. It was still wearing full camouflage clothing to hide what appeared to be a full production body.
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Despite its heavy disguise, it’s easy to realize that the Purosangue won’t look like your typical SUV. The slouched practical Ferrari gives the impression of a large hatchback featuring a large quad tip while hiding the naturally aspirated V12 engine under the hood. It seems to send off a Romanesque vibe and has a distinctive red paint seen from some of the exposed areas.
Set to battle it out with the Lamborghini Urus Performante, Bentley Bentayga Speed, and Aston Martin DBX707, this four-seater Ferrari looks ready for prime time. There are no interior shots in this set, but we can at least confirm that there are no tablet-like touchscreens protruding from the dashboard. Logic tells us that it has a lot more legroom at the rear than the GTC4Lusso and the FF that will indirectly replace it and should have extra cargo capacity as well.
Based on what we know so far, the Purosangue will come in an all-wheel-drive variant with air suspension and a dual-clutch automatic transmission. The NA V12 has been confirmed, but a hybrid is likely planned as Ferrari says the platform has been engineered with electrification in mind. As with today’s supercars, the Italian brand intends to make SUVs relatively exclusive by limiting annual production to no more than 20 percent of the company’s total volume.
The automotive world will never be the same after September 13 and McLaren could follow suit even though its former boss says SUVs will never be.
