Ferrari to build their very first SUV
Ferrari will be releasing to the world, their first 4x4 SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) called the Purosangue within the next 3 years. 15 new models will be released between now and 2022, and the SUV - currently known as the ‘Purosangue’ or Pure Blood is just one of them
For Ferrari to make an SUV is quite a change of tac. The late chief executive of Fiat and boss of Ferrari, Sergio Marchionne once said that “you’d have to shoot me” before Ferrari would make an SUV. It seems though, that Marchionne had softened his stance on an SUV build before he passed away but others at Ferrari may still not be happy about the plan. Despite previous reservations, it's actually happening, Ferrari is planning to build their own Sports Utility Vehicle.
The new 4x4 SUV will compete with other luxury brands like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the Lamborghini Urus. The people against the idea of a Ferrari SUV are, presumably not stockholders in the now-publicly floated Ferrari, but the bottom line figures cannot be ignored and profit margins are the order of the day in a public company.
The ‘Purosangue’ or Pure Blood is one of the 15 new models proposed. It will be based on a new front-mid-engined platform that will also form the basis of replacements for the current GTC4 Lusso and the 812 Superfast.
The new Ferrari will incorporate a lot of hybrid tech, which is their way of sidestepping future emissions legislation. There is also a good chance that the replacements for the Ferrari 488 and the Portofino front-engined convertible could end up using a hybridised version of a new V6 turbo engine, which is at this time being developed for both future Alfa Romeos and Ferrari.
Alfa Romeo has confirmed that they are also working on a 700hp hybrid V6 sports car, with a and it makes sense to them to dovetail the projects. To traditionalists and Ferrari fans, creating hybrids and V6 engined SUV’s and other models is a hard pill to swallow but to make it palatable, Maranello is adding a bit of sugar and spice to the mix in order to make the SUV medicine go down a little easier. The added sugar is in the form of the Monza SP1 and SP2 sports cars developed as part of Ferrari’s ‘Icona’ series.
The Monza comes in a single-seat layout and also a two-seat layout and has an all-carbon-fibre body with a 6.5-litre V12 engine with 810hp (0-100km/h in just 2.9secs…). With no windscreen, Ferrari say that because of the design, high-pressure air is directed around and way away from the cockpit, but that even so.
As Ferrari say themselves:
“The result is the feeling of blistering speed normally only experienced by Formula 1 drivers, which derives from the concept of a cockpit carved from the car’s very volume that wraps around the driver.”
The Monza single seater and two seater versions are almost without question, the most classically beautiful cars to come from Ferrari in a while. The company is moving away from a highly-technical style that they have adopted in recent years such as what some would claim as the awkward-looking Ferrari Enzo. Instead, they are embracing a more beautiful design and fans are hoping that their new SUV maintains the traditional Ferrari and not make bring down the tone of the brand.
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