Bye bye FF, hello Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Meet the Ferrari GTC4Lusso. It’s at once an updated version of the FF, and a stake to the heart of grammar fans the world over.

It continues Ferrari’s somewhat sporadic naming structure, then, recalling classic Ferraris with its ‘GTC’ and ‘Lusso’ elements and conjoining them with a ‘4’, alluding to the amount of seats inside.

Like the F12tdf that’s gone before it, we’ll likely forgive a clunky name for what lies beneath, though. The GTC4Lusso is a compilation of all of Ferrari’s current technological boasts; it takes the FF’s four-wheel drive and combines it with rear-wheel steering like you’ll find on that hardcore F12, while there’s a new evolution of the Side Slip Control that makes the 488 GTB so enthralling.

So while the four-wheel drive and four-seat layout make this the GT car of Ferrari’s range, it also sounds like it’ll be a good laugh to drive.

Its naturally aspirated 6.3-litre V12 is evidence: it produces 680bhp, up nearly 30bhp on the FF, and while much of its 514lb ft of torque is available below 2,000rpm, you’ll need to be nudging 6,000 revs to unearth the whole lot. Good.

Do so and you’ll find a 208mph top speed, via a 3.4 second 0-62mph time. While the former is unchanged on an FF, the latter is nearly half a second down.

There are plenty of nods to comfort, though, in keeping with the 30 per cent higher mileage FF drivers typically do over other Ferrari customers. Everyone on board gets a wraparound sports seat, while there’s a fancy new 10in HD touchscreen, with an additional display to keep front passengers entertained. Or scared, depends on your driving…

The car looks visibly different to an FF, too, even if the overall shape is unchanged. The lights are different at the front and especially rear, with the first quad rear lights on a Ferrari since the 612 Scaglietti. They provide a nice nod back to four-seat Ferraris of old, not least the 456, one of the GTC4Lusso’s loveliest ancestors.

There’s also a new grille, with integrated air intakes, while a roof spoiler and intricate new diffuser help it take a scythe to the FF’s drag coefficient. All in, though, it’s a tasteful and relatively subtle update.