Ferrari recently unveiled the highly-speculated Purosangue, or “thorough-bred” in Italian. This comes as a belated response to the highly successful Lamborghini Urus, which has become roughly half of its sales. In typical Ferrari fashion, always late to the party unless it’s the finish line.

Powered By A Mighty V-12!

In an age of turbochargers, hybrids, electric cars, emission regulations, and ICE car bans, Ferrari said, “hold my beer” to Lamborghini and its turbo V-8 Urus, and put in a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 mill that makes 715 horsepower and 528 pound-feet of torque. 80-percent of this torque is available from 2,100 rpm, thus ensuring a strong low- and mid-range. Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

According to Ferrari, It Is Not an SUV

Ferrari explicitly states the Purosangue is not an SUV. The automaker claims it’s a “modern GT” for a number of reasons, one being the engine being behind the front axle. With the sleek and unfettered design and the brand’s history of 2+2 V-12 cars, the argument has some merit. It comes as a replacement for the all-wheel drive FF and GTC4 Lusso, but rather than being a shooting brake, it is more of a fully-fledged SUV we'd say.

The Purosangue Boasts Impressive Performance Specs

Acceleration and top speed aren’t everything. But, here at TopSpeed, we care about it, and so does Ferrari. Ferrari says the Purosangue’s design was dictated by the wind tunnel, making it as aero-efficient as possible. With a dry weight of 4,482 pounds, an eight-speed dual-clutch, and a V-12, the Purosangue can rocket from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and all the way up to 192 mph before hitting its top speed. That's very impressive for an SUV (wait, Ferrari said it's not an SUV!)

Polarizing Interior?

Ferrari obviously took a long time designing the interior of the Purosangue. Some critics have argued that it’s overstyled or ugly compared to the exterior, but it is extravagant nonetheless. In the front, there is the usual Ferrari steering wheel and gauges you’re used to. The biggest thing that has polarized the reception of the car (other than the fact it’s an SUV) is the set of two giant humps on the dashboard. In those humps are screens for both the driver and passenger. However, many critics argue that these 'humps' are overstyled and out of proportion.

Regardless, this is standard Ferrari stuff for the most part in the interior, except for one thing: bucket seats. Yes, Ferrari in typical Italian fashion thought: We have a big V12, we have a beautiful, sleek exterior, and an interior finished in all sorts of gorgeous leathers, but you know what the kids need as they’re rocketed to their piano recital? Bucket seats. And, so, as if Ferrari hadn’t done enough firsts with the Purosangue, it is now the first SUV to feature bucket seats.

Sports Car-Like Handling Due to Suspension Innovations

Ferrari is known for building cars that handle well, obviously. Well, how do you make a tall, heavy, SUV handle well? For one, it’s not body-on-frame like many SUVs out there. However, it allows the Purosangue to handle well with its complicated suspension setup. The Purosangue features active spool-valve dampers, which completely eliminates the need for anti-roll bars. There is an electric motor at each corner of the car applying force to the dampers during hard cornering.

First Everything!

Speaking of firsts, here are some more firsts for the Ferrari. For one, it is the first four-door, four-seater Ferrari in the company’s long lineage. It is the world’s first V-12 super SUV. As mentioned above, it is also the first SUV to come with bucket seats. It’s the first Ferrari to feature suicide doors. It’s the first of everything even though it’s years late to the party.

Are You Willing To Spend $4 Million On It?

Ferrari knows that this is going to be the model that will make or break the company in terms of diversifying. The closest thing Ferrari had to an SUV before the Purosangue was the FF and the GTC4 Lusso. But, with the demise of these models and the Lamborghini Urus' debut, there has been a deficit in potential sales. So, Ferrari eventually realized it must adapt or die. However, that doesn't mean Ferrari is desperate yet, and this practical supercar's pricing a testament to that. The Ferrari Purosangue is priced at a hefty $400,000 and is still for only the uber-wealthy. Despite this price tag, the company reportedly already has 2,000 pre-orders for the Purosangue.

Ferrari Originally Never Wanted To Make An SUV

Ferrari is known for catering to purists and is very proud of its legacy, even to its own detriment. So, for Ferrari to finally accept the fact that SUVs are a huge market and step over its pride is a big deal. In fact, if you asked Ferrari if it would ever make any SUV a few years ago, you would’ve been laughed at. In fact, in 2016, the then-CEO, Sergio Marchionne, was asked this very question, and he replied, “You have to shoot me first.”

How Do You Pronounce It?

Puro-sang? Purro-sange? How do you pronounce Purosangue if you don’t speak Italian? It’s actually pretty simple. Pur-o-san-gue, or if you want to think of it like this, Pur-o-song-way. Unless you pronounce it right, Ferrari probably won’t let you buy it.

Ferrari’s Plans with the Purosangue

Everybody knows the inevitability of hybridization and electrification in the automotive industry, and even a high-end sports car manufacturer as stubborn as Ferrari must recognize that. Ferrari’s first electric model will be supposedly released in 2025, but the company doesn’t plan to go fully electric until forced to by government regulation. As for the Purosangue, Ferrari plans to keep its naturally aspirated V-12 for as long as the model goes on. It’s anyone’s guess, but think maybe a ten-year lifespan for the Purosangue.

FAQ

Q: How much horsepower does a BMW M1000RR have?

BMW claims 205 horsepower, but the rear wheel figure is 160 horsepower.

Q: How much is the BMW M1000RR?

The BMW M1000RR costs $36,995.

Q: Which is faster BMW S1000RR or the M1000RR?

The BMW S1000RR and the M1000RR produce the same power. The M1000RR revs higher, but you would have to be an expert rider to make the M1000RR go faster around a track than the S1000RR.