The Opera-Singing Warhorse: Ferrari's V12 Grand Tourer That Redefined Practicality
The Ferrari GTC4Lusso, a name that sounds like a misdialled Italian takeaway but drives like a thunderstorm trapped in a silk-lined briefcase. This is the car Ferrari built for the person who wants to blitz a mountain pass, transport a Bernese Mountain Dog, and still make it to the opera on time. And you know what? It pulls it off.
This beast debuted in 2016 as the successor to the FF, Ferrari’s first foray into the "shooting brake" genre—essentially a sports car with a polite nod toward practicality. Overseen by Ferrari design chief Flavio Manzoni, the GTC4Lusso is a swooping, four-seater marvel. Legend has it that Manzoni was inspired by the sweeping lines of 1960s GT Ferraris and yet couldn’t resist cramming it full of more tech than a Silicon Valley startup. The result? A car that looks fast even when parked outside a posh Tuscan vineyard.
Under the bonnet is the real magic—a naturally aspirated 6.3-litre V12, lovingly crafted under the guidance of engine guru Gianfranco Ferrari (no relation, though the name is suspiciously convenient). This thing belts out 680 horsepower at a spine-tingling 8,000 rpm. That’s enough to rocket you from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, a time that would make even seasoned Ferrari test driver Raffaele de Simone chuckle with delight. And all this while sounding like Pavarotti on steroids.
But here’s the kicker: it’s practical. I know, a practical Ferrari—like finding out that James May secretly races motorcycles on weekends. The Lusso comes with four-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, and a suspension system so clever it could probably moonlight as an F1 strategist. The 4RM EVO system, derived from Ferrari’s FF, means this car grips the road like a caffeinated octopus, even in a downpour. Inside, it’s a veritable cathedral of leather and carbon fibre. The "Dual Cockpit" layout gives the front passenger their own display, which feels less like a luxury and more like Ferrari saying, “Here, amuse yourself while I drive.” And let’s not forget the designers even had the audacity to make the rear seats comfortable—because apparently, this Ferrari is for people.
In short, the GTC4Lusso is the car Enzo Ferrari might have driven on his holidays—if he’d liked dogs and opera. It’s a family-friendly missile, a Ferrari that doesn’t just go fast but goes everywhere. A masterpiece for the one-percenters who want to have it all.
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Ferrari GTC4 Lusso 2017