Ferrari delivers first FF coupes to customers

FIRST customer deliveries of Ferrari’s groundbreaking FF wagon-coupe have arrived in Australia as the queue for the $625,000 all-wheel-drive supercar now looks like it has extended in to next years’ allocation.

Public relations manager for Ferrari importer European Automotive Imports, Edward Rowe, told GoAuto FF sales are “just into double figures”.

Although Australia’s FF allocation for this year has not yet been finalised, Mr Rowe said the sales figures “indicate we have already sold this year’s (allocation) and are already into selling cars for next year.”

The FF’s popularity Down Under – despite its controversial styling – could be down to its versatility and how this aligns well with the typically Australian love of outdoor pursuits.

In addition to a unique, patented 4RM all-wheel-drive setup that dispenses with a transfer case and centre differential in favour of distributing drive from both ends of the engine’s crankshaft, the FF can carry up to 800 litres of luggage with the rear seats folded or 450 litres with the seats up and two adults in the back.

Left: FF interior. Below: 458 Spider and California HELE.

Ferrari says the FF’s all-paw traction also makes it usable on snow-covered or dirt roads, although even with its adaptive suspension with magnetically-controlled dampers, being primarily a supercar the FF unlikely to be the most comfortable way to travel on a corrugated outback trail.

However Ferrari recently demonstrated the FF's snow-driving abilities with a video of 1978 World Rally champion Markku Alen using the car to expertly negotiate the Arjeplog track in Sweden.

In addition to the 4RM setup, claimed to weigh 50 per cent less than a conventional all-wheel-drive system, the FF sends power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle transmission, which helps the car achieve a 53 per cent rear weight distribution, despite being front-engined.

Powered by Ferrari’s first direct-injection V12 engine, which displaces 6262cc and has a high compression ratio of 12.3:1, the FF develops 485kW at 8000rpm and 683Nm of torque at 6000rpm – with at least 500Nm available from just 1000rpm all the way through to 8000rpm.

These are impressive figures for a naturally aspirated engine and enable the FF to blast from rest to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds on the way to a 335km/h top speed.

A claimed 25 per cent saving in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions over previous Ferrari V12s – to 15.4 litres per 100 kilometres and 360 grams per kilometre respectively – are helped by the introduction of idle-stop and energy-saving intelligent controls for the fan, fuel pump and air-conditioning compressor.

In addition to being the first all-wheel-drive Ferrari with the first direct-injection V12, the FF is among the first Ferraris to be offered in Australia with an inclusive seven-year free scheduled servicing program, meaning the first Australian FF customers will not have to pay for a service until 2020.

The FF marks the start of what should another good year for Ferrari – which sold 134 cars in Australia in 2011 (up 6.3 per cent) – with a pair of tin-top convertibles in the shape of the 458 Spider and facelifted California due to arrive Down Under around June.

Fitted with a patented aluminium retractable hard-top roof that deploys in 14 seconds and weighs just 25kg, the mid-engined 458 Spider is claimed to lose no rigidity over the coupe and despite a 50kg overall weight gain, achieve the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.4 seconds.

The mildly-facelifted California on the other hand, will receive tweaks to exterior and interior styling, more on-board technology and a healthy 22kW power boost, resulting in 360kW, with performance further aided by a weight reduction regime and suspension upgrades.