After a pre-Melbourne Cup trip to the prestigious Swettenham Stud in Nagambie, Victoria, we returned home to Sydney with an entirely different kind of thoroughbred on our brain: The latest V12 Ferrari GTC4Lusso.
If ever there was a dream-come-true driving experience, this was it. During the day spent cruising around the stunning landscapes surrounding the stud, visiting Mitchelton Winery, and heading back to Melbourne, we encountered driving feels worthy of a rap song. With the ability to sprint from 0 to 100 km in 3.4 seconds; this is a vehicle that knows how to ride a road, and we, in turn, felt like the boss of every street.
During the trip we spoke to Jacquie Hayes, Editor and Founder of Madam Wheels — a website dedicated to guiding women who are looking to purchase a luxury vehicle. Hayes said of the vehicle, “I love the transition of the gears when you’re really punching it on roads; the thing flies. You’re wrapped in this extraordinary leather interior which is comfortable, but it’s sporty. There’s heaps of room in the back, there’s very clever features in it like the panoramic sunroof.”
After just minutes spent driving this most exquisite of cars, it was no surprise to find out it is also a record-setter. The Ferrari GTC4Lusso has a 13:5:1 compression ratio and 2.6kg/cv weight to-power ratio that have set new records for the category.
Hayes describes the vehicle — which delivers an astonishing top speed of 335 km/h — as, “a useable beast,” meaning it can hold the road like few others, while also functioning as a perfect family vehicle. It’s a car that women and families will live for: Heartedly ticking the sex appeal box, and offering 4-wheel drive and steering capability to manage any kind of terrain. As Hayes said, “it’s the car that will take you anywhere.” We concur!
Like any good thoroughbred, this is a vehicle that doesn’t just feel good; it looks good too. Really good. Prepare to be stared at, in the best possible way. Like its predecessors (such as the 330GTC, the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso and 365GTC/4), the GTC4Lusso epitomises elegance and refinery. Every tiny detail has been carefully considered, leaving a lasting impression on drivers, passengers, and envious observers.
Dropping the kids to school or heading to a meeting should not be a chore carried out in the car equivalent of a clydesdale. The ultimate modern family car can now be as thoroughbred-like as sportscars without sacrificing space or comfort, and the Ferrari GTC4LUSSO offers one of the best driving experiences around.
The expert breakdown on the GTC4Lusso by Jacquie Hayes
An all-rounder for groovy young families who are into adventure but love their luxuries, too. This Ferrari is the perfect combination of form and function.
• A super-comfortable four-seater that’s a head-turner in the city but equally capable through unpredictable winding country roads and into snowy hills.
• It’s a car that transports in sporty elegance, its all-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering functions ensuring predictable high-level performance regardless of conditions. We can vouch for the steering which is surprisingly light and responsive given its almost two-tonne weight (if fully optioned up).
• It’s fast, too, with a stomping 6.2-litre V12 engine under the bonnet. The higher that number, the more powerful a car is, producing in this one an astonishing top speed of 335km/h and claimed sprint from a dead stop to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds.
• It produces quite a bit of road noise but, let’s face it, this is a V12. You want noise, even though Ferrari has tried to tame it for city living by using a bypass valve on the exhaust to wind back the sound for those you’re blasting past. If you really give it to it, however, you’ll get the desired note from the exhaust
• The Side Slip Control does a great job of holding the road, maintaining the integrity of the drive where other cars would be fishtailing.
• Ferrari aficionados might struggle with the look of this car, its sweeping “shooting-brake” rear potentially a little confronting. But people said that about the Porshe Panamera, too, and it’s everywhere now. Expect to see the same success of the Lusso.
• This is a genuinely sexy machine, with the combination of its attractive silhouette, sleek side grills and massive bonnet producing something that’s particularly pleasing to behold.
• Inside, the feeling is opulent, with beautiful leather seating designed to hug and hold their passengers. Even adults wouldn’t detest you for putting them in the rear.
• Perhaps avoid optioning in the Passenger Display which would allow your Mr Plus-one in the passenger seat to watch your revs and speed escalate right before his very eyes. Then again, it might give him a thrill!
• Option in the full panoramic sunroof to increase the feeling of space and light.
Watch Rescu. editor, Bahar Etminan test drive the new Ferrari GTC4Lusso below.
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