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FIRST LOOK: Funky Fezza

The ff is the all-new 612 replacement - with a radical package and 4x4 running gear.

What the heck does FF stand for?

It definitely doesn't mean what has been stated in the headline. The Maranello boys say FF stands for Ferrari Four, for it can seat four people and is a four-wheel drive.

Like its predecessor the 612 Scaglietti and past masters, the FF was designed by Pininfarina and maintains the front-engine layout and 2+2 seating configuration - just that the bar has been raised with a low-slung, Shooting Brake body a la BMW Z3 Coupe' of yore.

Ferrari adds that it wants to offer customers a new concept, not just the same old two-door coupe' silhouette. That also explains why the FF foregoes the classic numerical badges. The FF, it is said, offers enhanced practicality and drivability.

Ah, are the Italians conceding to the Cayenne's success story?

Oh no, they have definitely not mentioned anything about that porky Porsche. But as you might suspect, Ferrari is tacitly in agreement with what the boys in Stuttgart are doing.

You see, there is nothing more practical than a 2+2 Fezza and Ferrari has sworn it will never build an SUV or saloon (psst: it once built bespoke 456 saloon and estate variants for royalties in Belgium and Brunei).

Apparently, that's why the FF came into being - inching towards an SUV but not being one at all. Ferrari claims proper seats for four and a 450-litre boot that can increase to 800 when the rear seats fold down.

And, of course, there's that 4WD system hooked up to the car's electronic stability programme to enhance all-weather grip. Ferrari says its all-wheel-drive system weighs 50% less than conventional counterparts and helps yield a 47:53 front/rear weight distribution.

So the FF must be light in weight... Sorry mate. Tipping the scales at 1,790kg, it is the heaviest GT in the model's bloodline. But don't worry: Ferrari has ensured that the FF is the fastest 2+2 grand tourer ever to emerge from its factory.

The capacity of the V12 has been lifted to a record high 6.3-litre; the same goes for the 660hp output that's achieved at an ear-pleasing 8,000rpm.

This helps the FF dispatch the 0-100kph time in 3.7sec - 0.3sec faster than the 612. And for speed fanatics, the FF runs out of breath at 335kph.

Just because it's fast doesn't mean the FF's a gas-guzzler. With the use of the brand's latest seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and stop/go tech, the FF can achieve 6.5kpl. Okay, that's nothing brilliant, but the 612 is worse at 4.9kpl and still slower.

It should be another promising Ferrari to drive, then...

It definitely must be, because Ferrari rarely misses the mark when it comes to driving performance and dynamics. Standard in the FF is adaptive suspension and carbon-ceramic disc brakes from Brembo.

We can only expect a drive in the FF won't be as hardcore as in the 458 Italia mid-engine or 599 Fiorano front-engine two-seaters. In fact, the FF should be an easy Ferrari to drive, like the California does, because that's how a brand can widen its appeal to users.

Of course, the FF's price will still be out of reach for many. Prepare at least 30 million baht.

And don't wait till its global premiere in Geneva next March. The waiting queue could be long by then. In fact, buyers may already be queuing up as you read this story.

THE BLOODLINE

250 - 1953-64

Engine 276hp 3.0-litre V12