Ferrari FF

The Ferrari FF was presented live worldwide on February 23, 2011 through the company’s official website. For the presentation to the public, however, the following Geneva Motor Show was chosen. The presentation to the international press took place in March 2011 at Plan de Corones; to test the car in the most extreme conditions (ice and snow), two specimens of the FF were taken to altitude using a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter of the 1st Antares Regiment of Viterbo, with the support of three AB 205 helicopters of the 4th Altair Regiment of Bolzano of the Army Aviation. The FF acronym stands for Ferrari Four, meaning Ferrari 4-seater and 4-wheel drive. This is in fact the first production car from Maranello to adopt an intelligent four-wheel drive system (previously pioneered on the 408 4WD in the second half of the 1980s). This mechanical innovation is combined with another design novelty, namely the adoption of a shooting-brake bodywork; the car thus abandons the concave sides inspired by the 1950s sports cars that had distinguished the 612 Scaglietti (whose legacy the FF inherits). The mechanical layout of the previous 612 was retained: the engine at the front and the gearbox at the rear in lockstep with the differential; the engine is the Ferrari F140, a V12 with eight-cycle and direct injection (compression ratio 12.5:1), with a displacement that was increased to 6262 cm³. The engine delivers 660 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, and 683 N⋅m of torque at 6,000 rpm; it is located further back on the front axle, shifting the centre of gravity for better weight distribution. At the rear, in addition to the differential, we also find the transmission, which is entrusted to the 7-speed dual-clutch robotized gearbox in transaxle position. All these choices were made to ensure optimal weight distribution on the two axles: 47% at the front and 53% at the rear. The all-wheel drive system referred to, called 4WD (acronym for ‘4 Wheel Drive’), is entirely developed by Ferrari. How it works is that drive torque is always sent to the rear wheels but, thanks to two clutches connected directly to the engine, part of it (up to 30%) is transferred to the front axle. Moreover, thanks to various parameters controlled by an electronic control unit, the system can decide how much torque to send to each individual wheel. The Ferrari FF also features new electronically controlled, magnetorheological suspension and a braking system with carboceramic discs developed by Brembo and derived from those of the 599 GTO berlinetta. The line, designed by Pininfarina under the direction of Lowie Vermeersch, and Flavio Manzoni of the Ferrari Style Centre, is of the shooting-brake type, a profile typical of 3-door wagons. The interior is finished in handcrafted leather, the colour and tone of the contrasting stitching of which can be chosen by the customer. The dashboard is in the style of that seen on the California coupe-cabrio, while the seats are wraparound. Since September 2012, some models have been fitted with a new panoramic roof that extends from the windscreen to the rear window. This roof was made with a new special reflective glass called LowE that guarantees total acoustic and thermal insulation.