The Ferrari FF

An untimely forced retirement from competitive cycling has allowed cars to consume a portion of the time and energy vacuum that would have otherwise been spent suffering on two wheels. Let me explain the logic of the madness. My vehicular tastes are very specific favoring uniqueness, driving dynamics, and performance engineering while loathing the excess weight of driver aids and assistance technology (read driver disconnection and distraction) that the mass market craves. The M Coupe is a quintessential example of my philosophy on what a car should and should not have. The E30 is horribly underpowered by modern standards, but when driven with a little bit of skill it routinely outmaneuvers the hordes of mediocre apexers in more powerful vehicles. It is what it is. I've become a petrolhead, albeit still an environmentally conscious one. Last weekend I got to experience the hallowed petrolhead ground that is Ferrari. Not just any Ferrari, but one that every M Coupe enthusiast is keenly aware of. Trying to share the experience in words is an exercise in futility. I’ll do my best not to sound like a gushing 12 year old writing a final exam essay!

In March of 2011 Ferrari announced a replacement for the 612 Scaglietti grand tourer. It was a dramatic departure from the evolution of grand touring super cars that had previously emerged from the harmonious convergence of art and engineering that is Pininfarina. The new masterpiece was called the FF, which stands for Ferrari Four. The drama in the new design is how Ferrari accomplished the double meaning of the latter F – Four seats and Four-wheel drive.

The Ferrari FF

M Coupe owners couldn't help but notice the similarity between the FF's short name and BMW's simplest named ///M car. That's not the only thing they noticed. The FF's "shooting-brake" lines were so familiar that pundits and enthusiasts far from the regular M Coupe enclaves took note.

Ferrari FF and M Coupe

Similar Shape, Different Dimensions

Shooting-brakes (high performance hatch backs with long noses and steep hatch angles) have always been controversial designs, but their uniqueness promotes an enduring and loyal following. In 1962 Count Giovanni Volpi hired some of the original Ferrari 250 GTO engineers to convert a 1961 250 GTO into a shooting-brake. The Breadvan, as it became known, took advantage of Kamm aerodynamic theory to achieve a higher top speed than the normal 250 GTO’s. Since then there have been several one-off shooting-brake Ferraris. Other marquees produced volume shooting-brake models including the MGB-GT and the Jensen GT. In 1972 the shooting-brake got Hollywood exposure in the Jaguar E-type GT hearse driven off a cliff at the end of the dark comedy Harold and Maude. The M Coupe got its shooting brake form as the result of being derived from a roadster into coupe, opposite to the usual evolution of coupes into convertibles. The FF was designed from the ground up as a shooting-brake to allow usable rear seats and ample storage behind them in super car form. Where I can admit the M Coupe has a few awkward angles, the FF's design looks good from every angle.

The Shooting-Brake

1961 Ferrari 250 GTO "Breadvan"

Ferrari 365GTB4 Daytona

E-Type GT Hearse from Harold and Maude

My M Coupe

MGB-GT

Jensen GT

I have always shunned anything other than the rear wheels doing the driving, but after experiencing a Nissan GT-R first hand on the track will concede to the virtues of four driving wheels in a performance environment. The FF's 4RM revolutionary system powers the front wheels via an engine mounted front gearbox connected to the drive axles through two continually slipping clutches. It maintains rear bias by only taking 20% of the V12's torque, working only in 1st - 4th gears, and only in the "comfort" , "wet" and "snow" positions of the steering wheel mounted Manettino dial. The design saves significant weight over conventional systems and preserves proper rear-wheel drive dynamics.

Ferrar 4RM Forward Mounted Gearbox

Four-Wheel Drive in Action

My friend Adam and I go back nearly as far as two friends can. Last weekend he just happened to be entrusted with the first customer Ferrari FF delivered to the US and I just happened to find myself in Atlanta. What a coincidence!

As I waited to be picked up, every set of HID headlights coming down the road piqued my interest. When the black form revealed itself from the sea of mediocre shapes it looked like a modern day Batmobile. I had seen pictures, but in person it was stunning. The airport pick up is always a rushed endeavor, but I made sure to snap a few pics in the good light. The airport police officer diverted her 3-wheeled Segway in our direction for a glance. She rolled by just as I mentioned I had a radar detector in my bag. Perfect timing! Adam assured me that it would not be necessary, demonstrating how trustworthy he was of the moving artwork.

The Nero Daytona Black Ferrari FF in which Adam was Entrusted

Entrusted to him was a $500,000 FF in Nero Daytona Black over Cuoio Leather interior. The black was contrasted with hints of chrome, yellow Scuderia Ferrari shields, and matching yellow brake calipers. The inside smelled like a brand new catchers mitt, albeit a very expensive one. I felt like I should take off my shoes before getting in. The supple brown leather was wrapped in the Carbon Fiber Trim Package, a $50,000 option, which covers the dashboard, vents, center console, doorsills, paddle shifters, and steering wheel in carbon.

More Nero Daytona Black

Yellow Scuderia Ferrari Shields

And Matching Calipers

FF Power Up

Cuoio Leather Interior

Carbon Fiber Trim Package

Even within the limits of quasi-legal street driving, the FF’s performance was staggering. There are a lot of fast cars, but what distinguishes the FF from lesser counterparts is how it goes fast. Thrust is produced by a 651 horsepower, high revving, normally aspirated V12 that was brutal yet composed. The acceleration seemed much faster than the published 3.7 second 0-60 time, but 0-60 times are for people who talk about cars more than drive them. The experience of listening, feeling, and watching on my own digital tach and speed display from the passenger seat was simply beyond words. With a top speed of 208 mph, we were barely exploring its capabilities.

651 Horsepower V12

Passenger Digital Tach and Speed Display

Going fast in a straight line is easy; maintaining that speed when lesser cars or drivers need to slow down is the true test of both. Adam had the Manettino Dial set to Sport so the four-wheel drive was disabled. From what I could feel turn-in was direct and crisp. The 53% rearward weight balance is achieved by mounting the V12 in the rear of the engine compartment and the gearbox in the rear axle. That balance combined with the superb Magnetorheological Suspension kept cornering neutral, but controllable. Even in Sport Mode the ride was compliant over rough surfaces, but firm enough to squelch any hint of body roll from the 4100lb beast. It was amazing. You really can have your cake and eat it too. Even more amazing is that GM originally developed that suspension technology. Adam lifted off the gas slightly at the top of a rise in a medium-radius right hand turn that would have sent my M Coupe throttle-lift over-steering into the median. The FF’s balance was barely upset. Having so much performance so confidently balanced in that situation was a subtle, but telling example of just how good the FF is. True to F1 form the steering wheel was littered with switches, the Manettino dial, the engine start button, and a built in rev counter. The double-clutch F1 gearbox initiated lightning fast gear changes, which Jeremy Clarkson proved are faster than the blink of an eye (fast forward to 2:00 in the video below). Of course if you know anything about Ferrari, these words have been a waste your time. Let me waste a little more.

Rear Mounted Torque Vectoring Gearbox and Mid-Front Mounted Engine

Manettino Dial

The FF's Steering Wheel

F1 Steering Wheel

Jeremy Clarkson Racing the F1 Gearbox with His Eyes

Adam and I managed to beat the rest of my crew to the hotel. As the FF quietly ticked itself cool, Adam and I spent a couple hours catching up while admiring the sculpture in front of us. I was most impressed by how stunning the FF looked. I searched and searched, but I could not find a bad angle. Its design inspired conflicting emotions in distinct harmony. Adjectives like menacing, elegant, fluid, abrupt, subtle, outlandish, alluring, and dynamic filled my thoughts, but mostly just Badass!

No Bad Angles

An exhaust is just a “waste disposal” device, but the FF’s was a symphonic instrument. At idle the note was a composed rumble laying in wait like a coiled snake ready to strike with the slightest press of the pedal. As the RPM needle moved skyward the rumble exploded like a multistage rocked from scream to shriek to wail. The pitch change was immediate and dramatic, audible evidence of the V12’s perfect harmonic balance. The sound was raw and genuine super car, no superfluous noises just for show.

The FF's Glorious Exhaust Note

In hindsight the whole experience seems like a dream. It was super late and I was jetlagged and tired from a long week at work. It was great to see Adam, but the shortness of our visit was further accelerated by the intensity of the FF. The fact that he was able to give me the most exciting hotel van ride in the history of hotel van rides proves that quality, not quantity is what counts. It’s people not cars that define a true adventure. The FF was just our tool. What a wonderful tool it was! Thanks to him and the FF’s owner for a great night.