http://www.ferrarifour.com

Optimal blend of multi-terrain usability and ultra tarmac-performance? (see youtube video linked below)

Ferrari Four

(name refers to first 2 items in the list below)

4-seater
4-wheel drive
DI 6.3 litre V12
651 hp
504 lb-ft
0-60 mph < 3.6 sec
Top 208 mph


This video is a must-see... watch it in HD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aygqVE4XVD0


Here is one of the 2 unique/special things about this car:

Quote :

"The FF features the company's first ever four-wheel drive system. Ferrari's exclusive, patented 4RM (four-wheel drive) weighs 50 per cent less than a conventional four-wheel drive system, maintaining perfect weight distribution (53 per cent over the rear axle). Completely integrated with the car's electronic dynamic control systems, the four-wheel drive technology delivers record levels of performance on all terrains and in all conditions via continuous and intelligent predictive torque distribution to all four wheels. The FF is also equipped with the latest magnetorheological damping system (SCM3), as well as the most recent development in carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo."

The other unique/special thing is the shape....

Hi-res: http://www.worldcarfans.com/111012130510/ferrari-four-ff-concept-revealed-video/highphotos








Oh, and I guess it is official... the [unfortunate] switch from 4 round taillights to 2 is permanent... the first casualty was the 575 Maranello replacement (599 GTB), the second was the F430 replacement (458 Italia), and now this 612 Scaglietti replacement. (and the California too) The Enzo successor will be next.


Front end is nice, modeled after the 458 Italia. Back is nice too. But what's up with the overall shape/side view? I am torn over it. If it was the same shape but the back wagon/hatch was a bit longer, it would have looked better proportioned. Something halfway in back-length between the FF and this one-off 456 wagon commissioned by the Sultan of Brunei:






Something along the lines of this (hatch-length wise):








[Edited on January 22, 2011 at 9:05 PM. Reason : ]

1/22/2011 8:55:30 PM

I don't see the point. Are there really a lot of would be Ferrari owners who are waiting for the brand to come out with something that would make a better daily driver?

That first pic looks like some Capital Blvd ricers with way too much money got ahold of a M-Coupe and decided to try to make it look like a Ferrari.

1/22/2011 8:59:17 PM

that is the ugliest ferrari i have ever seen

1/22/2011 9:05:33 PM

P.S. I just can't get over how awkwardly short that rear end is... compare these 2 pics. Now I realize that what's even more awkward is the distance between the back of the front wheel well and the door hinge... holy shit that is tooooooo long in the FF. If they shortened that to half of what it is, the rear end wouldn't seem much awkward at all. See what I mean:




The Bentley also has a 12 cylinder engine with all-wheel drive (and 2 turbos too), so I don't see why the FF's proportions are so messed up at the front.



[Edited on January 22, 2011 at 9:09 PM. Reason : ]

1/22/2011 9:06:08 PM

I disagree, I love the thing from the side, and I'm glad finally somebody realizes the design genius of the Z3 coupe;

1/22/2011 9:11:23 PM

Quote :

"That first pic looks like some Capital Blvd ricers with way too much money got ahold of a M-Coupe and decided to try to make it look like a Ferrari."

This.

1/22/2011 9:30:50 PM

^^i like that you used a model car picture.

1/22/2011 9:53:33 PM

I agree with Ahmet on this one.

Probably the only modern BMW I drool over constantly is the M coupe. It looks like a weird dress shoe, but damn it just works for some reason. And this Ferrari has the same proportions, and same weird but working proportions.

Maybe it's just that these coupes scream out "I have a big fucking engine in the front, but the power is going to the back wheels", but they just look mean and proper to me. Like the buldge at the back tells you there's weight there to put the power down, and the long sloping front tells you theres a fucking beast engine under there.

1/22/2011 10:28:07 PM

Is the conti GHatch real? I like it.

1/22/2011 10:37:46 PM

i think it looks terrible

but then again, ferrari spoiled us with the 458 Italia.....i'm not sure how you can beat that

1/22/2011 10:48:21 PM

i love the stubby rear-end look like the M-coupes have.

1/22/2011 10:55:37 PM

^^^ It is gorgeous, isn't it? Probably the most gorgeous (as opposed to aggressively beautiful) looking wagon ever made (the Audis and MBs make the most aggressively beautiful wagons).

It is real, but not made by Bentley (those are real pics, not a small-scale model car). It is another company that does the conversion, an Italian coachbuilding company, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. The car is called Touring Superleggera Bentley Continental Flying Star. Here are some not so surprising numbers for the conversion:

4,000 man hours
6 months to finish
20 to be built
$800,000!!!

You HAVE to see inside the boot of the car... it is covered by a special woven leather, not carpet. Make sure to see the closeup pics below. The material looks amazing, making it look like an expensive yacht inside. It also covers the floor where the driver's and passengers' feet go. It gives the high-tech car an old world rustic charm inside. The gallery also has live pics from the Geneva Motor Show from last year where it debuted.

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/geneva-2010-touring-superleggera-flying-star/full/

Direct links to pics of the woven leather:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/38-flying-star.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/26-flying-star.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/27-flying-star.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/29-flying-star.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/31-flying-star.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/32-flying-star.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/35-flying-star.jpg closeup of leather
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/33-flying-star.jpg closeup of leather

Nice pics driving at speed:
http://www.touringsuperleggera.eu/en/products3_10.asp


And this is very cool... so jealous!

Quote :

"Responsible for the design team of the Flying Star project is the 32 years young Belgian designer Louis de Fabribeckers. Graduated from the ISD of Valenciennes in France in Engineering Design, de Fabribeckers started to work with Touring in 2006 as project leader. Under his hands, the Maserati based Bellagio and A8GCS Berlinetta projects materialized; the first one being a fastback, 5-door version of the Quattroporte model, and the second a magnificent concept for a light and compact, modern sports car. Both new projects were presented at the occasion of the 2008 Villa d’Este Concours d’Elégance. The A8GCS Berlinetta was granted the ‘Plus Belle Supercar de l’Année 2008’ award by the expert jury of the 24th. Festival Internationale de l’Automobile in Paris."

Here is the Bellagio:







[Edited on January 23, 2011 at 5:06 AM. Reason : ]

1/23/2011 4:52:56 AM

4 doors just dont work. looks fucked up just like the panamera. not a huge fan of the Bentley either, but it still looks okay.

1/23/2011 8:06:34 AM

imo the bentley and 456 wagons are ugly

the Ferrari Four is sweet

it's still close (but yeah, not as nice) to that classic shape:

1/23/2011 9:33:13 AM

I like it better than the panamera (which really isn't saying much). I will have to see it in person though. On paper, I liked the panamera, until I saw one on wade- yuck

1/23/2011 10:32:39 AM

I have really warmed up to the Panamera. Of course, they do look much hotter with they say Turbo on the back...

1/23/2011 11:08:55 AM

^ !

I still don't like them in pictures but.. If i had the money it'd be the car i bought.

1/23/2011 11:35:06 AM

^^ I like to call that effect "boostgoggles.": the ability of a car to suddenly look much more desirable despite some failure of form, when the viewer becomes aware that the vehicle is packing more hp/ performance than previously suspected.

1/23/2011 11:53:17 AM

^ i really like that term. i'll have to use that.

1/23/2011 12:03:19 PM

I also believe c6 z06s are subject to boost goggles...

1/23/2011 12:42:02 PM

kinda like what i drive

1/23/2011 1:29:17 PM

Quote :

"that is the ugliest ferrari i have ever seen"

Agreed. Really at this point all they're pumping out are vehicles that range from ugly to sterile/unemotionless. The California, Enzo, 458 Italia and now this. All horrible designs that I wouldn't dream of spending $200-1,000,000 on if I had that kinda of cash.

1/23/2011 2:44:18 PM

it makes a Ferrari look like a much cheaper car. It's just not appropriate for the brand

1/23/2011 3:38:14 PM

three door utility oriented boutique car just does not make sense. So you are going to fold the front seat down so you can fit a [what] in it? I know it ain't for hauling PVC conduit from Home depot. and you will have to tell your passengers that even though it is a 100+k car, they will still have to crawl over the folded front seat to get in the back? and you will actually have to get out of your seat so they can get in and out?

obviously i dont fully understand the need of the target maket, but it goes against common sense.

[Edited on January 23, 2011 at 3:51 PM. Reason : at least X6 had the rear doors..]

1/23/2011 3:50:07 PM

Igor, your argument makes sense for the Ford Explorer, but not the Ferrari Four IMO.

Also, that Ferrari is super hot. W/those proportions, would you rather it just had nothing behind the front seats?

Anyway, this makes me want an MZ3 Coupe...

1/23/2011 4:33:28 PM

It's a Ferrari that looks like a shitbox. Who would want that? kind of embarassing

1/23/2011 4:55:57 PM

I'm surprised the Four is so polarizing.
I thought we'd just all agree that it's ugly as sin.

1/23/2011 5:15:10 PM

I think its pretty slick, but I always loved the M Coupes.

This, to me at least, is what a high performance, 4-seat coupe should look like (panamera, im looking at you).

1/23/2011 6:41:55 PM

i love the m-coupe. this car looks like fucking garbage.

1/23/2011 6:47:57 PM

Quote :

"imo the bentley and 456 wagons are ugly the Ferrari Four is sweet"

agreed. Also, the Bentley has what may be the worst hatch/tailgate I've ever seen.

1/23/2011 8:41:59 PM

^^^^why are you comparing it to a vehicle that is a 4 door?

Quote :

"UGLY AS SIN"

1/23/2011 10:57:24 PM

Awful. Hate it.

I haven't liked the look of any Ferrari since the F430, and that was still a step down from the F360.

1/24/2011 10:24:17 AM

Quote :

"Igor, your argument makes sense for the Ford Explorer, but not the Ferrari Four IMO. Also, that Ferrari is super hot. W/those proportions, would you rather it just had nothing behind the front seats? Anyway, this makes me want an MZ3 Coupe... "

I guess my comments on folding seats and utility applied more to that Touring Flying Star. Just trying to see when would you ever need it? When you and missus going for a road trip, you would like to do some canyon carving on the way and she absolutely has to bring her entire shoe collection in a suitcase that would not fit in the trunk otherwise? That's the only scenario I can think of.

For the Ferrari, I can only see those rear seats intended for the kids. Not sure why else you would have a three-door luxury ultra-performace four-seater. People with that kind of money are probably not used to climbing into the back seats, they are more used to suicide doors that make it easier to get in, if anything. If it is designed for the kids, they could have sloped the roof more for a traditional profile, and sacrafice seat useability for looks, like the 4th gen prelude.

Yes, I am sure there will be buyers for it, and it is different from other things in the segment ( which may add to the appeal), but IMO the niche it is trying to fill doesnt make much sense.

Not that any of our opinions matter, since no one here will likely be buying these anytime soon.

1/24/2011 10:58:36 AM

Who gives a Crap what it looks like 600+ hp in an awd car that doesn't weigh 4000+ lbs???? Sign me up!!

[Edited on January 24, 2011 at 11:40 AM. Reason : Or the incredibly rich version of me from an alternate dimension.]

1/24/2011 11:39:19 AM

well I like it, despite the headlights, which I think are, like the 458's, nonsensically stretched up the fender, partly because I think this arrangement allows a smaller car than the 612 scaglietti...well, I think it's smaller...

oh, actually the dimensions are virtually identical.... hm

supercars.net:
length 4902 mm / 193.0 in
width 1957 mm / 77.0 in
height 1344 mm / 52.9 in
weight 1840 kg / 4057 lb

ferrarifour.com:
length 4907 mm
width 1953 mm
height 1379 mm
weight 1790kg

1/24/2011 3:21:45 PM

Lots of interesting comments in here... I might respond to some in a few days, but this one I will now:

Quote :

"This, to me at least, is what a high performance, 4-seat coupe should look like (panamera, im looking at you)."

Except the Panamera is not a coupe. It is a humongous sedan with a hatch-style back. Just by looking at that side profile, I am certain that the Panamera's back passenger area/seats has a lot more space that the FF's. Same with the Aston Rapide. Both the Panamera and Rapide have what I would say are pre-planned back passenger areas which were designed to be there from the beginning. The FF seems as if a company was making a 2-seat coupe and at the 11th hour they were like "hey, let's put 2 extra [baby] seats in the back!". I mean compare it with the 612 or the 456, the 2 previous 4-seat Ferraris. They have proper back passenger areas.

1/24/2011 3:30:02 PM

Quote :

"For the Ferrari, I can only see those rear seats intended for the kids. Not sure why else you would have a three-door luxury ultra-performace four-seater."

Or groceries, or a briefcase, or any number of other things.

In the racing version, that space will be used for the fuel cell, ballast and roll cage.

To those of you who, for some retarded reason think the Ferrari Four is ugly as sin, let me post a picture to remind of where this form factor came from:



Not every sports car can, or should be, a mid-engine rear drive v12 teardrop airfoil design.

1/24/2011 10:55:50 PM

i'm just sayin'

also LOL at the key on that bentley flying star, when Suzukis come with keyless push button ignition. But I am sure that the Bentley keyfob is made of rubber made exclusively from virgin Amazon rubber tree sap or some shit


[Edited on January 24, 2011 at 11:38 PM. Reason : .]

1/24/2011 11:32:48 PM

^^lol, what a joke. Quite the stretch of the imagination there to try and say the designs are similar.

^who gives a shit about a stupid push button system? If it was up to me all I want is to insert a key and twist. None of this fancy superfluous BS.

1/25/2011 8:27:25 AM

you obviously never used a proximity keyfob. You do not ever need to rustle in your pockets and look for your keys. You dont need to lock and unlock the car. You just walk up to it, it knows that you are your owner, it unlocks itself, adjusts the seats to your position if there is more than one owner, you get in, you push a button, and you drive. You get out and walk away, the car locks itself. It's like we are living in the twenty first century, oh wait we are! And I don't think the technology behind it really costs much more than the standard keyfobs. im just saying, If i were looking for an 800,000 dollar car, i'd rather have something technologically advanced like proximity keyfob rather than something superfluous like woven leather trunk liner

I am sure there are people here that hate on electic windows because they add a couple pounds of weight to the car. I have manual windows an my current truck, and I can promise you that I never felt any performance gains from those weight savings. I do, however, feel the discomfort every time I have to lean over to the pasenger side and wrestle with rolling the window down. And to add insult to injury, the parking attendant will crack a wise joke about the manual windows every other time and mention that even his 89 corolla has power windows But we wouldn’t want life to be TOO convenient, would we.



[Edited on January 25, 2011 at 9:02 AM. Reason : .]

1/25/2011 8:57:56 AM

^all well and true, but when an electronic gremlin strikes and you can't enter or even start your car you'll wish you had a simple metal key. Or if heaven forbid your car has unintended acceleration you can't just remove the key. And traditional keys supplemented by key fobs are fully capable of positioning your seat the way you want it (though in regards to that I prefer a manually adjustable seat).

1/25/2011 10:31:08 AM

@ neon the cobra daytona and the 69 mkiv gt 40 are my 2 favorite looking cars of all time.

1/25/2011 10:45:35 AM

[Edited on January 25, 2011 at 1:43 PM. Reason : .]

1/25/2011 1:42:56 PM

Quote :

"lol, what a joke. Quite the stretch of the imagination there to try and say the designs are similar."

yeah seriously.

1/25/2011 1:52:47 PM

Quote :

"I'm glad finally somebody realizes the design genius of the Z3 coupe Ford Focus; "

1/25/2011 2:43:38 PM

kinda puts complaining about how ugly the california was at its launch into perspective.


[Edited on January 25, 2011 at 3:34 PM. Reason : .]

1/25/2011 3:24:09 PM

california wasn't ugly so much as uninspiring to me.

And you guys are ridiculous. Proportions are proportions, whether you want to admit it or not. And the Ferrari Four is dead ringer



The hood line, and roof line are damn near carbon copies. Driver position is the same, the difference is that obviously the Ferrari pushed the wheelbase back a bit.

[Edited on January 25, 2011 at 8:46 PM. Reason : .]

1/25/2011 8:45:45 PM

Never thought the day would come when I'd say I prefer the looks of the 612 Scaglietti

1/25/2011 9:44:09 PM

reminds me of the breadvan

1/25/2011 9:54:50 PM

^^^ Yeah, and those small differences in the wheelbase and the shape of the back make huge differences overall in how the shape is perceived by the brain!

1/26/2011 4:52:01 AM