Four-wheel-drive Ferrari shooting-brake revealed

You can abandon your preconceived ideas about what a Ferrari should be: the new ‘Ferrari Four' or ‘FF' is set to replace the 612 Scaglietti as Ferrari's big V12 GT car - and it's got a few surprises in store.

Apart from the obvious shooting brake-style body - a cross between an estate and a coupe - the FF also gets four seats and four-wheel drive, a huge step for Ferrari.

See more pics of the Ferrari Four

The front is basically nicked from the current 458 Italia, but the aluminium spaceframe is entirely new and allows for a pretty useful 450 litres of bootspace, extendable to 800 litres with - wait for it - flip-down rear seats. In a Ferrari.

But the big news remains the all-wheel drive. Ferrari's ‘4RM' system is 50 per cent lighter than a conventional setup, mated to a beefed-up seven-speed dual-shift transmission already used in the California and 458 Italia.

And, interestingly, that seven-speed DCT ‘box has to contend with the might of a re-worked version of Ferrari's rather glorious 6.0-litre V12. Now a 6.2, this reworked Vee sits just behind the front axle and produces 660bhp and 504lb ft of torque. You might be interested to know that in the Four, this 6.2-litre returns 18mpg and emits 360g/km of CO2.

But you'll definitely be more interested in learning that the Four can accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and top 208mph; fast enough to destroy any lingering doubt you still have over that controversial shape.

We've got more details in next month's Top Gear magazine - on sale 27 January - but until then, we open up the floor to you. What do you make of Maranello's latest?